Great Salt Plains State Park: Your Complete Guide

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UPDATE:

Crystal Digging Season Opens Soon!

The Selenite Crystal Digging Area opens on April 1 and remains open through October 15, from sunrise to sunset. During this time, visitors can dig for free selenite crystals on the salt flats, but only within the designated Dig Area. The site is closed for the rest of the year to protect endangered Whooping Cranes migrating through the refuge.

Observation Deck – Open Year-Round

Even when the Dig Area is closed, you can still enjoy the salt flats from the observation deck at the entrance. Open year-round from sunrise to sunset, the deck provides a great view of the landscape and offers information about local wildlife and the area’s military history.

Here is What Found Out During Our Last Visit!

Oklahoma is full of beautiful state parks, but one of our favorites is Great Salt Plains State Park. If you’re not familiar with it, we’ve put together a complete guide to help you make the most of your visit. This park offers something for everyone, from miles of beautiful hiking trails to opportunities for fishing, bird watching, and more. Whether you’re looking for things to do, places to eat, or just some general information, we’ve got you covered! So pack up the family and head on over to Great Salt Plains State Park for an adventure you’ll never forget!

What is the Great Salt Plains?

The Salt Plains covers 12,000 acres in north-central Oklahoma, making them the largest in the Central Lowlands. The Osage used the Great Salt Plains for salt harvesting, trade, and meat preservation, even bleaching deer skins with salt. The area also served as a prime hunting ground for bison, deer, and elk, attracting other tribes like the Kiowa and Wichita. The Salt Fork of the Arkansas River was called “Nescatunga” (big salt water) by the Osage. In 1811, Osage guide Sans Orielle led George Sibley’s expedition to the Salt Plains. After Native relocation, the Treaty of New Echota (1835) placed the area in the Cherokee Outlet, allowing public salt access under U.S. law. Today, the flats make around one-third of the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1930 as a critical habitat for migratory waterfowl and endangered species like the Whooping Crane.

Is the Great Salt Plains Free?

There is no admission fee for Great Salt Plains State Park. There is however a parking fee. If you plan on parking and enjoying the state park you will need to buy a parking pass. You can either pay for your parking in advance or you can pay with your on smartphone at the park. There are plenty of signs explaining how to pay. Here is a link for more parking info. JOIN OUR OKLAHOMA FACEBOOK GROUP!

A parking pass is included in your completed reservation for a RV or tent campsite.

Here are the parking fees.

• 1 day- passenger vehicle $10
• 2 days- passenger vehicle $20
• 3 days- passenger vehicle $25
• 7 days- passenger vehicle $35
• 14 days- passenger vehicle $70

Bus Pass:

• 1 day- bus $25
• 2 day- bus $50

Please note you do not have to pay to park at the crystal digging areas!

Best time to Visit the Great Salt Plains

Great Salt Plains State Park is open year-round for hiking, biking, fishing, camping, and horse trail riding. If you want to dig for crystals then you need to plan your visit between April 1st and Oct 15th. You can also go canoeing, rafting, and kayaking year-round at the park-weather permitting of course.

What Kind of Crystals are at the Great Salt Plains State Park & Wildlife Refuge

The stunning landscape of Oklahoma Salt Plains State Park is a dry, flat area that was once covered by an ocean. The Great Salt Lake in this state park has half as much salt content compared to the ocean. The selenite crystals found here in the actual refuge are unique to Oklahoma. The hourglass-shaped selenite crystal can only be found here. You can dig for crystals in the Great Salt Plains Wildlife Refuge located near the state park.

You may find single Crystals or small or even large crystal clusters if you are lucky. We had an amazing time digging, we really didn’t want to leave but we needed to get home to feed our dogs.

Above is a picture of all the ones we found. If we had had more time we could have found a ton more because we found as my husband would call it “the honey hole”. We just kept pulling crystals out of the ground. As were packing up, we saw a family with kids that had arrived late so we flagged them down and told them they needed to take our spot.

Pro Tip: After using your shovel to break the surface—stop! Switch to a small hand shovel and carefully dig just under the surface, pulling up gently. Wear gloves and feel around for larger crystals sticking up. Dig around them carefully to avoid breaking clusters. If you hear a crunch, you’ve found crystals!

Where Can You Dig for Crystals In Oklahoma?

The Crystal Dig area is southwest of the lake in the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge. Access roads to the dig area are available six miles west of Jet or three miles south of Cherokee. The crystal digging area is open from April 1 to October 15 from sunrise to sunset. While you are digging for your crystals you should keep your eyes open for the over 300 species of protected birds that live in the refuge. Here are some maps of the area to help you navigate. Make sure you are only digging in the designated areas, there are park rangers that drive through and check. The address to the digging site is also: 66003 Garvin Road, Cherokee, OK 73728.

