Great Salt Plains Lake is a reservoir situated midway between Oklahoma City and Wichita. If you're exploring the state of Oklahoma in your RV, you may want to pitch camp at the Great Salt Plains Lake for a few days. The lake covers over nine thousand acres of Alfalfa County and is bordered by both the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge and the Great Salt Plains State Park. The damming of the Salt Fork Arkansas River back in the early 1940s by the US Army Corps of Engineers created the immense reservoir which, because of its proximity to Oklahoma's salt plains, has an unusually high saline content.
The Great Salt Plains Lake is located next to one of Oklahoma's most unusual landscapes from which it derives its name – the Great Salt Plains. The salt plains, with their acres of white, salt-encrusted ground, are part of the wildlife refuge. As well as being a natural phenomenon where you can dig up selenite crystals, they're the habitat for over three hundred species of birds. The RV campground at the Great Salt Plains Lake is in the state park, and you can access a couple of trails to the salt plains from there. They're unique, so expect something totally different to the forest and mountains you may usually go hiking and wildlife spotting in.
While the Great Salt Plains Lake covers a massive expanse of terrain, the water often has a depth of around four feet and sometimes even less. If you're planning on going boating, check the levels before launching your craft. Fishing at the lake is good too unless the weather has been excessively hot, which causes the water's salt concentration to increase, resulting in the mass loss of fish life. If your curiosity has been piqued and you're planning on motoring over to the Great Salt Plains Lake in your rig, make sure you take your shades and some sunscreen. The glare reflecting off the salt plains is about the same as you'd encounter on the ski slopes.
No matter where in the state of Oklahoma you're coming from to get to the Great Salt Plains Lake, you'll find it's a relatively simple drive along decent county roads. From Oklahoma City, it's an almost straight run northwards along the OK 74 to Covington before you hit the OK 412 to North Enid where you can join the OK 64 in the direction of Jet. It's an easy and uncomplicated route that'll take you around two and a half hours to complete.
If you've been over in the east of the state camping out in your RV at the Natural Falls State Park, you'll have about two hundred and thirty miles to cover before you're parking up again. Head through Tulsa and the trip will take you just under four hours. If you've been over in the west at the Carson National Forest in New Mexico, you'll be behind the wheel for a good ten hours before you see the glint of the sun shining on the Great Salt Plains of Oklahoma.
The closest campgrounds to the Great Salt Plains Lake are within the boundaries of the Great Salt Plains State Park. There are two campgrounds with a total of sixty-four campsites for RVs in the state park that are a combination of primitive or standard electric with water hook-up. The campgrounds are open all year, with twenty-five being allocated on a walk-up basis while the rest require a reservation.
The Sandy Beach Campground and the River Road Campground both have paved pitches that are widely spaced out beneath trees so are shady in summer. All have a fire ring and grill. Some are pull-thru and others back-in so if you have a preference check before booking what you'll be getting. There are standard amenities at both sites including dump stations, public showers, and restrooms. There is also a swim beach, playground for the youngsters and a boat launch ramp if you need one.
There's nowhere else in the world besides the Great Salt Plains of Oklahoma where you can go excavating for hourglass selenite crystals. While there's no guarantee you'll unearth some, they are a common find on the plains. There's a knack to digging them up, and you'll need to take some basic equipment with you like a shovel, a container of water, and something to carry your treasures back to your rig in.
Crystal digging is restricted to certain areas that are rotated annually to allow more crystals time to form. The digging season is from the first of April through to mid-October only.
Join the Sandpiper Trail in the Salt Plains NWR, and you'll be hiking on a half-mile-long trail that will take you to the edge of the salt plains. Interpretive signage along the route will help identify some of the myriad bird species you might see while walking. Stride it out for longer on the one and a quarter-mile long Eagle Roost Nature Trail. The trailhead is by the visitor center and is an out-and-back trek around Sand Creek Bay and Eagle Roost Pond.
The Great Salt Plains Lake's low water levels make it ideal for kayaking and canoeing or even novice stand-up paddleboarders who don't want to worry about toppling off in deep water. Paddle around the lake to see and photograph the wildlife or take a fishing rod and cast a line to see what you can hook while afloat.
The Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is open year-round for visitors who want to go bird watching. Every month there are different species to see whether it's nesting terns or American avocets, migrating geese or snowy plovers catching the brine flies in the holes left by the crystal diggers. Additionally, over thirty species of mammals inhabit the area, so keep an eye on the lakeshore too.
Make the forty-five minute trip from the Great Salt Plains Lake to Alva and spend a few hours exploring the Natural History Museum at the Northwestern Oklahoma State University. The museum houses diverse exhibits of fossils, birds, and mammals including a black-footed ferret, the world's rarest mammal. There are also displays of geological and historical importance.
Visit the Sod House Museum in Aline to get an insight into what life was like in the pioneering days. At the museum, you'll have the unique opportunity to explore the interior of the state's only surviving sod house and its contents. The museum also displays farming equipment and other era-related artifacts. It's a chance to take a trip back in time to see what the state's pioneers endured.
