Chickasha, Oklahoma, is less than an hour from Oklahoma City, but it's a different world. This scenic, historic town has a distinct menu of shopping, dining, and attractions. Residents here have a lot of pride in how they enrich their community and preserve local heritage through events and art.
As the county seat of Grady County, Chickasha is home to over 16,000 residents as well as the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. Hobart Johnstone Whitley was a land developer, farmer, and banker who founded this city. He was also a Rock Island Railroad executive responsible for the first train track that came through here in 1892. Industry followed a few years later.
During your visit to the area, Browns Farm and Garden is a great place to check out. Covering over 40 acres of land, you can get pumpkins, fall home decor, and fresh produce. Bushwood Golf and Country Club have a nine-hole course and high-end restaurants that many people enjoy visiting. The Grady County Historical Society Museum is another must-see attraction. This museum is inside an antique department store and features historical artifacts of the first area settlers and several American wars. You can also see what life was like on local farms in various historical periods.
Crazy Eight Cafe has full-service coffee, espresso, and tea, but you can also enjoy homemade sweets, sandwiches, and breakfast to start your day right. You can also grab a beverage and pastries at Iron Tree Coffee Company, where locals often get together. Check out Jeannie's Place for a family-owned establishment offering homestyle lunch and breakfast.
Campgrounds Near Chickasha, Oklahoma
Roadrunner RV Park is open year-round and is located less than five miles from the downtown area of Oklahoma City. A combination of back-in and pull-through sites feature full hookups in this full-service RV facility. Showers are available, pets are permitted, and you'll get cell reception along with both Wi-Fi and cable television.
Twin Fountains RV Resort is just off Interstate 44 in Oklahoma City. With over 150 RV sites, this RV resort has a mix of pull-throughs and back-in sites to choose from with full hookups. Bring your pets, and enjoy the hot tub, pool, and showers. Electronic gates and on-site security keep things safe, while an ongoing schedule of games, concerts, and events gives everyone something to do.
Rockwell RV Park is close to downtown Oklahoma City and features big campsites along paved roads, including amenities such as a spa and indoor pool. Keep fit and active with the exercise room, or trot over to the State Fairgrounds or Firefighter's Museum for things to do. The 170 RV sites have both pull-through and back-in spaces featuring full hookups, cell reception, showers, Wi-Fi, and cable television.
State Parks Near Chickasha, Oklahoma
Lake Murray State Park is just five miles outside of Ardmore in south-central Oklahoma. The park has more than 12,500 acres to explore, including 5,700 acres of water. Enjoy water sports, including fishing, boating, swimming, and paddle boating. On land, you can go horseback riding, camping, picnicking, hiking, and biking. You can even take in a hayride or play both miniature and regular golf. This state park is open all year long.
Lake Thunderbird State Park has over 1,870 acres of land sitting on both sides of a 5,349-acre lake. The lake is the main attraction here, and more than 600,000 visitors come here annually. The lake was originally intended to be a reservoir for several nearby cities, but it now has two marinas, nine boat ramps, 11 camping places, and two beaches for swimming.
Roman Nose State Park is waiting for you north of Watonga. This park is named for a Cheyenne chief, and it's one of the original state parks for Oklahoma. Opened in 1937, this park is a location that served as a winter campground for a number of Plains Indians. The natural beauty here includes a gorgeous canyon, three natural springs, and gypsum rock cliffs. Go camping or hiking, or do some mountain biking or equestrian activities. Swimming, fishing, and boating are also popular choices here. Get in a round of golf on the 18-hole course located here, and keep your eyes open for wildlife. You can see rattlesnakes, red-tailed hawks, raccoons, and coyotes.
National Sites Near Chickasha, Oklahoma
Chickasaw National Recreation Area includes both the Arbuckle Recreation Area and the former Platt National Park. Nearly 10,000 acres of natural beauty include active streams, picturesque lakes, and natural springs among the forested hills. Get on the water for swimming and fishing, or stay on land for picnicking, biking, hiking, and sightseeing. Wildflower viewing is popular from March through October, and hunting is permitted in some areas during the appropriate seasons, as defined by the state.
Oklahoma City National Memorial remembers those who lost their lives on April 19, 1995, when domestic terrorism claimed the lives of 168 souls while injuring over 600 more. The Alfred P. Murrah federal building was bombed, and over 300 buildings were destroyed or damaged over a 16-block radius in downtown Oklahoma City. This memorial was dedicated on the fifth anniversary of the tragedy. Learn the stories of those who were here that day, but also see how resilient the city has been since then.
Washita Battlefield National Historic Site remembers the cultural strife that happened between European settlers and the Native Americans already here. The situation was complicated by the fact that indigenous peoples from east of the Mississippi River were often relocated to the west side, where cultural wars could happen with Plains Indians not wanting anyone to encroach on their already diminishing lands. Lieutenant Colonel George Custer was the leader of a surprise attack in 1868 on a Cheyenne village, and the battle that ensued is memorialized at this historic site.
National Forests Near Chickasha, Oklahoma
Davy Crockett National Forest has over 160,000 acres featuring recreational areas, woodlands, streams, and wildlife habitat. Spread across Trinity and Houston counties in Texas, this forest sits in the basins of the Trinity and Neches rivers. Named for a legendary pioneer, this place has been a national forest since 1936, when President Franklin Roosevelt made it official.
Ouachita National Forest spans across both Oklahoma and Arkansas in the mountains of the same name as the forest. Known for its oak trees, the views from these scenic mountains let you take in 1.6 million acres of vistas featuring streams, lakes, and rivers. Scenic driving through here is always a popular activity for sightseers, but you can also go camping and hunting. During your visit, you can also get on the water for swimming, boating, and fishing.
Ozark–St. Francis National Forest is a pair of two different forests jointly managed and located in Arkansas. The Ozark forest is in the Ozark Mountains, while the St. Francis forest is on Crowley's Ridge. Between the two, you can find nearly two dozen developed campgrounds, nine swimming places, and almost 400 miles of different hiking trails. There are also more than 350 miles of streams where you can go fishing. Approximately 11,000 acres of old-growth forest have been preserved, and they're full of Shortleaf Pine and numerous oaks. You can enjoy the beauty and shade of Northern Red Oak, White Oak, Eastern Black Oak, Post Oak, and Blackjack Oak. These trees help provide shelter to six endangered species.
