Roman Nose State Park is a state park located in Blaine County, north of

Watonga, Oklahoma Watonga is a city in Blaine County, Oklahoma, Blaine County, Oklahoma. It is 70 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. The population was 2,690 as of the 2020 United States census. It is the county seat of Blaine County. History Watonga is located ...

. Roman Nose State Park is one of the original seven Oklahoma state parks. Sitting in a small canyon, recreation activities at this state park include a golf course, swimming pools, hiking trails, two lakes (Lake Watonga and Lake Boecher), trout fishing in season, canoeing, paddle boats, mountain biking, horse stables and hayrides. For lodging, the park has Roman Nose Lodge, built in 1956 and renovated in 2010, along with more than 90 campsites, almost equally split between RV and tent sites.

History

The state park was created in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of President Franklin Roosevelt's

New Deal The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...

programs. The state park was named after the Cheyenne chief

Henry Roman Nose Chief Henry Roman Nose (June 30, 1856 – June 12, 1917) was a highly respected Southern Cheyenne Chief. Living during turbulent times, Roman Nose was recognized for facilitating a peaceful transition to a non-nomadic way of life, while retain ...

, who died in the canyon in 1917.

Wildlife

Whitetail Deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North, Central and South America. It is the most widely-distributed mainland ungulate ...

are not uncommon to see while staying there. The park is also home to more than 85 different species of birds, including wild turkeys, cardinals, robins, mourning doves, blue grosbeaks, and herons. Some raptors are present including great horned owls, red-tailed hawks, and even bald eagles.

References

{{authority control State parks of Oklahoma Protected areas established in 1937 Protected areas of Blaine County, Oklahoma