The Newt Graham Poolis a reservoir created by the eighteenth dam in a series of locks and dams that are part of the McClellen-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. Built in the 1970s, the dam impounds the Verdigris River forming a lake with a surface area of one thousand, five hundred acres.
Surrounded by flat, agricultural lands, the pool provides the area with twenty-five miles of navigable waters for the transport of products like fertilizer and wheat by barge to the port of Catoosa in the north of the state. The nearest large town is Broken Arrow, about half an hour's drive away, so it's a quiet spot in Oklahoma to pitch camp in your RV for a few days. Newt Graham Pool isn't just used for the transportation of commercial and industrial goods; it's great for recreational boating too.
Fishing and hunting are both excellent at Newt Graham Pool as well, though it has to be said, it isn't the most scenic of spots in Oklahoma to pitch camp in your RV. It does make a good base camp for going off and exploring more exciting places nearby, though. If you want to be part of history, take a ride down the old Route 66 to see the iconic Blue Whale of Catoosa. For more scenic vistas, head over to the Sequoyah State Park for a game of golf, a swim at the beach, or to take a fun hayride in the cowboy camp. If you want to inject some culture into your RV vacation at Newt Graham Pond, shake out those glad rags and drive over to Broken Arrow for a Broadway show at the Performing Arts Center. RV camping at the Newt Graham Pool might be quiet, but it definitely won't be boring.
Wherever you're coming from in Oklahoma, you'll have a roundabout drive along minor county roads to get to the Newt Graham Pool. They are all kept in a pretty decent condition, so they shouldn't present too many problems for you no matter what length of rig you have. If you're going to be camping, you'll be heading for the Bluff Landing Campground as camping isn't allowed in any of the other public use areas.
If you're driving in from the west of the state, once you're through Broken Arrow, you can hit East 71st Street South, which leads to the reservoir. As you approach the lake, you'll see the signs at the junction with the N1480 Road pointing to the public use area and campground. All told, the journey will take you roughly thirty to forty minutes. If you've been in the south of Oklahoma near Wilburton camping out in your rig at the Robber's Cave State Park or at the Hugo Lake State Park, expect the trip to Newt Graham Pool to take you around two or three and a half hours respectively.
If you're unlucky enough to pull into the Bluff Landing Campground at Newt Graham Pool and there are no campsites vacant, take a run over to the Sequoyah State Park. There are several campgrounds within the park located around the shores of Fort Gibson Lake. To pitch your RV at the Bill Point Campground between April and October, you'll need to make a reservation. But if you're arriving between November and March, the two months that start and end the season, you'll be fine as a walk-up.
The same goes for the Flat Creek Rock Campground and Rocky Point Campground. For the peak season from April to October, you'll need to book your campsite before you get there. Though you'll find the Rocky Point site remains open from November through to March when it's first-come-first-served all the way through. The RV campsites at all three campgrounds have full utility hookups, and the campgrounds have top-notch amenities.
The Corps campground at Newt Graham Pool is Bluff Landing. It's a first-come-first-served campground, open all year round, with twenty-one campsites suitable for RVs. The campground is semi-primitive but has 50 amp electric and water hook-ups for all the pitches. There's a dump station, showers, and restrooms on-site too.
There's no stated maximum length for RVs at Bluff Landing Campground, but be aware that most of the pitches are located under trees with low-hanging branches. If you have a tall rig, you could have problems pulling in without causing damage to your wagon. Expect a peaceful time pitched there apart from in the summertime, when you'll be loudly serenaded by the song of the cicadas.
Many campers pitch up their RVs at the Newt Graham Pool to go fishing and with good reason too. The McClellen-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System is renowned for its bass and there are many bass fishing contests held along its length. If you're hoping to hook something to cook up for dinner, you'll find there are also big catfish in the tributary creeks as well as flatheads, sunfish, and crappie.
The Newt Graham Pool is a superb location for kayaking or canoeing. There's a lot of open water to paddle along, though if you head into the creeks, watch out for submerged tree trunks.
If you're launching a motorized craft and depending on how far you want to go, you may need to negotiate a lock. To get through the lock, you'll have to have at least 150 feet of rope aboard. Follow the lock procedure and the instructions of the lockmaster. It may be a case of being patient and waiting your turn as commercial traffic is given priority over recreational.
If you didn't catch enough fish at Newt Graham Pool, take a fifty-minute drive over to Jenks and visit the Oklahoma Aquarium; you'll see plenty of marine life there. The huge aquarium covers over seventy-thousand square feet and contains an endless variety of unusual fish and invertebrates.
From the underwater observation platforms view prehistoric paddlefish, snapping turtles and alligators, then take a deep breath, steady your nerves and walk through the shark tunnel as ten bull sharks swim overhead.
The Jean Pierre Chouteau Trail is a single track trek along the route of the Verdigris River. The once-popular trail is sadly no longer maintained, so for a decent hike, head over to the Sequoyah State Park. The park is just a half an hour's drive from Newt Graham Pool, and there you'll find multiple trails running around the shoreline of Fort Gibson Lake. If you're traveling with a bike and want to go for a spin, try the fourteen miles of the Whispering Pines Mountain Bike Trail in Sequoyah State Park. It's on and off-road and suitable for all levels of rider.
It's quite a thing to be able to say you've driven along Route 66 in your rig. If you don't have time to do the full run, don't miss out on heading to the section not far from Newt Graham Pool near the town of Catoosa. There'll you'll find the iconic Blue Whale. Go in the summertime with your swimsuit on, and you can enter its cavernous interior then swoop down the slide on its side for a splash in the pool. It makes for a great souvenir photo, and if you're camping with kids, they'll love it.
RV camping at Newt Graham Pool doesn't need to be all about fishing or the great outdoors. For a change of scene from the quiet campground, go into Broken Arrow and catch a show at the Performing Arts Center. At the center, you can see a diverse range of Broadway shows, pop concerts, classical works presented by orchestras and ballet troupes as well as shows featuring current top-name performers.
