Sparrow Hawk Camp Provides Floating, RV and Tent Camping

With a prime location on the Illinois River, Sparrow Hawk Camp is a great place to camp and float the scenic Illinois River. Located toward the south end of the river in River Bend Hollow, Sparrow Hawk Camp offers RV campsites with hookups, primitive camping, and float options both short and long. We floated with Sparrow Hawk in July 2020 and this is a report of our experience.

The office at Sparrow Hawk camp is the central hub for camping and floating reservations and information. A friendly staff member greeted us and had all of the information that we needed about our float. We opted to float the 4-5 hour long float in kayaks that starts at Cherokee Public Access and ends on the shores of Sparrow Hawk Camp. 

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Floating with Sparrow Hawk

We grabbed a paddle, a life jacket, and hopped on a dark-blue school bus with Sparrow Hawk Camp painted on the side and settled in for a 10-minute drive up the river valley to what is described as Cherokee put-in/take-out. We loaded up our kayaks with gear, plenty of water and sunscreen, and pointed our boats down river.

The float route with Sparrow Hawk is a mellow and beautiful trip with rocky bluffs, a ton of gravel bars, and the occasional rope swing. Our boats were in good shape and made quick work of the 4-5 hours float, that we finished in around three hours. The route is a less-busy section of river with less commercial traffic than other sections near town. 

The longer 6+ hour float with Sparrow Hawk will likely include more people and a longer day of soaking up the sun!

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Camping with Sparrow Hawk

There is A LOT of camping at Sparrow Hawk Camp! Over 40 campsites are available for RV's with full hookups and when asked how many primitive camping sites were available, the office staff simply shrugged and said, "Come out and see us, we will have a spot for you." We did not camp, but explored the grounds and found a lot of primitive campsites that were very close to the riverside and had fantastic views. Sparrow Hawk is a great location for someone trying to find one of the most scenic camping spots on the Illinois River.

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Reserve your Float or Campsite at Sparrow Hawk

The best way to reach Sparrow Hawk Floats is by phone at 918-456-8371 and by email at [email protected].
When you visit, tag your photos on social media with the Sparrow Hawk Camp Facebook Page and tag #tourtahlequah. 

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Zach Elseman⎮Tourism Specialist

Zach is a lover of all things outdoors and is drawn to the wild places around Tahlequah like the Scenic Illinois River and JT Nickel Wildlife Preserve. When he is not promoting Tahlequah Tourism, Zach can normally be found hiking, biking, and camping all over the United States with his wife Rachael.

Follow Zach on Instagram @okienomads and online at www.okienomads.com