Monkey Island – Grand Lake’s Playground

Shangri-La golf course on Monkey Island

If you are looking for the #1 place to have fun at Grand Lake, then look no further than Monkey Island.

Centrally located between the commercial hub of Grove and the wide-open, deep boating waters of South Grand Lake, Monkey Island has a perfect mix of resort amenities, lake access, and bars and restaurants to help you make the most of your Grand Lake Living!

The luxury Shangri-La Golf Club, Resort, Marina, and Conference Center is absolutely the centerpiece of Monkey Island, and for good reason.

With 27 holes of championship golf, plus other amenities such as a resort hotel & conference center, private fine dining, a resort pool with aquatic slide, pool and lakefront dining, a full-service marina including boat rentals, spa, and fitness center, plus a fantastic and all-new Activity Park featuring tennis, pickleball, a whiffle ballpark, and more – Shangri-La has what you need to make the most of your time at Grand Lake.

But that just gets you started, as Monkey Island has so much more.

Monkey Island has an active and engaged group of residents who work non-stop to improve the quality of life for both full-time residents and visitors.

One of the most popular features is the recently completed Monkey Island Trail (built with ALL donated funds), a 5-mile paved walking and riding trail that follows along Highway 125 and connects Tera Miranda Resort to Shangri-La, and all of the bars, restaurants, and amenities in between.

It’s a community and amenities like this that make Monkey Island truly special.

But, if you’ve landed on this page, you are likely looking for a little more information on Monkey Island. Below you will find some featured places to stay and eat.

If you are looking for information on Monkey Island real estate, make sure to visit the Ultimate Guide to Real Estate at Grand Lake.

Where to Stay on Monkey Island

Where to stay on Monkey Island

Of course, the Shangri-La Resort and Conference Center is the headliner here.

This beautiful full-service resort and conference center is the only one of its kind on Grand Lake.

Besides the hotel, there are several great vacation rentals on Monkey Island. Here is a rundown of several featured properties and places to stay for your Monkey Island getaway.

Monkey Island Rental at Isle’s End

Work 30650 S. Lakeside Drive Afton OK 74331 Website: Website Website: VRBO Listing

Monkey Island RV Resort

Work 56140 E. 280 Rd Monkey Island OK 74331 Work Phone: (918) 257-6400 Website: http://monkeyislandrv.com

Anchor’s Aweigh Monkey Island Condo

Work TBD Afton OK 74331 Website: View and Book on AirBnB

Golfers Paradise – Tee Time Hideaway

Work Location Approximate Monkey Island OK 74331 Website: http://airbnb.com/h/teetimehideaway

Grand Lake Vacation Properties

Work Phone: (918) 201-1229 Website: https://www.grandlakevacationproperties.com/

Where to Eat on Monkey Island

Well, before you decide to go out to eat, you might want to go ahead and cook in, whether thats at your own Monkey Island home or one of the great vacation rentals on the island.

And if you want to do that, there is a great specialty grocery and meat market – The Market at 216 Ranch. And a killer little coffee shop where you can get locally roasted beans.

The Market at 216

Work 27855 Hwy 125 Afton OK 74331 Work Phone: (918) 964-0396 Website: https://216ranch.com/

But, there are plenty of solid food options on Monkey Island as well. Here are a few of those:

Doc’s Bar and Grill

Work 57301 East Highway 125 Monkey Island OK 74331 United States Work Phone: (918) 257-4204 Website: Website and Menus

The Summit Restaurant & Buffalo Bar

Work 31000 South Hwy 125 Monkey Island OK 74331 Work Phone: (918) 257-4200 Website: The Summit Restaurant

The Anchor Activity Park at Shangri-La

Work 57221 E. Highway 125 Afton OK 74331 Work Phone: (918) 257-7781 Website: The Anchor Activity Park

Keagan’s Coffee

Work 55751 OK-85A Afton OK 74331 Work Phone: (918) 219-5148 Website: https://keagans.coffee/

Besides these great options, there are a handful of other popular places to eat.

Bailey’s Bistro and Chickanellas are both great breakfast and lunch options on the island while The Road Hog, located at Littlefield’s Corner at the entrance to Monkey Island has great BBQ. And The Shebang has been serving great food and fun to Monkey Islanders for years.

Monkey Island is also popular for its nightlife, with places like the Blind Swine, Big Shots, and Monkey Island Pub offering live music and dancing most weekend nights.


Where did the name Monkey Island come from?

Not an island at all, actually a 6-mile-long peninsula into Grand Lake, there have been a lot of stories about how Monkey Island got its name but one thing remains true… there have been no real monkeys on the island. Well, maybe some pets and some folks acting like monkeys, but that’s about it.

Anyway, the story goes that some folks from the Bernice area had gone to the Tulsa Zoo about the time the Pensacola Dam was being built and the lake was getting ready to be formed, and they had themselves a fine Sunday that included watching and feeding the monkeys, who were all kept on a small island with a moat around it.

Soon after, a reporter from the Tulsa World came through the Bernice area to do a story on the changes that the lake would bring, and these folks pointed towards what would become known as Monkey Island and said something to the effect of “over there will be Monkey Island, that’s where the monkeys will be kept”.

That story was printed in the Tulsa World a few days later, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Monkey Island is a hub of activity, from golf, fishing, and boating on Grand Lake, to great dining and a happening live music scene.

Whether you are looking to buy a boat, do some fishing, enjoy some great food and fun, or you just want a quiet getaway – for a weekend or a lifetime – you can do that at Monkey Island.