National Parks in Oklahoma

Oklahoma is part of the Midwest region of the United States and is the 20th-largest by land area and the 28th-most populous.

National Parks in Oklahoma

There are no sites specifically designated as a “National Park” in Oklahoma.

The closest National Park to western Oklahoma is Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. The Great Sand Dunes are about 224 miles northwest of the Oklahoman border.

The closest National Park to the eastern side of Oklahoma is Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas. It is about 110 miles due east of the OK border.

Even though Texas has two National Parks, they are all located at the southwest tip of the state, making them much further away from Oklahoma than you’d think.

National Park Sites in Oklahoma

Even though there are no National Parks in OK, there are three official National Park Service sites located in the state.

Name	Designation	Location
Fort Smith National Historic Site	National Historic Site	Fort Smith, 72901
Chickasaw National Recreation Area	National Recreation Area	Sulphur, 73086
Washita Battlefield National Historic Site	National Historic Site	Cheyenne, 73628

In addition to those three NPS sites, there are a few other parks with national focus located in Oklahoma.

Santa Fe National Historic Trail – Stretching from Santa Fe, NM to Kansas City, MO, this historic trail played an important role in moving people and animals from the Midwest to the Southwest, and vice-versa. Today the trail is maintained by the National Park Service. Oklahoma’s portion covers 127 miles of the entire length of the trail.

Trail of Tears National Historic Trail – The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail is an important place for Oklahomans to come to learn about the true history of Oklahoma. The trail is dedicated to the over two hundred years of Native Americans being swindled, treated poorly, and even violently attacked within the Oklahoma borders.

Oklahoma City National Memorial – This memorial was built to commemorate the victims of the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, this National Memorial is one of the most sacred spots in Oklahoma City.

State Parks of Oklahoma

As of 2022, there are 50 official state parks located within Oklahoma.

The most popular state parks in the state are the Black Mesa Preserve in the west, Greenleaf in the west and Lake Thunderbird near Oklahoma City.

Adair State Park
Alabaster Caverns State Park
Arrowhead State Park
Hochatown State Park
Beavers Bend State Park
Bernice State Park
Black Mesa State Park Nature Preserve
Boggy Depot State Park
Boiling Springs State Park
Brushy Lake State Park
Cherokee Landing State Park
Cherokee State Park
Clayton Lake State Park
Disney/Little Blue State Park
Fort Cobb State Park
Foss State Park
Fountainhead State Park
Gloss Mountain State Park
Great Plains State Park
Greenleaf Lake State Park
Heavener Runestone State Park
Hochatown State Park
Honey Creek State Park
Hugo Lake State Park
Keystone State Park
Lake Eufaula State Park
Lake Heyburn State Park
Lake Murray
Lake Texoma State Park
Lake Thunderbird State Park
Lake Wister State Park
Little Blue-Disney State Park
Little River State Park
Okmulgee Lake Recreation Area
Okmulgee State Park
Osage Hills State Park
Parkavinaw State Park
Pine Creek State Park
Quartz Mountain State Park
Raymond Gary State Park
Red Rock Canyon Adventure Park
Robbers Cave State Park
Rocky Ford State Park
Roman Nose State Park
Runestone State Park
Salt Plains State Park
Sequoyah State Park
Snowdale State Park
Talimena State Park
Twin Bridges State Park
Will Rogers State Park