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Karen Sweeny-Justice, Demand Media

With more man-made lakes than other state, beach opportunities are found in all five of the Sooner States regions. June, July and August are the best times to enjoy Oklahoma beaches with mean temperatures between 77 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. "Good" is a relative term when looking for Oklahomas best beaches, as most are man-made with narrow stretches of sand that were put in place during lake development.

Fifteen miles west of Tulsa, Keystone Lake (keystoneok.com) has 330 miles of shore. Walnut Creek State Park (no website; County Road 1521, Osage; 918-242-3362) has many sandy beaches backed by woodlands on peninsulas jutting into the lake. By boat, the Washington Irving Cove Recreation Area (no website; 23115 W. Wekiwa Road, Sand Springs; 918-865-2621) is just across the lake; by land, the journey from one beach to the other is more than 20 miles. Less than 10 miles away, Keystone State Park (no website; 1926 Highway 151, Sand Springs; 918-865-4991) and the Salt Creek Cove Recreation Area (no website; off Highway 51, Sand Springs; 918-865-2845) have additional swimming beaches.

Lake Eufaula, the largest lake completely within the states boundaries, is on the Canadian River in central Oklahoma. The 15th largest lake in the United States has 600 miles of shoreline, sandy beaches and rocky coasts that coexist along its lakeshore. The lakes southern waters are known as being clear blue and are popular with scuba divers. Lake Eufaula State Park (lakeeufaula.com), Arrowhead State Park (no website; HC 67 Box 57, Canadian; 918-339-2204), Crowder Point East and Crowder Point West (no websites; Highway 69, Crowder; 918-484-5135), Juniper Point (juniperpointparks.com) and Porum Landing (no website; 102 E. BK 200 Road, Stigler; 918-799-5843) all have sandy beaches.

Eastern Oklahomas Lake Tenkiller has numerous state, federal and municipal recreational areas along its 130-mile shoreline. Cherokee Landing State Park (no website; 28610 Park 20, Park Hill; 918-457-5716 is on a peninsula that juts into the lake; the beach is located in the campground on the southern tip of the park. The swim beach at Tenkiller State Park (no website; Hwy. 100, Vian; 918-489-5641) is on the northern shore of the parks southern peninsula near Fishermans Point. Designated swim beaches are separated from boating areas by buoys. Noted for its clear water, a popular spot for scuba diving is near Skunk Island, north of the Illinois River dam that forms the lake.

Canton Lake, on the North Canadian River in the northwest, has five recreational areas managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but only Sandy Cove Recreation Area (no website; HC65 Box 120, Canton; 580-886-2989) has a beach. Also in the northwest region, the Great Salt Plains Lake has a sandy beach, high red bluffs and the only hour-glass shaped selenite crystals in the world. Fort Gibson Lake in the northeast region has 225 miles of shoreline and a wide sandy beach near the campground at Taylor Ferry South Recreation Area (taylorferryok.us). The beach at Lake Lawtonka is near the city of Lawtons East-Side Campground (cityof.lawton.ok.us). The beach on Lake Thunderbird in central Oklahoma is at the Clear Bay Area of Lake Thunderbird State Park (no website; Alameda Drive, Norman; 405-364-7634).

Karen Sweeny-Justice is a writer living in Surprise, Ariz. Her work has appeared in "Writer's Digest" magazine and "RubberStampMadness" magazine, as well as in newspapers around the United States. She also writes book reviews for "RT Book Reviews" magazine.

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Lakes in Oklahoma With Good Beaches | USA Today