National Park Guide: Oklahoma's Chickasaw
— -- For over 100 years, people have been coming to the Chickasaw National Recreational Area's mineral springs to relax, swim and drink .
It's not unusual to see local residents filling jugs with mineral water. "Some say it's the only water they will ever drink," park ranger Dan Winings says.
With about 1.3 million visitors annually, the park offers a wide array of outdoor recreation opportunities. But the water resources Chickasaw was set aside to protect remain the main attraction.
"People still come mostly for the mineral springs, but they also come for fishing in the Lake of the Arbuckles, hunting, hiking and camping," Winings says.
They also come to Chickasaw for biking, bird-watching, boating, picnicking, swimming, wildlife viewing, water-skiing and staying at one of the six public campgrounds.
Winings says there are a lot fewer cold-water mineral springs today than there used to be. "The aquifers are getting lower, which is a problem nationwide," he says.
The springs that remain are enclosed in pavilions or pools made of native stone built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The buildings, swimming holes, winding trails, roads and picnic areas built by the CCC remain as treasured features of the park.
"My favorite place in the park is Buffalo Springs, which is a short hike from the nature center," Winings says. "It's a freshwater spring with a stone structure built around it."
Chad Brassil, 37, of Lincoln, Neb., stopped at the family-friendly park on a road trip with his wife and three kids last summer. "It very different than other national parks, because it is not big and grand," Brassil says.
For the family, the highlight of the trip was drinking water from the spring. "The kids ran around and really enjoyed it," Brassil says.
On a hot summer day, many people come to swim in the consistently cool water, making the park extremely crowded during summer holiday periods.
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About the park
Size: About 10,000 acres
Visitors: 1,212,139 in 2011
Established: 1906 (then known as Platt National Park)
History: The park is named to honor the original occupants of the land, the Chickasaw Indian Nation. Chickasaw National Recreation Area was originally authorized in 1902 as Sulphur Springs Reservation and was renamed Platt National Park in 1906. In 1976, Platt National Park was combined with Arbuckle National Recreation Area to create Chickasaw National Recreation Area.
When visiting: Chickasaw National Recreation Area, 1008 West Second St., Sulphur, Okla. 73086. Visitor information: 580-622-7234
Of note: Chickasaw lies in a transition zone where the Eastern Deciduous Forest and the central prairies meet. Because of its unique location, the park is home to Eastern, Central and Western plants and animals.
