If you want to get outside in Oklahoma, the best place to start is at one of Oklahoma’s 50 State Parks. This network of public lands features myriad attractions, activities and accommodations, and is one way to enjoy Oklahoma’s varied ecosystems and natural resources.

Most of us don’t have time to see all of Oklahoma’s 50 State Parks – but we can try. If you’d like to sample the state’s diverse landscape, the 10 parks included in this two-part article are a great place to begin.

Lake Murray State Park & Lodge

One of my favorite parks, Lake Murray State Park, can easily be called “Vacation Central,” as it hosts a variety of activities in and around one of the state’s most scenic lakes. Named after the most colorful governor in Oklahoma’s history, William H. Murray (a.k.a. Alfalfa Bill), Lake Murray is the state’s oldest and largest state park. Not surprisingly, it features a popular nature center housed in the iconic Tucker Tower.

“We offer activities on mammals, birds, insects, fossils, dangerous critters, water,
astronomy and flint knapping,” says Mark Teders, park naturalist. Of course, there are other programs that vary from season to season. 

One of my favorite parks, Lake Murray State Park & Lodge, can easily be called Vacation Central.

Lake Murray is a favorite among campers, as well, with nine RV campgrounds containing some 300 RV campsites and nearly endless primitive tent campsites. The park’s lodge contains guest rooms, suites, cabins and meeting rooms.

Other attractions include an 18-hole golf course with pro shop, a miniature golf course, equestrian trails, tennis courts and a swim beach. Park Manager Susie Snider says the dedicated ATV park is one of the most popular attractions, especially during winter.

Osage Hills State Park

Osage Hills State Park makes my list because it’s a quiet and peaceful park with great hiking and mountain-biking trails, including five miles of dedicated hiking trails and four miles of dedicated mountain-bike trails.

Park Manager Michael Vaught says a lot of thought went into the construction of the trails. “We wanted to make them easy to access,” he says. “So if you’re camping at the park, or if you’re at the park office, you don’t have to go far to find these trails.”

The mountain-bike trails at Osage Hills are popular with riders from across the state. They’re also fairly technical. These are single-track mountain-bike trails with thick vegetation, sharp turns and lots of rocks. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the course by putting in a casual ride prior to taking the trails at high speed. And don’t forget your helmet!  

If you tire of hiking or biking, you can rent a rowboat and fish Lookout Lake for bass, crappie and catfish. Rowboat rentals are available during the warmer months, though visitors are welcome to bring their own canoes or kayaks.  

Greenleaf State Park

Greenleaf State Park, located in wooded, hilly northeastern Oklahoma, is simply a jewel. I enjoy Greenleaf because it’s one of Oklahoma’s original seven state parks and still has many of its original buildings. These structures, including the park’s cabins, were built during the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Works Progress Administration and German prisoners of war.

One of the best ways to see the park and Greenleaf Lake is by walking the 18-mile hiking and mountain-biking trail. This path through the woods begins and ends in the park, but passes through the National Guard's Camp Gruber. There are times during spring and autumn when the trail is closed for hunting, so it’s best to ask at the park office. The trail also features two primitive campsites and a swinging bridge that crosses the lake.

Greenleaf Lake, with its heavy vegetation, is a haven for largemouth bass and sunfish. Winter fishing is not only possible, but its often productive, thanks to the lake’s heated fishing dock and the children’s pond, which is stocked with rainbow trout for kids in the winter.

Diane Rutland, representing both Greenleaf and Tenkiller State parks, says the swimming pool, with its log roll and double-barrel flume slide, is one of its most popular attractions. Also available at the park are miniature golf, a swim beach and a marina that rents canoes and kayaks. And then there is the nature center, which is the location of many year-round activities.

“Our naturalist, Steve Evans, does free pontoon boat tours of the lake, old-fashioned hay wagon rides, astronomy programs, games on the beach [and] storytelling in character, and the nature center is the site of many exhibits,” says Rutland.

Tenkiller State Park

Not far from Greenleaf is Tenkiller State Park, a huge draw for those who enjoy watersports. I like the water, and there is so much of it in this area that I visit every season of the year for a different activity. For me, it’s bass fishing in spring, boating in summer, trout fishing in fall and eagle viewing in winter.

Tenkiller is a deep lake, characterized by its tall rock bluffs and gravel shorelines. With its emerald-tinted water, it’s no surprise that divers from all across the region travel here to get some bottom time. The lake even features a dedicated SCUBA diving park, complete with sunken bus, boats and aircraft fuselage. 

Geocaching has become a popular activity in Oklahoma, and Tenkiller is located in the perfect landscape to get in on the action. In this sport, participants use Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to locate “treasures,” which could be a boulder, tree or anything else. If you plan to deposit your own treasure cache within the park, make sure to check with the park naturalist first.

For a leisurely outing, grab your camera or binoculars and walk the 1.5 mile paved nature trail, where you can view numerous bird species, deer, squirrels and lots of other critters. There is also a nature center with an on-site naturalist, who leads various programs and activities. During the winter months, a combination eagle-loon watch is available. You can see loons around Lake Tenkiller and eagles at nearby Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge near Vian.

Beavers Bend & Hochatown State Park and Lodge

New York has the Adirondacks and Arizona the Grand Canyon, but Oklahoma has Beavers Bend State Park in the far southeastern corner of the state, an area sometimes referred to as the “Little Smokies.” This is a section of the state featuring towering pines and clear water, and it is home to Broken Bow Lake, my favorite Oklahoma lake.

So what is there to do in this postcard-like setting? Go fly-fishing in one of the South’s best trout streams or bass fishing in picturesque Broken Bow Lake, which produced the current state-record largemouth bass. Or, hit the links at the 18-hole Cedar Creek Golf Course. Beavers Bend features numerous hiking trails, including the 16-mile David Boren Trail, and mountain bikers can ride the trails at nearby Lakeview Lodge.

If you enjoy paddling, Big Eagle Creek and the jewel of all Oklahoma waterways, the Glover River, are nearby. These are picturesque mountain streams that paddle best during the spring and early summer. Take a buddy if you go; a group of three is even better.

Back in the park, the nature center is the place to view eagles, hawks, snakes, turtles and other local wildlife. In season, the center offers guided hikes through the park for adults and children. Hayrides and train rides are popular activities for the kids, as are paddleboats and canoes, which are available for rent in the Lower Mountain Fork River beginning in March.
 

Read Oklahoma's Perfect 10 – Part One.