Nearly every road inside Sequoyah State Park ends at water. The park covers a 2,200-acre peninsula on the eastern shore of Fort Gibson Lake in Cherokee County, near Hulbert and about 18 miles west of Tahlequah on State Highway 51. Because the lake wraps around three sides of the peninsula, you can walk out of a lodge room, a lakeside cottage or a campground loop and reach a cove within a few minutes. In October, the summer wakeboard traffic thins, the air cools off, and the oaks, hickories and sweetgums along the shoreline turn rust and gold against the water.
The park is open year-round, 24 hours a day. It is named for Sequoyah, who created the Cherokee syllabary, and it holds the largest state park lodge in Oklahoma. For a shorter overview, see our Sequoyah State Park visitor guide.
This guide covers how to tell the park apart from its neighbor across the lake, how the parking pass works, every trail on the official map with mileages and bike guidance, what is open on the water, and how to choose between the lodge, a cottage and a campsite.
Sequoyah State Park vs. Sequoyah Bay State Park
Two different Oklahoma state parks sit on Fort Gibson Lake and share the Sequoyah name. Reservation portals, map searches and campground directories often surface them side by side, which is how visitors end up at the wrong gate on Friday evening with a boat in tow or a cottage reservation that belongs on the opposite shore.
Sequoyah State Park is on the eastern shore of Fort Gibson Lake in Cherokee County, near Hulbert (17131 Park 10, Hulbert, OK 74441). It sits right off State Highway 51 between Wagoner and Tahlequah. This is the 2,200-acre peninsula park with the 104-room lodge, 45 cottages, Paradise Cove Marina, the nine-hole golf course, the Three Forks Nature Center and twelve mapped trails.
Sequoyah Bay State Park is on the western shore of Fort Gibson Lake near Wagoner, in Wagoner County. It is a smaller park focused on camping, picnicking and boat ramps, and it does not have a state park lodge, nature center or golf course.
The main body of Fort Gibson Lake separates the two parks, so if you drive to the wrong entrance, getting to the other side means routing back around the lake rather than cutting straight across. Before you leave home, verify that your reservation confirmation, your map pin and your GPS destination all point to Sequoyah State Park, 17131 Park 10, Hulbert, on State Highway 51.
Getting in: hours, parking pass and senior discounts
The park grounds are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Day visitors can arrive before sunrise to fish or launch a boat and stay through the evening. Quiet hours run from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. across the campgrounds, cottage loops and shoreline areas alike, and park staff enforce them so overnight guests can sleep.
Sequoyah State Park participates in the Oklahoma State Parks vehicle parking pass program. Every motor vehicle entering the park requires a valid pass, whether you are stopping for an hour to walk a trail or spending the day at the marina:
Passes are tied electronically to your license plate number, so there is no paper hang tag or windshield sticker to display. You can purchase a pass online before you arrive or pay via the self-service signage inside the park. Keep a screenshot of your receipt on your phone in case cell service drops near the shoreline. The same vehicle pass covers parking at the trailheads, picnic areas, boat ramps and Paradise Cove Marina.
Trails, with mileages
The park’s official trail and park map (March 2024) lists twelve named trails totaling just over 14 miles of routes across the peninsula, ranging from the 0.15-mile Inspiration Point overlook spur to the 3.4-mile Sequoyah Paved Trail.
According to the Sequoyah State Park office, bicycles are allowed on all mapped trails in the park. The one trail riders should skip on a bike is the 0.8-mile Fossil Trail System, which is rocky and not bike-friendly; walk it on foot instead.
| Trail | Miles, type and bike guidance |
|---|---|
| Sequoyah Paved Trail | 3.4 miles · Out and back, paved · Best choice for strollers, wheelchairs and bikes |
| Whispering Pines Trail System | 2.3 miles · Natural-surface trail system · Bikes allowed |
| Hackberry Gap Trail | 1.36 miles · Out and back, natural surface · Bikes allowed |
| Fitness Trail (Heart Healthy) | 1.26 miles · Out and back, natural surface · Bikes allowed |
| Deer Run Trail | 1.15 miles · Out and back, natural surface · Bikes allowed |
| Bluebird Trail | 1 mile · Out and back, natural surface · Bikes allowed |
| Eagle Roost Trail System | 1 mile · Natural-surface trail system / loop · Bikes allowed |
| Three Forks Nature Trail | 0.96 mile · Out and back from the nature center · Bikes allowed |
| Fossil Trail System | 0.8 mile · Natural-surface trail system · Bikes allowed per park policy, but rocky and not recommended for bikes |
| Nature Loop | 0.55 mile · Natural-surface loop · Bikes allowed |
| Scissortail ADA Loop | 0.21 mile · ADA loop · Bikes allowed |
| Inspiration Point | 0.15 mile · Short overlook spur · Bikes allowed |
How to pick a trail for your group
Download the official park map PDF to your phone before you leave Highway 51, or pick up a paper map at the park office or Three Forks Nature Center. For purpose-built mountain bike singletrack and fall gravel routes, pair your visit with Welling Ridge for mountain biking, just east of Tahlequah. To compare every trail system in the area, browse more Cherokee County trails.
