Mostly we visited museums during our one-week stay in Oklahoma City, so we decided to spend some time enjoying the outdoors. Lake Thunderbird State Park is about 30 minutes southeast of OK City.
As always, we stopped first at the Park Office and gift shop to pick up a map and find out about hiking options.
The lake was created (by building an earthen dam) to provide municipal water for nearby communities between 1962-65. In addition, many recreational activities are now available here including boating, fishing and hiking. With over 200 RV sites and 150 tent sites in the park, it is also a popular place to camp.
Our first stop was near one of the two marinas to catch a glimpse of Lake Thunderbird. Numerous houseboats were docked at the marina.
The 1,800-acre park has 22 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails. After talking to a park ranger, we decided to hike the Hog Creek Trail. Blackjack, post oak, and redbud are common in the forest; and, cedar trees grow in woodland openings. Some wildflowers were in bloom. We saw just one shy deer during our hike, but it was close to 100 degrees.
Near the Boat House is a boat ramp and fishing pier. Our sweet girl, Sadie, was very happy to take swim on this very hot day! The red clay causes the lake to look very murky…but the swimmers did not seem to mind it.
She did not want to get out!
Zoom Beach is the most popular swimming area. Most brought chairs to set up in the shaded picnic area.
We saw many boats on the large lake as well.
We drove around to the south side of Lake Thunderbird (Clear Bay) where the Nature Center is located.
The Nature Center is great and features both taxidermies and live specimens. Plus, the folks that manage it are very friendly and knowledgeable about the wildlife in the park and the nature center. There were numerous snakes and lizards and even a couple of tarantulas (yikes!)
Stations are also set up for educational programs in the Nature Center. This place is well worth a visit for adults and kids alike. Loved it.
This is a great spot for a family vacation or just a day in nature. We thoroughly enjoyed it…except lone star ticks latched on to both of us and Sadie, too (even though she takes medicine that is supposed to keep that from happening!) And, we had used insect repellent! Just check if you go hiking...
There is no day-use fee at this state park. For additional information about Lake Thunderbird State Park, go to www.travelok.com/state-parks/4386.
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