Chickasaw National Recreation Area

In south-central Oklahoma near Sulphur, Chickasaw National Recreation Area preserves spring-fed creeks, partially forested hills, and Lake of the Arbuckles. Its origins lie in the Sulphur Springs Reservation, created in 1902 after the Chickasaw sought federal protection for springs they regarded as healing and sold the original 640 acres to prevent private resort development. Opened to the public in 1904 and redesignated Platt National Park in 1906, it became a heavily visited park and Oklahoma’s only national park for many years. Expanded in 1976, it now includes the historic Travertine District, New Deal-era CCC structures, Lincoln Bridge, and a large recreation lake, while still bearing the effects of the 2024 Sulphur tornado.

Oklahoma · United States