Oklahoma

Parks

  • National Historic Trail

    Butterfield Overland

    MO, AR, OK, TX, NM, AZ, CA

    In 1857, businessman and transportation entrepreneur John Butterfield was awarded a contract to establish an overland mail route between the eastern United States and growing populations in the Far West. What became known as the Butterfield Overland Trail made an arcing sweep across the southern rim of the country. Stagecoaches left twice a week carrying passengers, freight, and mail.

  • National Recreation Area

    Chickasaw

    Sulphur, OK

    Springs, streams, lakes - whatever its form, water is the attraction at Chickasaw National Recreation Area.

  • National Historic Site

    Fort Smith

    Fort Smith, AR,OK

    Explore life on the edge of frontier and Indian Territory through the stories of soldiers, the Trail of Tears, scandals, outlaws, and lawmen who pursued them. From the establishment of the first Fort Smith on December 25, 1817, to the final days of Judge Isaac C. Parker's jurisdiction over Indian Territory in 1896, Fort Smith National Historic Site preserves almost 80 years of history.

    Rifle Regiment arriving at Belle Point, 1817. Artwork by Michael Haynes

  • National Memorial

    Oklahoma City

    Oklahoma City, OK

    The outdoor symbolic memorial is a place of quiet reflection, honoring victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were changed forever on April 19, 1995. It encompasses the now sacred soil where the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building once stood, capturing and preserving forever the place and events that changed the world.

    9:03 gate framed by blooming Oklahoma Redbuds in the spring.

  • National Historic Trail

    Santa Fe

    CO,KS,MO,NM,OK

    You can almost hear the whoops and cries of "All's set!" as trail hands hitched their oxen to freight wagons carrying cargo between western Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Follow the Santa Fe National Historic Trail through five states and you'll find adventure and evidence of past travelers who made this remarkable trip before you!

    freight wagons on the Santa Fe Trail

  • National Historic Trail

    Trail Of Tears

    AL,AR,GA,IL,KY,MO,NC,OK,TN

    Remember and commemorate the survival of the Cherokee people, forcefully removed from their homelands in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee to live in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. They traveled by foot, horse, wagon, or steamboat in 1838-1839.

    Trail of Tears artwork and trail walk

  • National Historic Site

    Washita Battlefield

    Cheyenne, OK

    On November 27, 1868, Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer led the 7th US Cavalry on a surprise dawn attack on a Cheyenne village led by Peace Chief Black Kettle. The event was an example of the tragic clash of cultures that occurred during the Great Plains Wars. It is also a place of remembrance and reflection for those who died here. Read More

By The Numbers

These numbers are just a sample of the National Park Service's work. Figures are for the fiscal year that ended 9/30/2020.