Love: Nature, History and Recreation in Oklahoma

Love County in Oklahoma offers a range of reasons to visit: water and nature, regional history, golf, gaming and events. The following places and activities show which highlights you can focus on when planning your stay.

Getting Your Bearings in Love County

Love County lies halfway between Oklahoma City and Dallas and is easily accessible via I-35. The shoreline and border area of Lake Texoma includes part of Love County in Oklahoma along the Texas-Oklahoma border. Border Casino is at Exit 1 on I-35, near the border. The Thackerville Tourism Information Center is three miles north of the border, at mile marker 3.5 on I-35.

Lake Texoma and the Red River Landscape

With 91,200 acres of water, Lake Texoma offers opportunities for fishing, camping and water sports. The Love Valley Wildlife Management Area encompasses 7,746 acres in south-central and eastern Love County. Its landscape is dominated by post oak and blackjack oak forests, as well as bottomland forest; the area lies along the Red River on the Oklahoma-Texas border.

The Wildlife Management Area has several undesignated primitive camping sites. Check current conditions for these camping options before planning an overnight stay. The nature offerings have distinct highlights: Lake Texoma is all about fishing, camping and water sports, while the Wildlife Management Area is characterized by forest landscapes, the Red River and primitive camping.

History and Museums in Marietta

The Love County Courthouse was built in 1910 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under number 84003148. It was Oklahoma’s first county courthouse to be built after statehood. The early history of Love County includes early trade, numerous ferry crossings and some of the first trading posts in Indian Territory.

Norton’s Indian Territory Museum is a private collection inside Norton’s Jewelry in Marietta. Its collection includes old bottles, arrowheads, antiques and historical documents from the region. Also in Marietta, the Love County Historical Society Pioneer Museum houses artifacts depicting pioneer life. Together, the two museums offer different ways to explore regional history.

Golf, Pools and Gaming

WinStar Golf Club is located in Thackerville, Oklahoma. Its Redbud Golf Course is an 18-hole championship golf course. Since course details may change during renovations, check the latest course information when making specific plans.

Cascades at WinStar is a five-acre pool complex with lounges and cabanas. The three-tiered complex includes a shallow splash pool, several pools and three outdoor bars. Operations are seasonal, and amenities may change.

WinStar World Casino & Resort is divided into nine areas themed after cities around the world. It has more than 600,000 square feet of gaming space and more than 10,500 electronic games. Border Casino has more than 2,300 electronic games across 88,000 square feet of gaming space. These operating figures may change. Kitchen 35 is part of the dining options at Border Casino; if you plan to eat there, check availability for your date.

Events in Love County

The Love Run is held annually and includes a 5K run and a one-mile fun run. Love County Frontier Days is a weekend event in downtown Marietta featuring vendors, live music, entertainment and food trucks. The program may vary from year to year.

Friday’s Frontier Days program includes an off-road show and rodeo events such as mutton busting and team goat roping. Saturday’s program features a car show and the “Git A Long Little Doggie” race with a costume contest. If one of these events is the reason for your trip, check the dates and program for that year.

Find Hotels in Love for Your Trip

Check the dates and seasonal information that matter for your stay before choosing a hotel.

Discover more destinations: Thackerville, Cimarron County, Woodward County, Pittsburg County, Atoka County, Logan County, Rogers County, Carter County

For the main travel overview: Oklahoma.