Lake Thunderbird State Park: Hog Creek Trail (Blog Hike #938)

Trails: Hog Creek and Indian Point Trails
Hike Location: Lake Thunderbird State Park
Geographic Location: east of Norman, OK (35.23265, -97.23759)
Length: 2.9 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: April 2023
Overview: A loop hike through the cross timbers near Lake Thunderbird.
Park Information: https://www.travelok.com/state-parks/lake-thunderbird-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=934599
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: South of Oklahoma City, take I-35 to SR 9 (exit 108A).  Exit and go east on SR 9.  Drive SR 9 east 9.3 miles to 72nd Avenue SE and turn left on 72nd Ave.  Drive 72nd Ave. north 2 miles to Alameda Drive and turn right on Alameda Dr.  Alameda Dr. deadends at the park.  Park in the parking area for Indian Point, which is reached 5.7 miles after turning onto Alameda Dr. just after the road takes a sharp left turn.

The hike: Built between 1962 and 1965, Lake Thunderbird occupies 5349 acres of surface area on the southeast side of the Oklahoma City Metro Area.  The lake was built to provide drinking water for the city's southern and eastern suburbs including Norman and Moore; it also provides flood control and recreation.  You used both SR 9 and Alameda Drive on your drive in, but Alameda Drive was SR 9 before the construction of the lake.

            Located on the shore of its namesake lake, Lake Thunderbird State Park is one of the most heavily visited state parks in Oklahoma.  The park has 2 marinas, 9 boat ramps, and a swimming beach on the lake, several developed campgrounds with more than 200 sites total, several picnic areas, and several hiking trails.  One of the park's better short hikes is the Hog Creek Trail, which is also this park's designated Heart Healthy Trail.  The Hog Creek Trail offers two paths connecting the park's Indian Point area to the south with its Hog Creek area to the north, and using both of those paths (one each direction) forms the 2.9 mile loop described here.

Trailhead at Indian Point

            You can start this loop at either the north or south end, but this description starts at the Indian Point parking lot near the loop's south end.  A brown sign for the Heart Healthy Trail stands at this trailhead, as does another small brown sign that simply says "Trail."  The picnic area near this trailhead offers this hike's best view of Lake Thunderbird, and a strong southeast wind off of the lake buffeted me when I came here on a Wednesday afternoon.

Lake Thunderbird

            The single-track dirt trail heads north with the lake visible through the trees downhill to the right.  The forest here is the typical cross timbers mix of oak, hickory, and red cedar trees with a dense understory of greenbrier among other shrubs.  After some gentle undulations, you cross the swimming area access road at 0.5 miles.  Continue north to keep heading for the Hog Creek area.

Hickory Hills Campground

            Just shy of 1 mile, you come out at the Hickory Hills Area Campground.  The trail seems to end here, but if you cross the campground road and angle right, you will find another Heart Healthy Trail sign where the trail re-enters the woods.  The next 1000 feet use trails in the campground, and therefore the route is complicated.  Turn left at the next trail intersection; the trails going right and straight form a very short loop.  Interpretive signs here tell you about the cross timbers forest and help you identify common trees.

Trail in Hickory Hills Campground

            After descending and crossing another campground road, you reach the campground bath house.  I recommend turning left to hike across a grassy area to reach the park road near the campground dump station, then turn right to walk the park road down to the entrance for the Hog Creek area.  Upon reaching the signed vehicle entrance for the Hog Creek area, look sharply left for the start of the return trail.

Trailhead at Hog Creek area

            Sometimes called the Indian Point Trail (as opposed to the Hog Creek Trail), the single track dirt trail heads into the forest and climbs gradually with the park road audible through the trees on the left.  At 1.7 miles, the trail crosses a small creek on a wooden bridge with handrails.  This bridge looked dilapidated when I came here, but it got me across without incident.

Questionable trail bridge

            The trail continues its gradual climb, passes what looks like a pine planting, and crosses a park maintenance road near the highest elevation of this hike.  Some soft sand appears under foot, but overall the going is fairly easy.  At 2.6 miles, the trail ends where it intersects the road you drove in on.  Turn left to walk the road back to the Indian Point parking lot to complete the hike.