Trails: Travertine Creek, Bison Loop, and Antelope Springs Trails
Hike Location: Chickasaw National Recreation Area
Geographic Location: southeast side of Sulphur, OK (34.50393, -96.94938)
Length: 6.6 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: April 2023
Overview: A double loop featuring a bison pasture and the falls and springs of Travertine Creek.
Park Information:
https://www.nps.gov/chic/index.htm
Hike Route Map:
https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=934443Photo Highlight:
Directions to the trailhead: In southern Oklahoma, take I-35 to SR 7 (exit 55). Exit and go east on SR 7. Drive SR 7 east 12 miles, passing through the towns of Davis and Sulphur in the process, to US 177. Turn right on US 177. Drive US 177 south 0.2 miles to the entrance for Chickasaw National Recreation Area on the left. Turn left to enter the area and drive the main park road 1.5 miles to the Travertine Nature Center, where this hike begins.
The hike: The land that today comprises Chickasaw National Recreation Area has a long history as parkland. The original 640 acres were purchased from the Chickasaw Nation in 1902 and designated Sulphur Springs Reservation; it protected the park's 32 freshwater and mineral springs. The name was changed to Platt National Park in 1906 to honor Connecticut Senator Orville H. Platt, who had introduced the legislation that created the Reservation. For the next 70 years the park would remain America's smallest national park. In 1976, Platt National Park was combined with other adjacent federal lands and renamed Chickasaw National Recreation Area in honor of the Chickasaw Nation.
Today Chickasaw National Recreation Area boasts 9899 acres, but the original 640 acres still form the scenic center of the park. Outside the original lands sits 2350-acre Lake of the Arbuckles, a man-made reservoir that offers the usual aquatic activities including fishing, swimming, and boating. The park also features 6 campgrounds with more than 400 sites total, multiple picnic areas, and 11 miles of trails open to hiking. This barbell-shaped hike, i.e. a central trail with loops on either end, explores the park's scenic core along Travertine Creek. This route passes 4 of the park's largest springs, the park's bison pasture, and the park's largest waterfall, thus allowing you to explore the best scenery Chickasaw National Recreation Area has to offer.
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| Trailhead near Travertine Nature Center |
Many trails start at the Travertine Nature Center; this hike starts by heading west on the Travertine Creek Trail. Find this trail by walking across the Nature Center parking lot and angling left to the lot's southwest corner. A wooden sign gives distances to the Cold Springs Campground and to Pavilion Springs. All of the trails on this hike are wide gravel trails, so they are obvious and easy to follow even though they are unmarked. |
| Hiking the Travertine Creek Trail |
After descending slightly and crossing the park's Southeast Perimeter Road, you reach a trail intersection at 0.25 miles. We will eventually turn right here to begin this hike's eastern loop, but for now turn left to continue downstream on the Travertine Creek Trail and head for this hike's western loop. The creek sits downhill to the right and the hillside rises to the left as you continue downstream. Some small waterfalls appear in the creek, and they make scenic diversions while you hike.
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| Small waterfall in Travertine Creek |
After some gradual ups and downs and passing the spur trail to Cold Springs Campground, you reach another trail intersection at 1.2 miles. The trail going straight leads to Central Campground and the park's main entrance, so you want to turn left to keep heading for Pavilion Springs, which are reached after the steepest descent of the hike at 1.4 miles. True to its name, Pavilion Springs sit under a wooden pavilion. These springs are mineral springs, and if the water smells like Clorox, there is good reason: the "mineral" of highest concentration in this water is chlorine. Some rocks around the pavilion make nice places to rest and rehydrate either now or when you return here in an hour or so.
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| Pavilion Springs |
To continue, descend and (maybe) duck your head to pass through the US 177 underpass, then turn left and climb some stone steps to reach another trail intersection. This intersection forms the western loop of this hike. For no particular reason, I chose to turn right and use the trail going uphill and straight as my return route, thus hiking the western loop counterclockwise.
The trail continues downstream, and some tall rock outcrops appear above you to the left before the terrain mellows. The forest is a nice example of the usual cross timbers mix of oak, hickory, and cedar trees, but otherwise this section of the hike is unremarkable. After climbing steeply for a short distance, you reach another trail intersection at 2.3 miles. The trail going straight leads to Bromide Hill and the park's large Rock Creek Campground, but this hike turns sharply left to continue the western loop.
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| Hiking the western loop |
Gradual climbing brings you first past a small pond, which contained numerous turtles on my visit, and then beside a park road. Just past 3 miles, you come out beside US 177 at this park's bison viewpoint. While I did not see any bison here, the park does maintain a herd of bison in this pasture, and I could see many of their brown calling cards lying on the ground inside the wire fencing. |
| Bison pasture |
The trail parallels US 177 as it descends, crosses a park road, and reaches Hillside Springs at 3.3 miles. This spring has the same odor and green color as Pavilion Springs, but some sunshine and elaborate rock work give it a much brighter and more developed appearance. Continuing downhill a few hundred more feet closes the western loop. Walk back under US 177, pass Pavilion Springs, and retrace your steps 1.2 miles upstream along Travertine Creek. This area's water makes for good wildlife viewing, and I saw many butterflies, some mallard ducks, and a red-headed woodpecker among other common birds while I walked along the creek.
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| Hillside Springs |
When you get back to the first trail intersection, instead of turning right to head back to the Nature Center, angle left to head for Little Niagara. Despite its name, Little Niagara is more of a picnic area than a grandiose waterfall, although it does sit beside a pair of nice waterfalls in Travertine Creek. The wide gravel trail crosses the park's Northeast Perimeter Road twice and takes you through a parking lot before descending to Little Niagara at 4.8 miles. This delightful area replete with water falling sounds makes another nice place to rest before tackling the last part of this hike.
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| Little Niagara, lower drop |
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| Little Niagara, upper drop |
Continue upstream past Little Niagara, cross the park road one final time, and return to the Nature Center. Of course you could end your hike now, but 2 more nice springs sit just east of the Nature Center. To get there, walk to the front of the Nature Center, turn left to cross Travertine Creek, then turn right to begin heading east on the Antelope Springs Trail.
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| Hiking the Antelope Springs Trail |
Several side trails exit right and cross Travertine Creek, but the wide, gravel, nearly flat Antelope Springs Trail stays on the north side of the creek. At 5.5 miles, you reach Beaver Pond. Stay left and reach Antelope Springs in only a few hundred more feet. Antelope Springs is a freshwater spring tucked in a field of massive boulders, and while it may not be the most photogenic spring on this hike, it does have the most natural appearance.
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| Antelope Springs |
Continue upstream to reach Buffalo Springs in less than another 0.2 miles. Buffalo Springs have more of the nice rock work you have become accustomed to, and the large amount of algae growing near the springs attests to the freshwater content. Indeed, nearly all of the water in Travertine Creek comes from Antelope Springs or Buffalo Springs. |
| Buffalo Springs |
After enjoying this one last spring, turn right at the next 2 intersections to loop down to Beaver Pond and close the eastern loop. Retracing your steps to the Nature Center for a second time concludes the hike. If you want to extend this hike, you can add one or all of the three short nature trails that exit south from the Antelope Springs Trail and explore the area south of Travertine Creek.
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