The Chickasaw National Recreation Area is located in southern Oklahoma. It is a large area, with a lot of different outdoor activities available. I started my visit at the Visitor Center, located in Sulfur, Oklahoma. The building was ridiculously nice. I learned later that it served two purposes, a spot for both the National Park Service, but also a Visitor Center for the Chickasaw Tribe. The attendant there directed me to the Visitor Center located about 2 miles away at the Travertine Creek Nature Center, to get information about hikes.

The Visitor Center at Travertine Creek Nature Center was a more typical NPS site. It was a nice nature center, with a lot of exhibits on the animals that are found in the area. Some of the animals were alive, such as a small owl, and some were stuffed. They had a small store, and, my favorite - a FILM. I asked to see the film, and the ranger spent a bit of time to figure out how to get it started. When it did start, she made an announcement and a family joined me in the show.

The film talked about the area, the types of plants and animals that are found there, and the importance of the area to the Chickasaw people.

After the film, I went for a hike along the Travertine Creek - which has several small (about 5 foot) waterfalls. One of the falls was called Little Niagra. At this location, there were many families having picnics, and lots of people swimming. The little kids were jumping off the falls into the pool underneath. It was a very nice park, with picnic tables available. Some of the tables were made of rock - which was pretty cool.

One thing I thought was cool about the drive to the visitor center - there was one part where you had to cross the river - and the bridge was built IN the river. I took several photos - I'm sure that isn't what the park people thought was cool, but I did. More information about the Chickasaw National Recreational Area is found at this site: https://www.nps.gov/chic/index.htm

#Oklahoma