Alabaster Caverns State Park RV & Campground Guide
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Alabaster Caverns, located in Freedom, Oklahoma, is one of the world's largest natural gypsum caves. More than two million years ago, an inland sea covered the area. When the water evaporated, it left behind gypsum deposits. Upheaval of the earth combined with flowing water also played a role in creating the caves. Minerals at the site include black alabaster, white and pink gypsum, and selenite. The main cavern has a maximum height of 50 feet and a maximum width of 60 feet.
Nearby cities:
Freedom, OK
Mooreland, OK
Lookout, OK
Waynoka, OK
Spring 33-81 F
Summer 64-96 F
Fall 31-86 F
Winter 19-53 F
RV Resorts & Campsites in Alabaster Caverns State Park
Campground Accommodations
Mesa Campground
Water hookup: Yes
Electrical hookup: Yes
Sewer hookup: Yes
Wi-Fi: No
Pet-friendly: Yes
Max RV length: None
Other amenities: Showers, dump station, restrooms, picnic tables, covered shelters, grills, a playground, an accessible campsite
Alabaster Caverns State Park Campground
Stay close to all of the caving fun at Alabaster Caverns State Park. Pull your RV into a site under the trees for shade and walk to everything that the park has to offer. Choose sites with both pull-through and back-in access; most offer 30-amp or 50-amp service. A playground keeps your little ones entertained, and the park's gift shop offers small snacks. After a day exploring wild caves, the hot showers are a welcome treat. RV sites with electric hookups start at $25 per night with a $2 discount if you're 62 or older.
Boiling Springs State Park Campgrounds
Located about 25 miles from Alabaster Caverns, the two campgrounds at Boiling Springs State Park offer a variety of sites. Whitetail Campground and Springhill Campground both offer tent and RV sites as well as playgrounds for the kids and hot showers. Nearby, you can play golf, hike five different trails, or fish in Shaul Lake. In the summer, the park's swimming pool is a welcome respite from the heat. Book early to snag one of the pull-through RV sites; most options offer back-in access. Full hookups aren't available, but you can find sites with water and electric hookups. Rates start at $25 per night.
Buffalo RV Park
Looking for full hookups? Buffalo RV Park is the closest option to Alabaster Caverns State Park. It's situated on Highway 64, about 38 miles away. The park itself is simple, but it offers Wi-Fi, fire pits, a dump station, and ample space for big rigs or RVs with slide-outs. In addition, you can enjoy trash service and hot showers. The park welcomes pets, and the dirt roads are a breeze to navigate. Rates start at $20 per night for full hookups with excellent discounts for weekly and monthly stays.
What to Do at
Alabaster Caverns State Park
You can explore the caves either on guided tours or through wild caving. Five species of bats that you can observe in the caverns include the big brown bat, western big-eared bat, Mexican free-tailed bat, cave myotis and eastern pipistrelle. There are four easy-to-moderate hiking trails at the state park that are each under a mile long. You may also see birds at Alabaster Caverns State Park. They may perch or nest on gypsum bluff ledges, by the stream, and in the picnic and campground areas.
Apart from exploring one of the world's largest gypsum caves, there are several other activities in which you can partake at Alabaster Caverns State Park.
Inside Alabaster Caverns State Park
The caves are the main attraction at Alabaster Caverns State Park. The guided tour of the gypsum cave is a great way to start; it takes you deep underground and offers an easy way to check out the rock formations from the safety of a walkway. If you're ready for something more challenging, pick up a wild caving permit from the park office and squeeze through the other caverns in the park. Be sure to bring a headlamp and sturdy shoes. When it's time to relax, the park offers plenty of green space and a short recreational trail.
Nature Watching
Your biggest nature-watching opportunities at Alabaster Caverns State Park are bats and birds. There are up to 10,000 bats in the caverns. A creek flows through the state park, which helps support a bird habitat. Species of birds that live at Alabaster Caverns State Park include American kestrels, yellow-rumped warblers, mourning doves and western kingbirds. At the Selman Bat Cave Wildlife Area in the park, you can watch up to a million bats hit the night sky. You can bring a lawn chair and binoculars for the event. It takes place during the four weeks after Independence Day on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Stargazing
Alabaster Caverns State Park is one of the best stargazing areas in Oklahoma. If you're camping at the park, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the night sky.
Flora and Fauna
Most of the flora at Alabaster Caverns State Park is mixed-grass prairie and gypsum outcrops. There are 47 species of flowering plants in the park as well.
Hiking
The four trails that you can hike are Raptor's Roost Trail, Freedom Trail, Little Black Bear Trail and Old Two-Toes Trail. You have a chance to see raptors along Raptor's Roost Trail. It starts at the cavern entrance and takes you to Cedar Canyon's southern rim. Freedom Trail travels along Cedar Creek to the bottom of Cedar Canyon. Little Black Bear Trail begins at the park office and ends at the bottom of Cedar Canyon. Old Two-Toes Trail is named after a white wolf that was in the area in the 1800s. Because it has a lot of uphill walking, it's a moderate-intensity trail.
How to Get to
Alabaster Caverns State Park
From the town of Freedom, travel south on Eagle Pass toward 4th Street/Main Street, and turn right onto 4th Street/Main Street. Turn left onto OK-50 S. After 5.7 miles, turn left onto OK-50A E. The state park is on the left after about a half a mile.
Entering Alabaster Caverns State Park
Although there isn't a park entrance fee, you'll need to pay for a guided tour of the caverns. Parking passes aren't required at Alabaster Caverns State Park. Up to 40 people can go on each tour. You need to call the park office at least two weeks in advance if you want to schedule a group tour. The guided tour takes 45 minutes, and they leave on the hour. Tour fees are $10 per adult, $8 for seniors 62 year and older, $7 for children ages six to 12 years old, free for children five and under, and $8 for active-duty military service members. You need to show a military ID to claim the discount.
Lantern tours of the caves are $20 per person. They are available on the first and third Saturdays during the summer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Alabaster Caverns State Park
If you're interested in seeing the bats, fall and winter are the best seasons for visiting. Wild caving isn't allowed from October 1 to March 31 to protect the hibernating bats, so schedule your trip for other months if you want to go wild caving. Summer is also a great time to visit the caves, especially if you want to enjoy warmer temperatures during your trip.
The primary wildlife that you are most likely to come across are bats and birds. Bears used to live in the area but not anymore.
Yes, you can reserve an RV camping spot at the on-site Mesa Campground. There is a dump station, 50-amp hookups, and water and sewer hookups at the campground. Potable water is also available at Mesa Campground. Although campfires are allowed, only the tent campsites have fire rings.
Yes, you need to reserve a camping spot at Alabaster Caverns State Park. There are only 23 sites at the on-site campground. The average nightly rate is $25. How much it costs depends on the number of people in your group, the ages of the people in your group and how many days you're staying. Seniors can also get a 10% discount on camping fees.
Yes. You can bring pets to the state park as long as you don't take them inside the caves.