Wanting to get our dogs away from the fireworks over the 4th of July weekend, we booked a 2-bedroom cabin a year in advance (holiday weekends sell out really quickly!!). We ended up in Wood Duck in the area of cabins not too far from the entrance and park headquarters office. Some fireworks could still be heard in the distance from Ponca but nothing on the scale of what it was like back home. The best place would have been the cabins further away in the Scout Hill Loop but those were already taken at the time I booked. Still, we were very happy with our cabin. The two bedrooms were on either end of the cabin with the kitchen, living room, dining area, and bathroom in the middle. Either end had a door and a small deck. I would advise to bring your own camp chairs to sit outside. Pots, pans, coffee maker, dish soap, shampoo, bar soap, silverware and utensils were provided but I'm glad we brought our own scrubbie, paper towels, conditioner, and plastic cups. The AC in the cabin worked great for anyone wondering.
Our girls are old so we didn't do much hiking but rather stayed on the paved areas and drove thru the park several times making stops at scenic places along the way. I spent some time visiting the beautiful Resource and Education Center and attended a "Critter Corner" event designed mostly for kids but I enjoyed it, too. The knowledgeable young park staff showed various animal pelts, skulls, antlers, horns, and a few resident turtles and snakes. The Center also had some books, puzzles, souvenirs, snacks, t-shirts, and other items for sale. There's a convenience store, small grocery and couple restaurants in nearby Ponca in case you forgot anything or wanted to get a pizza.
I also visited the Aquatic Center one hot afternoon. It was a real nice heated zero entry pool with a diving board and 100 foot water slide. We really enjoyed our stay and already plan to return for a long weekend in the fall. read more