This is a great campground for families located on the lower Illinois River just a couple miles south of Lake Tenkiller Dam. They offer rv, tent sites and cabins. There is a swimming pool and horseback riding and the river is close for any fishermen. We stayed over the 4th a couple years back. There was a red white and blue parade-all the kids decorated up their bikes and golf carts, etc. for the parade around the campground. There was many kid activities, we all made tie-dye t-shirts one day for instance. The horseback riding was fun through the woods. The horses follow the same path head to tail but if you have never done it, its an easy time and the kids will like it read more

Delightful, rustic get-away for families and couples alike! For lodging, MarVal offers cabins and RV parking - We stayed in one of the "one room deluxe cabins" (see pics) - Very pleasantly surprised! Small for sure, but definitely fit the basic needs, plus some! Cabin had a tiny (but functional) kitchen (impressively equipped with stove, microwave, mini-fridge, coffee maker, and toaster), a queen size bed, futon to act as a couch or as an extra bed, a fold-out dining table, TV (with cable), gas fireplace and a fully enclosed back porch (and of course a bathroom (with shower)). The campground even provides free wi-fi (a bit spotty at times, but super nice to have). The cabin we stayed in was right on the Illinois river, so "going fishing" was literally just stepping outside. Such a beautiful place! MarVal definitely caters to families - lots of family activities, including bike rentals (the ones the kiddos were all riding looked like something similar to a green machine), what looked like a basketball fun zone, and even an arcade. Our agenda was pretty simple: catch trout. Sadly, it seems the trout had a different agenda... With that said, even after 2 full days of catching nothing but one perch, I 100% still enjoyed myself. There's something awe inspiring about witnessing the sun burn off the river fog at sunrise. And I have to give additional props to MarVal for their general store - With the semi-isolation, I was expecting wallet-gouging prices, but found them to be extremely reasonable. The only con was that the cabins aren't particularly sound-insulated, so folks staying up to chat around their fire pit can definitely affect your ability to fall asleep. With that said, this is a sure-win for those looking to get away for a fishing trip and/or for a family reunion - Definitely recommend! read more

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Nothing about this place I don't like. Reminds me of Dirty Dancing. I'll bet this place rocks in summer

Do NOT go here! My cousins and their family stayed here for a weekend. They left their 15 year olds son's wallet in a hidden spot and when they got home they called the manager and told them they would come back Monday for it. The manager (Bill I believe was his name) admitted having it and only himself and his wife would have access to it and would see them then. Their son had all his birthday money in it, and while I won't disclose the amount, it was over the amount if stolen to be considered a felony, and when they arrived to pick it up, ALL the cash was GONE! Stolen! A police report has been filed and they are EXTREMELY rude about it and if they are willing to steal from a 15 year old child, is that somewhere your willing to stay with your personal information? I will NEVER and I will tell EVERYONE I know, and that's a lot of people, to never come to this establishment. read more

We visited Marval Resort so often last year, we decided to get a seasonal spot this year. We love this place!! We have two small boys, and the park is perfect for our family. We were shocked that during this Covid-19 pandemic, the staff has still done everything they can to make sure the kiddos have a good time while still keeping everyone's safety in mind. Pre-packed paints/ceramics, coloring sheets/crayons...Last weekend they hid "Marv", a play pig and posted clues each hour at the office. It was fun watching all the families trying to find him. They also had a scavenger hunt. Bill, the manager is very accommodating and friendly, and has always been nothing but helpful. If you haven't visited, you're missing out! read more

I've been visiting MarVal since I was a child. My children love it just as much as I did growing up. We've made it a family tradition. The property is beautiful and situated on The riverside. It's safe and has an entry gate. This is truly our favorite place on earth. The cabins are perfect. Employees are great. Plenty of RV sites and tent sites. The river is a blast in the summer. Good fishing. Bring water shoes, River rafts, and foldable chairs. There are two swimming pools. You can do arts and crafts in the activity center. Outdoor fun. A train ride for the kiddos. Bring quarters for the kids to play in the arcade. MarVal makes you feel like family, always. Extremely family friendly!! The town of Gore has a grocery store,etc. and is minutes away. read more

During my first trip to Marval on Labor Day 2016, it was very pleasant and we had no issues. I actually rebooked the exact same spots that we had then for Labor Day 2017. about two weeks before the weekend, I emailed them to confirm the cabin numbers. I was told that my parents did not have the same cabin and that they would be at the opposite end of the park. I explained to them that I specifically booked the same cabin as 2016 but they told me that there was nothing they could do. I was able to rebook to a 2 person cabin instead of a larger 8 person, but they would not refund the difference. When I researched the issue, I saw that their email confirmation does not show the number of the cabin you rent. The person that booked my original reservation messed up and no one at Marval would own up to the issue. They would only follow their corporate policy of no refunds for any reason within 30 days of a holiday. If you choose to stay here, get everything in writing. they will not admit to their mistakes. read more

