Tenkiller State Park is a Oklahoma state park located in northwestern Sequoyah County,

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, near the towns of

Vian, Oklahoma Vian () is a town in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, United States, adjacent to Interstate 40 at the intersection of U.S. Route 64 and Oklahoma State Highway 82. The population was 1,374 at the 2020 census, a 6.3 percent decline from the figure of 1, ...

and

Gore, Oklahoma Gore is a town in western Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 977 at the 2010 census, an increase of 15 percent over the figure of 850 record ...

. Larger towns nearby include Sallisaw,

Gore Gore may refer to: Places Australia * Gore, Queensland * Gore Creek (New South Wales) * Gore Island (Queensland) Canada * Gore, Nova Scotia, a rural community * Gore, Quebec, a township municipality * Gore Bay, Ontario, a township on Manito ...

, and

Webbers Falls, Oklahoma Webbers Falls is a town in southeastern Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 616 at the 2010 census, a decline of 14.9 percent from the figure of 724 recorded in 2000. The name comes from a seven-foot waterfall in the Ark ...

. The park adjoins Lake Tenkiller, which is the sixth-largest reservoir in Oklahoma, based on normal water capacity. An area of , abutting the park on the west, comprises the Tenkiller Wildlife Management Area, and is licensed to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation for a state game management and hunting area. Hunters in this area will find abundant deer, quail, dove, duck, geese, rabbit and squirrel. The park is 1 of 7 Oklahoma State Parks that are in the path of totality for the 2024 solar eclipse, with 3 minute and 54 seconds of totality.

History

Tenkiller Ferry Lake Tenkiller Ferry Lake, or more simply, Lake Tenkiller, is a reservoir in eastern Oklahoma formed by the damming of the Illinois River. The earth-fill dam was constructed between 1947 and 1952 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers for purpo ...

, also known as Lake Tenkiller, was named after the Tenkillers, a prominent Cherokee family who owned the land in the area. The park was added to the Oklahoma State Park System in 1953, when the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (ORTD) leased land adjacent to the Tenkiller Ferry Project from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

Ecology

The state park contains oak, timber, willow, sycamore, hackberry, elm, ash and birch. Wildlife includes deer, turkey, bobwhite quail, cottontail rabbits, squirrels, gray fox, coyote, bobcat, raccoon, skunk, mink and opossum. Bald eagles winter along Lake Tenkiller.

Attractions

Lake Tenkiller facilities include a scuba diving park, volleyball court, basketball court, shuffleboard court, horseshoe pit, amphitheater, playgrounds, community building, a swimming pool, nature center, group picnic shelters, swim beaches, kids' fishing pond, paved hiking trail and lighted boat ramps. Guests may choose from 39 cabins, ranging from one to three bedroom styles. All the cabins, except for the three bedroom model, are duplexes. Cabins are equipped with dishes, linens, full kitchens, heat, air conditioning and satellite television. Tenkiller State Park also offers courtyard cottages. Each room features heat and air, a refrigerator and linens. The park also features RV and tent campsites, as well as restrooms and showers. Children 16 and under may catch their limit of three fish per day with no charge or permit required in the kids' fishing pond. The park's Pine Cove Marina offers fuel, gifts, sportswear, snacks, repairs and boat slip rentals, as well as the floating Clearwater Cafe. The underwater scuba diving park features underwater attractions ranging from a completely submerged school bus, various sunken boats, an aircraft fuselage and more.

Fees

To help fund a backlog of deferred maintenance and park improvements, the state implemented an entrance fee for this park and 21 others effective June 15, 2020. The fees, charged per vehicle, start at $10 per day for a single-day or $8 for residents with an Oklahoma license plate or Oklahoma tribal plate. Fees are waived for honorably discharged veterans and Oklahoma residents age 62 & older and their spouses. Passes good for three days or a week are also available; annual passes good at all 22 state parks charging fees are offered at a cost of $75 for out-of-state visitors or $60 for Oklahoma residents. The 22 parks are: * Arrowhead Area at Lake Eufaula State Park * Beavers Bend State Park * Boiling Springs State Park * Cherokee Landing State Park * Fort Cobb State Park * Foss State Park * Honey Creek Area at Grand Lake State Park * Great Plains State Park * Great Salt Plains State Park * Greenleaf State Park * Keystone State Park * Lake Eufaula State Park * Lake Murray State Park * Lake Texoma State Park * Lake Thunderbird State Park * Lake Wister State Park * Natural Falls State Park * Osage Hills State Park * Robbers Cave State Park * Sequoyah State Park * Tenkiller State Park * Twin Bridges Area at Grand Lake State Park

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