Chickasaw National Recreation Area

Chickasaw National Recreation Area is a nearly 10,000-acre National Park unit in the Arbuckle Mountains in Murray County, Oklahoma.  In 1902, the federal government purchased mineral springs around the town of Sulphur to create Sulphur Springs Reservation, which was renamed Platt National Park in 1906.  During the Great Depression, the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps built numerous park amenities that are still in use today.  In the 1960s, Lake of the Arbuckles was constructed and Arbuckle Recreation Area operated as a separate national park unit.  In 1976, the two were combined as Chickasaw National Recreation Area.

Contact Information:

901 W. 1st Street

Sulphur, OK 73086

Phone: (580) 622-7234

Map:

Trails:

Bison Pasture Trail:

Bison Pasture Trail makes a 2-mile loop around the pasture where a herd of bison were re-introduced.

Buffalo Springs Trail:

Buffalo Springs Trail starts from the Travertine Nature Center and follows Travertine Creek upstream to Antelope and Buffalo Springs.  Swimming and wading is not permitted along this trail.

Dry Creek Trail:

Dry Creek Trail starts from near Buffalo Springs and makes a half-mile loop around the dry creek bed.

Tall Oaks Trail:

Tall Oaks Trail makes a half-mile loop and splits off from Buffalo Springs Trail.

Points of Interest:

Antelope Springs:

Antelope Springs is accessed from Buffalo Springs Trail and is the only spring in its natural state.

Bear Falls:

Bear Falls is a small waterfall in two sections.

Bromide Hill:

Bromide Hill is a scenic outcrop over Rock Creek.

Buffalo Springs:

Buffalo Springs is located at the end of Buffalo Springs Trail and early accounts suggest that bison used the springs before it was developed.

Garfield Falls:

Garfield Falls is a small roadside waterfall in two sections.

Hillside Spring:

Hillside Spring is located near the Platt Ranger Station.

Little Niagara Falls:

Little Niagara Falls is a small waterfall and swimhole near the Travertine Nature Center.

Panther Falls:

Panther Falls is a dam waterfall on Travertine Creek.

Pavilion Springs:

Pavilion Springs is a located inside a shelter.

Travertine Falls:

Travertine Falls is a small waterfall near Flower Park.

Wildlife:

Rusty blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum)

Western white honeysuckle (Lonicera albiflora)

Shortpod draba (Draba brachycarpa)

Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

Tuberous desert-chicory (Pyrrhopappus grandiflorus)

Lewis flax (Linum lewisii)

Prairie celestial (Nemastylis geminiflora)

Bigleaf periwinkle (Vinca major)

Narrowleaf blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium)

Dakota mock vervain (Glandularia bipinnatifida)

Leaf-footed bug (Acanthocephala terminalis)

Springwater dancer (Argia plana)

Giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)

Funereal duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)

Ilia underwing caterpillar (Catocala ilia)

Speckled green fruitworm caterpillar (Orthosia hibisci)

White-lined sphinx (Hyles lineata)

Yellow-crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea)

Red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus)

American bison (Bison bison)

Blog Entries:

18-Apr-2023: Chickasaw Recreation Area

External Links:

National Park Service website: https://www.nps.gov/chic/index.htm