Lake Thunderbird State Park is a
Oklahoma state park
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
located in
Cleveland County
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
,
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
. It is east of
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman () is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, with a population of 128,097 as of 2021. It is the largest city and the county seat of Cleveland County, Oklahoma, Cleveland County, and the second-largest city in the Oklahoma C ...
on State Highway 9.
National Public Radio reported that this park had over 637,000 visitors in 2011. It earned $461,506 from activity fees and cost $1.2 million to operate.
The park provides recreational access to
Lake Thunderbird
Lake Thunderbird is a reservoir located in Norman, Oklahoma. The lake was constructed between 1962 and 1965 for the purpose of providing municipal water to the nearby communities of Del City, Midwest City and Norman. It is formed by an earthfill em ...
. There are two
marinas
A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.
A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or ...
(Calypso Cove Marina and Little River Marina), nine boat ramps and a swim area at the lake. The park has over 200 sites for parking Recreational Vehicles (RVs), including 30 full hookups. There are also restrooms, primitive campsites and a seasonal restaurant.
Fees
To help fund a backlog of deferred maintenance and park improvements, the state implemented an entrance fee for this park and 21 others effective June 15, 2020. The fees, charged per vehicle, start at $10 per day for a single-day or $8 for residents with an Oklahoma license plate or Oklahoma tribal plate. Fees are waived for honorably discharged veterans and Oklahoma residents age 62 & older and their spouses. Passes good for three days or a week are also available; annual passes good at all 22 state parks charging fees are offered at a cost of $75 for out-of-state visitors or $60 for Oklahoma residents. The 22 parks are:
* Arrowhead Area at Lake Eufaula State Park
* Beavers Bend State Park
* Boiling Springs State Park
* Cherokee Landing State Park
* Fort Cobb State Park
* Foss State Park
* Honey Creek Area at Grand Lake State Park
* Great Plains State Park
* Great Salt Plains State Park
* Greenleaf State Park
* Keystone State Park
* Lake Eufaula State Park
* Lake Murray State Park
* Lake Texoma State Park
* Lake Thunderbird State Park
* Lake Wister State Park
* Natural Falls State Park
* Osage Hills State Park
* Robbers Cave State Park
* Sequoyah State Park
* Tenkiller State Park
* Twin Bridges Area at Grand Lake State Park
External links
Lake Thunderbird State Park
References
State parks of Oklahoma
Protected areas of Cleveland County, Oklahoma
Nature centers in Oklahoma
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