This state park will not disappoint! Great Plains State Park in southwestern Oklahoma was such a gem and a great find I plan on going back again soon. The park is located along Tom Steed Reservoir, has ample space for tents or RVs, and has plenty of swimming and boating options for the entire family. It’s also located near the Wichita Mountains and the park also has lots of hiking options around it’s smaller hills and cliffs. Great Plains State Park really was a great weekend state park option. Check it out!
Useful Links
- Tom Steed Reservoir Level
- Great Plains State Park Website
- Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Website
- The Kite Trail and Forty Foot Hole in the Wichita Mountains
- The Bison Trail in the Wichita Mountains
- Other State Parks
Pros and Cons
- Pros
- Great areas to camp near Wichita Mountains and Quartz Mountain
- Right on the water
- Bathrooms are clean and maintained
- Cons
- Bathrooms may be far from your campsite
- May have to walk to your tent camping site / parking far away
- Coin-operated showers
Great Plains State Park Camping
I stayed in tent area spot 14 (T14). It was located right on the lake and had a wonderful view and people were jumping right into the lake from their campsites! The parking area to spot 14 was about 100 feet and there were a few trees for shade. There were a concrete picnic table and a fire ring. There were even some rocky reliefs around the campground area. I’d recommend this spot again. The spots all around me were also very unique and had a mix of rocky cover in spot 15 or a picnic table roof in spot 13. Get on the website and find an option that works for you and your family.
An evening view from the campsite. 
The lake is right next to my site!
The RV camping area was also located very close to the water. The mountain shade RV campground is located near the water. Many people were using the beach area to hook up their boats and get lunch or dinner. Many kids and families were also swimming straight from their camping areas and jumping right in! It was really a nice area. There are swimming and water options from almost any site in the park. Everything is just a few minutes away.
The Facilities and Amenities at the Park
The two bathrooms I used while at the park were the one near the boat ramp and the one in the Mountain Shade RV area. The one big problem with the bathrooms and state park is the fact that the park is narrow and wide from east to west. You will have to walk for a few minutes to the bathrooms if you’re in the tent area. I was frustrated because the RV area got bathrooms but the tent area is far away even though tents don’t carry their own bathrooms so be prepared for that.
The bathroom building near the boat ramp. 
The boat ramp bathroom sinks. 
The boat ramp toilets. 
The Mountain Shade RV area bathroom sinks. 
The Mountain Shade bathroom toilet. 
The Mountain Shade bathroom toilet. 
The Mountain Shade coin showers. 
The Mountain Shade coin shower closeup.
The boat ramp bathroom is located here. The Mountain Shade RV bathroom is located here. The boat ramp bathrooms are just that – toilets and sinks. The Mountain Shade bathrooms are full service with toilets, sinks, and showers. The showers are coin-operated and you can see the cost in the pictures above. The Mountain Shade building seemed relatively new and was well maintained. It wasn’t the worst I’ve ever had by far. The water was warm and everything worked. The Otter Creek RV area has a similar bathroom to the Mountain Shade RV area so expect coin-operated showers there too.
Activities around Great Plains State Park
The park does have trails around and there is even some terrain and elevation to hike around. The trail map has several miles in the southern part of the park and you can walk to the top of large hills. The trail is hard to follow at parts but there are markers along the trail in most spots. There are lots of places to enter the trails throughout the park so keep an eye out for the signs.
There is also a boat ramp in the middle of the park. Plenty of boats and wave runners were playing throughout the lake. Many people were also kayaking and adventuring right from their campsites. There were also many people fishing from the beaches and the small bridge. A playground area is located on the eastern portion of the park for children to play.
Finally, this park is a great place to stay while you’re exploring the southwest part of Oklahoma. The Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge is a few miles to the east. You can see more about the refuge’s Bison Trail here which is a great family and beginner trail. The Mountain View Wildlife Area is to the west and north for hunting. Quartz Mountain Resort Arts and Conference Center is to the west. There is so much to do in the area!
My Thoughts…
Great Plains State Park was truly an unexpected find. I wasn’t planning on going to this park when I initially planned on using the weekend for camping but I’m sure glad I did. This will be on my list for future trips. I especially like the ability to go swimming right from my campsite! That was a fun perk! If you have a boat, this is a great lake to be on! It was full when many of the surrounding lakes are near empty. And you can use the link above to find the status of the lake to see how full it is. Add this state park to your list of sleeper Oklahoma state parks!