We stayed at Marval "Resort" this past weekend. My 15 year old brother left his wallet in the cabin. We had hid it when going down to the river, so we knew exactly where it was. We called the owner immediately upon realizing the mistake and told him it was my 15 year old brothers, and he was really stressing about it because of the cash in it. The owner told us he will look for it and to come back the next day and he will give it to us. He called my father back the next morning and said he found it. We told him we would be there a bit later. When we returned to the "resort" we knocked on the owners door and they took us to the office. They gave us my 15 year old brothers wallet, but it was empty. He had a lot of cash in it, as he had been saving up for a new computer, and had sold his playstation 4, old computer, and also shoes. My dad when he saw the wallet was empty, asked the owner where the money that was in the wallet is, and the owner IMMEDIATELY got defensive stating "I hope you're not inferring that me or my wife took anything" and my dad asked if we could go back to the cabin to look for it and the owner declined, saying that nobody has had access to the cabin other than him and his wife. The cleaning crew hadn't been through yet. We ended up leaving, and filing a police report. Our whole family stays here multiple times a year, including this past week, 2 cabins for 6 days. But word of mouth travels fast. These people knowingly steal money from minors. We, nor any of our family, will stay here again. read more

Just got back from my visit to this "resort". To call it a resort is a bit like calling the meat sold from the back of one of those trucks you see in parking lots, steak. The staff is notably the most unfriendly bunch I've come across at at "resort". They say pets are fine but we couldn't have one in the half trailer they call a cabin. We were actually read a mini riot act when we arrived about not having pets. I started to ask them about my goldfish but decided against it as humor was obviously not something they suffer from. The river, not bad if you like one foot deep in the morning and moving slowly and 10 feet deep in the afternoon, rushing quickly. I'd be afraid to have my kids swim in that thing considering all I saw was gar and I saw quite a few of those toothy critters. They say they have wifi, one reason we choose this site, but alas, there was no signal in my half trailer. When I called them, they sent some old dude out who came prepped with the latest, "did you try IE" line at the ready. I just showed my iphone and his expression dropped and he uttered, "oh...". It would have been funny if it wasn't so sad. Anyway, I showed the guy if I walked outside and over to the next half trailer that their signal would show up on the phone but as I approached my half trailer it went away. He said the guy who took care of this was off that day, two days later, still no wifi. When I complained to the management, I was told first they got it to work and I was crazy, then I was totally dismissed. They will not get any more of my money. read more

We rented a cabin that sleeps 8 for our group of 3 adults and 3 children. We've stayed at several area campgrounds that had spacious living areas for playing games and sharing meals together. But at Marval, our "luxery" cabin was barely big enough to sleep all of us. In order to eat together and make some floor space for playing, we ended up moving the tiny table to the back porch. And we all scrunched together on a folded out futon to watch movies. After 2 miserable days of stepping all over each other, we decided to leave early and the resort was unwilling to reimburse us for our last night. Save your hard earned dollars and stay 2 miles away at Tenkiller State Park. If you MUST visit Marval, pay the $5 day use fee and you'll have access to everything but the lousy cabins. read more

This place is nice if you consider getting nickled and dimed to death. Staff was very rude and hassled everyone in our party who drove to the campsite. They charge 10 bucks for everyone who drives separate, no questions asked. Was told by the gate guard that it didn't matter if I had the gate combination I didn't have a hang tag to display so I had to pay 10 dollars for running to get some ice. I drove up on my motorcycle after leaving for a exploratory ride around the area and was harassed by the same guy I spoke with nearly an hour earlier, where is your hang tag he told me I had to display it on my motorcycle How? Had a family reunion spent several hundred dollars and will never return. read more

We have enjoyed vacations at MarVal for many years, and it seems to get better every time. The front office is ALWAYS helpful, kind, and courteous. They do not hesitate to come to your campsite or cabin if there is a concern. The activities are fun for the entire family. The only thing I wish was better is the wifi connectivity. It has improved over the years, but is still kinda hit and miss. Overall, I highly recommend MarVal when you need to get away and have a relaxing experience! read more

This could be the most unfriendly place to ever visit recommend that you DON'T GO! We have tried it 2 times both experiences have been the same! Very much like a dictatorship! I get there are rules but at least explain and be friendly! It is a shame that they treat people the way they do! Over priced and not friendly! ZERO STARS! Find another place! read more

Used to be a locally owned business that truly cared about customer service. The new ownership has employed rude employees, arrogant managers and have zero appreciation for customers. We were loyal customers for the last 5 years. Won't be back! read more