A Quick Overview of Some Rules

The refuge prohibits drones and requires all pets to stay on a leash. Visitors must remain within the designated Dig Area, marked by bright orange signs, and cannot dig, walk, or drive outside this area. Those conducting research or commercial photography and filming must obtain a special use permit—contact the refuge for details. The refuge forbids selling collected crystals. Each person may gather up to 10 pounds of crystals and one large cluster per day.

There is a restroom available inside the gate. After leaving the dig area, remember to also rinse the salt off your car. Salt can corrode and damage your vehicle over time. It accelerates rust formation, especially on metal parts like the undercarriage, brake lines, and wheel wells. If left unwashed, salt buildup can weaken structural components and lead to costly repairs. To prevent damage, rinse your vehicle thoroughly—especially the underside—after exposure to road salt or salt flats.

What Should I bring to the Great Salt Plains State Park?

If you plan on digging for crystals you should bring some protection from the sun. Sunscreen, hat, and appropriate clothing are all necessities. The sun reflects off the white surface so sunglasses would be a good idea as well. You should also bring a shovel as you will want to dig a hole that is a couple of feet deep to look for the crystals. Of course, make sure you have enough drinking water and you can even bring water to wash your crystals off with. A change of clothes is also a good idea. You might be a little dirty after all that crystal hunting!

A few things you should bring

• Bucket- to put your crystals into and wash them. We got ours from Home Depot.
• Blankets and chairs- If you want to sit on something other than the ground. We actually brought a lunch and ate on our blanket.
• Water- for you to drink and some to wash your crystals.
• Shovel- a spade-type shovel and small garden tools work great
• A wagon– helps you get all your supplies to your dig spot
• Protection from the sun- hat, sunscreen, etc…
• Change of clothes- you will get dirty!
• I also brought wipes and hand sanitizer.

Camping at Great Salt Plains State Park

This state park near the dam has cabins, RV sites and tent sites available if you want to camp in the park. Every cabin has a bed, refrigerator, and stove. The state park also has 64 RV sites and 95 tent sites. There are comfort stations with showers located near the camping sites and throughout the park. Click here for cabin reservations.

• Five-day cancellation is required on all reservations.
• The first-night stay will be charged to your credit card to confirm your reservations.
• 2 Night Minimum required on weekends, 3 Night Minimum required on Holiday weekends in peak season.

You can book camping sites online here.

Great Salt Plains Lake

Great Salt Plains Lake is a shallow, salty lake that covers 8690 surface acres with 41 miles of shoreline. So watercraft isn’t really recommended. you’ll find fishing opportunities for catfish; Saugeye (a type often found near shorelines); and Sand Bass – which resembles White Bass but has darker backsides. It’s been said that many people come to swim in its salty waters because of its healing properties.

When we were here we saw a deer leap into the water and swim across the other side never breaking a stride. It was very cool to see.

Great Salt Plains Wildlife Refuge

Oklahoma is home to a lot of beautiful landscapes and sites, but one of the lesser-known gems in the state is the Great Salt Plains Wildlife Refuge. This refuge is over 11,000 acres large and is a great place for nature enthusiasts and birdwatchers alike. The refuge is especially well-known for its vast populations of shorebirds such as ibis, great egret and blue heron. If you’re looking for an amazing outdoor getaway that’s close to home, make sure to check out the Great Salt Plains Wildlife Refuge! We didn’t get any great photos this time because it looked like a fire had just come though the area.

Keep and eye out for Bonham Pond while you’re at the wildlife reserve. This is a special pond stocked with fish that only kids are allowed to fish in.

What else is there to do at Great Salt Plains State Park?

• Biking
• Canoeing/Rafting/Kayaking
• Fishing- catfish, Saugeye, Sand Bass, and Hybrid Striper can be found here
• Hiking
• Horseback Riding and Equestrian Trails
• Swimming
• Watchable Wildlife

More travel-related articles:

Alabaster Caverns State Park: Your Complete Guide

9 Best RV Campgrounds in Oklahoma

More Places to Visit in Oklahoma

• Beautiful Backpacking Trails in Oklahoma
• Things to Do in Hochatown OK
• Visit the Arbuckle Mountains and Turner Falls Oklahoma
• Your Complete Guide to Camping Robbers Cave
• Camping at Sequoyah National Park Oklahoma
• Great Salt Plains State Park: Your Complete Guide
• 9 Best RV Camping Sites in Oklahoma

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