NPS/Natasha Moore

A summer's day at Little Niagara

Chickasaw National Recreation Area is in southcentral Oklahoma, between Dallas, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Chickasaw National Recreation Area was originally authorized in 1902 as Sulphur Springs Reservation and was renamed and redesignated as Platt National Park in 1906. In 1976, Platt National Park, Arbuckle National Recreation Area, and additional lands were combined to establish Chickasaw National Recreation Area.

From prehistoric times to the present, access to the combination of cool water, mineral springs, cool breezes, shade, and wildlife has created at Chickasaw National Recreation Area an experience that sets it apart from the surrounding environment.

NPS/Chickasaw NRA

Interior of the Pavilion Springs pavilion

The springs and streams in Chickasaw National Recreation Area originate within a region of Oklahoma characterized by complex geology. Intensive faulting, folding, and deformation associated with major uplift and subsequent erosion of the area have combined to form a land surface characterized by gently rolling hills dissected by streams. The springs and streams have had cultural, economic, and environmental significance throughout the history of the region.

Dating from the public works era of the 1930s, classic examples of NPS design and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) work can be found in the Platt Historic District of Chickasaw National Recreation Area. This area is a unique and fascinating piece of CCC development that has kept its integrity. The site work and landscape structures are elaborate and of high quality. This district has also been identified as one the finest examples of CCC work in existence in terms of rustic design, the number and variety of structures, and construction techniques and materials.

NPS/Chickasaw NRA

Central Campground, 1920s

Chickasaw National Recreation Area has a diversity of natural resources. These unique flora, fauna, waters, and geological formations have withstood the external pressures of humanmade and natural changes. The combination of these resources has created an area unlike any in the surrounding region.

Chickasaw National Recreation Area lies in a transition zone where the eastern deciduous forest and the western prairies meet. It has flora and fauna from both environments, and other flora and fauna specific to such transition areas. The view at Veterans Lake, especially beautiful at sunset, illustrates this transition.

NPS/Natasha Moore

Boats on the Lake of the Arbuckles

Chickasaw National Recreation Area provides opportunities to experience a wide range of outdoor experiences — swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, observing nature, hunting, camping, and picnicking — reminding us of the rural character in the history of the American people. It adds measurably to the quality of life for visitors and area residents.

Chickasaw National Recreation Area has been the setting for generations of traditional family activity that represents part of the American heritage.