"I refuse to grow up,” says David Clampitt.

And that may be the most important thing to know about Slideaway Hideaway.

Yes, a three-story slide makes Hochatown's Slideaway Hideaway fun for all ages. Photo by Lori Duckworth

If you’ve been to McCurtain County, you know the hills around Beavers Bend State Park and Hochatown are dotted with hundreds of luxury cabins of every size and boasting any amenity a road-tripper’s heart could ever need: comfortable beds, well-appointed kitchens, and oh-so-many more ways this area wraps visitors in comfort, luxury, and gorgeous outdoor scenery.

If you’ve been here, you also may have seen Clampitt, though you may not have known it was him: The whimsical owner of the Slideaway Hideaway is known to don a Bigfoot suit and wave at cars as they pass by. The former airline pilot and his family operate two rental cabins in the area and are building a third. Their first project, Slideaway Hideaway, is one of the area’s most fascinating overnights.

Though from the outside, it looks like many of the other gorgeous log homes among Hochatown’s hills, Slideaway Hideaway reveals its uniqueness the instant visitors come inside. The house’s wacky centerpiece is a three-story slide twisting down from the ceiling, a life-sized stuffed bear waving from its upper reaches. Out back, another slide connects an upper floor’s interior to one of two hot tubs outside. There are secret passageways—take a close look at the eyes of the Bigfoot painting near the front door, and you’ll be close to discovering one—as well as a pool table, shuffleboard, fire pit, and a marble-countertopped kitchen worthy of any five-star restaurant.

Luxury and leisure make fine bedfellows at the Slideaway Hideaway cabin in Hochatown. Photo by Lori Duckworth

Slideaway Hideaway can comfortably sleep more than thirty, making it the ideal destination for a family reunion, youth group trip, or other large outing. There are two jetted Jacuzzis—meaning adults and kids don’t have to share—but there also are plenty of communal spaces for big dinners, evenings by the fire, and that all-important family time, plus comfortable, luxurious bedrooms and bathrooms. The back porch features an outdoor kitchen, picnic tables complete with built-in ice buckets, and a seating area with television—the perfect spot to catch a fall football game. And for when that famous McCurtain County call to chillax hits, there are porch swings galore just waiting to rest visitors’ weary bones. And only a few minutes’ drive from Hochatown, Slideaway Hideaway offers easy access to everything Beavers Bend has to offer, whether fishing, hiking, great food, shopping, or a laid-back day on the lake.

Clampitt and his family recently opened Treetopia, an equally quirky treehouse that sleeps ten for a feeling straight out of Jurassic Park. Later this year, they’ll open what Clampitt calls the Pinhouse Lodge, a more than 12,000-square-foot mega-cabin with bowling lanes that will accommodate groups of around fifty. In a town that has everything, Clampitt has created a way to make childhood last forever.

Written By

Nathan Gunter

A sixth-generation Oklahoman, Weatherford native, and Westmoore High School graduate, Nathan Gunter is the magazine's editor-in-chief. When he's not editor-in-chiefing, Nate enjoys live music, running, working out, gaming, cooking, and random road trips with no particular destination in mind. He holds degrees from Wake Forest University and the University of Oklahoma. He learned how to perform poetry from Maya Angelou; how to appreciate Italian art from Terisio Pignatti; comedy writing from Doug Marlette; how to make coconut cream pie from his great-grandma; and how not to approach farm dogs from trial and error. A seminary dropout, he lives just off Route 66 in Oklahoma City.