(See below for my updates)
Great park for anyone wanting to catch a round of golf while camping. Sequoyah is very near Tahlequah, Oklahoma so there’s easy access to food and other shopping needs on a trip. The main pro for Sequoyah is the golf course, which large flows along the shore line of Fort Gibson Lake, over 19,000 acres of water. The course is really well maintained for a state park; however, you should be aware that during a recent trip to another OK state park, I played a round of golf and was told by the course pro that Sequoyah is turning their 18 hole course into a 9 hole course bc the campground is so frequently flooded. To that end, you should definitely pay attention to local rainfall levels prior to visiting Sequoyah if your planning a trip. There are several separate camping areas, all of which are named after a particular Native tribe such as “Seminole area.” Some areas are more prone than others to flooding so you should check with the park before going bc you may very well be limited in what you’re able to do or access if there has been local flooding. Beyond the golf course, the other obvious benefit of this park is Fort Gibson Lake, which is stunning. It’s a paradise for fishermen and boaters. For non water sport enthusiast, there is some great hiking at the park, as well as the Three Forks Nature Center, which my kids loved. The camp sites along the lake are generally for tent campers, but regardless, there is tons of sandy shoreline for swimming and playing in the water. Really pretty area of the park. There’s also a few beach volleyball courts and disc golf, which is a personal fav of mine. Lastly, for anyone not wanting to “camp,” have no fear! The “Lodge at Sequoyah State Park” is very, very, VERY nice and the rooms are reasonably priced for what you get. It was completely renovated recently and now very much looks like something you would expect out of a premier hotel or resort, not a state park. If you have a significant other who suffers through your love of the outdoors, they will LOVE this place and likely ask you when you’d like to return as soon as they arrive. My wife loves me enough to go camping in our PopUp, but when she learned about the Lodge, that was it no sleeping the popup on this trip. The room was unreal (see pics). We definitely felt like we were at a luxury resort, not camping. So to the extent that may bother you, don't stay in the Lodge. The Lodge is located directly on the water and it has tremendous views of the lake and sunset. It is also located in close proximity to the volleyball courts and beach area along the lakeshore, which has day use picnic tables everywhere. I should also mention that there is a superb restaurant in the Lodge as well, which I always make note of due to the ease of having at least one meal prepared for us instead of cooking at the campsite while trying to wrangle 3 boys under 4. Overall, I feel confident in saying that Sequoyah is probably one of Oklahoma’s better parks due to the activities and amenities it offers, the scenery and proximity to a “town” in the event you need something during your trip. We will definitely be going back, whether I want to or not. My wife is sold!
(Updated review)
I have since been back to Sequoyah and I decided to upgrade the park to 5 stars. It’s just a beautiful, great park. Tons to do, accommodations for all preferences, swimming, boating, golf, disc golf, horseback riding, boating, fishing, great trails, HUGE park, tons of sites, lots of trees, tons of green space in camping areas, [now has renovated] camping sites for all preferences/sizes of campers, trailers, hookups, etc. (see video). Above all, for anyone in Tulsa or surrounding area (the second most populated city in OK by far), the park is 30 minutes SE. Its also like 15 minutes from Wagoner or Hulbert, in both of which you can easily find food options, groceries, etc if needed. For anyone with or without kids, Sequoyah is a cant miss in this area of the world. I want to check out Sequoyah Bay Park, which is across the lake in a SW’ly direction. I plan to camp at Sequoyah in two weeks so I will drive over to Sequoyah Bay and snag some video/pics for anyone needing more info. Overall, great park with literally everything you could want in a state park.
Quick update: I just camped at this park (June 2020) and it was one of the hottest weekends we’ve had in almost a year. One of the things I wanted to note was shaded campsites. In the Seminole loop (best in park), site 8 is one of the hottest in the park. It gets sun from about 10am to 5pm. There are no trees south of this site so it’s very hot. If you need relief from sun, site 22 is the bomb. Shades all day. Also, site 9 isn’t bad, but it gets a lot of sun in the late afternoon. So I think of all the sites, for temp considerations, site 22 is the way to go. Happy camping!
