Osage Hills 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 ...

It is located in eastern

Osage County, Oklahoma Osage County is the largest county by area in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Created in 1907 when Oklahoma was admitted as a state, the county is named for and is home to the federally recognized Osage Nation. The county is coextensive with the Os ...

. The nearest cities are

Pawhuska Pawhuska ( osa, 𐓄𐓘𐓢𐓶𐓮𐓤𐓘 / hpahúska, ''meaning: "White Hair"'', iow, Paháhga) is a city in and the county seat of Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. It was named after the 19th-century Osage chief, ''Paw-Hiu-Skah'', ...

and

Bartlesville Bartlesville is a city mostly in Washington County in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 37,290 at the 2020 census. Bartlesville is north of Tulsa and south of the Kansas border. It is the county seat of Washington County. The Can ...

. The park offers outdoor recreation opportunities including camping, hiking, fishing and wildlife watching. Park facilities include picnic tables and shelters, 20 semi-modern RV campsites, 16 tent sites and 8 cabins. Several of the park's structures are historic

parkitecture National Park Service rustic – sometimes colloquially called Parkitecture – is a style of architecture that developed in the early and middle 20th century in the United States National Park Service (NPS) through its efforts to create buildings ...

built by the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

during the 1930s and 1940s.

History

Osage Hills State Park is one of the seven original parks constructed for the State of Oklahoma by members of the

(CCC). Construction began in 1935. The CCC workers were housed at the north end of the park. The remnants of the housing area still visible include concrete and rock foundations, an amphitheater and a lone chimney. The workers built structures using stone and timber that were obtained locally. Their design was based on “naturalistic architecture,” similar to that used in other parks built by the U. S. Government during the 1930s and 40s. Eight guest cabins are still used today. Although their appearance is the same as when they were built, they have all been modernized with energy-saving appliances and air conditioning."Oklahoma's Osage Hills State Park welcomes tourists."
Clark, Kelli. NewsOK. August 5, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2014. The park also has a large picnic shelter that is suitable for use by large groups. It has a kitchen, a large dining area, and two stone fireplaces on opposite sides of the building.

Recreation

Abundant fishing for bass,

crappie Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers. Etymology The genus name ''Pomoxis'' ...

, catfish, and perch can be found in Lookout Lake, or in Sand Creek at the south end of the park. Miles of hiking trails cross the park offering opportunities for beginning hikers or more challenging paths. Wildlife is abundant in the park and includes

whitetail deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an Upland game bird, upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of Turkey (bird), turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic ...

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...

, and more. Other facilities include hiking trails and a swimming pool. There are also tent campgrounds and recreational vehicle (RV) parking areas.

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 File:OsageHillsStateParkPicnicShelter.jpg, Picnic shelter made by the

in Osage Hills State Park, alt=

References

{{authority control State parks of Oklahoma Protected areas of Osage County, Oklahoma