Discover Oklahoma: Whether you want to camp, hike, golf or fish, state parks have you covered

Dino Lalli
·4 min read

Have you already made your camping reservations for Memorial Day?

If you haven’t, you might want to do that as soon as possible. Go to Travelok.com, select the state park you want to visit and select the method you will be using, cabin, campsite, lodge, etc. But be aware, it might already be too late.

If everything is booked up, you can still enjoy a visit to a state park. How about planning a picnic and take a day trip in the park? If you enjoy hiking, you have a multitude of trails from which to choose at several state parks. It doesn’t have to be a hike, but a leisurely, relaxing walk.

Roman Nose State Park near Watonga offers options for those wanting to get out on the hiking trails.
Roman Nose State Park near Watonga offers options for those wanting to get out on the hiking trails.

One of my favorite places to do that is Roman Nose State Park near Watonga. The park has 540 acres containing several geological and historical qualities that are quite unique. My personal favorite is the area known as the springs. It’s a peaceful, charming and tranquil area that people use for recreation, leisure and play.

Robbers Cave State Park in Wilburton offers 30 miles of hiking trails to enjoy. Beavers Bend State Park in Broken Bow also has 30 miles of trails that can take you through the beautiful rolling hills and winds along the shore of one of Oklahoma’s most beautiful lakes.

Greenleaf State Park in Braggs offers an all-day, 18-mile jaunt through the Cherokee Wildlife Management Area. Along that route, you will be treated to outstanding vistas, a swinging bridge and unspoiled outdoor adventure. You will find varying degrees of on all the trails from beginner to expert.

More: Planning a weekday state park trip? Lodging options abound

Robbers Cave State Park in Wilburton offers 30 miles of hiking trails to enjoy, including a hike up to Robbers Cave, known as a hideout for notable outlaws such as Jesse James and Belle Starr.
Robbers Cave State Park in Wilburton offers 30 miles of hiking trails to enjoy, including a hike up to Robbers Cave, known as a hideout for notable outlaws such as Jesse James and Belle Starr.

Golfing

Meet up with some friends and play a round of golf. One of the fun things at selecting a state park in which to play golf is the varied terrains. Fort Cobb has a long and challenging course. And Golf Digest included Fort Cobb State Park Golf Course in its “Places to Stay” publication as a three-star course for three years in a row.

The Lake Murray State Park Golf Course is like so many park courses in that you can play anytime of the year, given Oklahoma’s unpredictable weather. They have tree-lined fairways, Bermuda grass greens and smaller greens. Having played there myself, the course at Lake Murray will many times make you use just about every club in your bag. It also has some nice water features, too.

The course at Roman Nose is challenging but fun.

Oklahomans are excited the 2022 PGA Championship will be played at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa starting May 19.

But in the meantime, hit the links at any of the following golf course at an Oklahoma state park: Arrowhead, Cedar Creek at Beavers Bend, Fort Cobb, Grand Cherokee, Lake Murray, Roman Nose and Sequoyah.

Golf Digest included Fort Cobb State Park Golf Course in its “Places to Stay” publication as a three-star course for three years in a row.
Golf Digest included Fort Cobb State Park Golf Course in its “Places to Stay” publication as a three-star course for three years in a row.

Equestrian trails

A handful of state parks like Sequoyah, Lake Murray and Roman Nose have guided trail rides, but if you own a horse, you can select a park with equestrian trails for riding. And those parks are Foss, Salt Plains, Thunderbird and Arrowhead.

Robbers Cave has both equestrian and guide trail rides. In fact, it has 70 miles of equestrian trails. But if you select taking a guided trail ride, you may choose between five different trails, which have varying lengths and degrees of difficulty. If you prefer a different mode of transportation, you can find several bike trails at various state parks, too.

Lake Murray offers an equestrian trail.
Lake Murray offers an equestrian trail.

Fishing

As for fishing, I don’t have enough room in this article to cover all the wonderful places one can go fishing at a state park. The Oklahoma Fishing Trail is a great resource from the veteran to the first time fisherman. And don’t forget, Oklahoma has more than 200 lakes and over a million surface acres of water.

More: Hooked on fishing? State offers plenty of places to reel 'em in

When visiting Salt Plains State Park in Jet, you can hike, ride the bike trails and go fishing. A unique feature at this park is that it is adjacent to the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, where you can go digging for selenite crystals. The digging area is open all the way through Oct. 15. And Oklahoma is the only place in the world where you can find these unique hourglass shaped selenite crystals.

Visitors to Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge can go digging for selenite crystals. The digging area is open until Oct. 15.
Visitors to Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge can go digging for selenite crystals. The digging area is open until Oct. 15.

The 2022 Oklahoma State Parks and Outdoor Guide is also helpful, as well as the Oklahoma State Parks app. You can find so much more information by going to Travelok.com to find fun recreational activities not only in state parks but across the state.

Dino Lalli is the co-host and one of the feature reporters for the weekly television travel show "Discover Oklahoma."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma state parks offer variety of recreation options