On the water: Fort Gibson Lake
Fort Gibson Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Grand (Neosho) River covering more than 19,000 surface acres with roughly 225 miles of shoreline. Because Sequoyah State Park occupies a long peninsula reaching into the eastern side of the lake, nearly every loop in the park has water on two or three sides.
Paradise Cove Marina
Located at 2429 Park 56 inside the park, Paradise Cove Marina is the on-the-water hub if you did not tow your own boat. The marina rents pontoon boats and other watercraft, and it operates covered and open boat slips, a fuel dock, a ship store, and a bait and tackle shop. The marina posts daily operating hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Because rental availability and seasonal hours can shift with the weather in fall and winter, call 918-772-3270 ahead of your trip to reserve a pontoon and confirm current rental rates.
Boat Ramps and Shoreline Fishing
Visitors towing a fishing boat, bass rig or kayak trailer will find public boat ramps distributed around the peninsula, with trailer parking covered by the standard park vehicle pass. Bank anglers have miles of accessible coves and rocky points where crappie, largemouth bass, white bass and catfish hold near submerged structure, especially as water temperatures cool in October and November.
Can you swim at Sequoyah State Park?
Set expectations with your group before you pack swimsuits. The swimming pool at the Lodge at Sequoyah State Park is open only to registered lodge and cottage guests, and it operates seasonally from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Day visitors and campers do not have access to the lodge pool, so if a pool is essential for a summer trip, book a lodge room or a park cottage rather than a campsite. Along the Fort Gibson Lake shoreline, wear a properly fitted life jacket whenever you are on open water or wading near drop-offs; wind and wave conditions on a 19,000-acre reservoir change much faster than they look from the bank.
For more ways to get on the lake or float the Illinois River nearby, see boating and floating in Cherokee County.
Three Forks Nature Center and the golf course
Even if you do not put a boat on the water, three on-site stops give families and couples plenty to do between trail walks.
Three Forks Nature Center
(19460 Park 80) is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Mondays. Named for the historical Three Forks region where the Arkansas, Verdigris and Grand rivers meet, the center houses live native animal displays, hands-on exhibits on eastern Oklahoma habitats, and naturalists who can point you to the best shoreline coves for watching wintering bald eagles and migratory waterfowl. For decades, the nature center was home to Taurus, a famous rehabilitated bald eagle who lived here to the age of 43, making him one of the oldest captive bald eagles on record. Stop here first if you have children in tow or want current details on guided nature programs.
Sequoyah State Park Golf Course
(19277 Park 10) sits near the park entrance and features a nine-hole regulation course, a driving range, a putting green and a pro shop with cart and club rentals. Because nine holes take roughly two hours to play, you can fit a morning round in before lunch and still have the afternoon free for the trails or the lake.
Around the lodge and campground loops, you will also find lighted tennis courts, basketball courts, playgrounds and shaded picnic pavilions overlooking the water.
Where to stay: lodge, cottages or a campsite
Few state parks in the region let a group split up by comfort level while staying on the same peninsula. At Sequoyah, part of your family can book a hotel-style room, part can share a lakeside cottage, and part can park an RV a few minutes down the road.
The Lodge at Sequoyah State Park
(19808 Park 10) is the largest state park lodge in Oklahoma, with 104 guest rooms and a warm mid-century resort feel overlooking Fort Gibson Lake. The lodge reopened to overnight guests in May 2025 following restoration work after a December 2024 fire. Note on dining: the lodge's full-service restaurant space has been closed since the December 2024 fire, so plan your meals ahead of time. Just outside the park gate in Hulbert, Above Par BBQ and Retro Coffee are convenient local stops, and downtown Tahlequah's restaurants, coffee shops and grocery stores are about 18 miles east on Highway 51.
Park Cottages
Sequoyah has 45 cottages tucked into the trees near the shoreline. They are a strong choice for families and longer stays where a living area, porch space and room to spread out matter more than a standard hotel room. Pet policy: pets are not allowed in the lodge, and they are permitted in select cottages only, for an additional nightly fee. Always filter for or confirm a designated pet-friendly cottage before you complete your reservation rather than arriving at check-in with a dog.
Group Bunkhouse
For larger groups traveling together who want a shared roof near the lodge complex, the park also offers a reservable bunkhouse.
Campgrounds and Group Camp
Sequoyah operates five individual campground loops — Choctaw (full hookups plus tent sites), Seminole (full hookups), Cherokee (water and electric), Creek (primitive tent sites) and Paradise Cove (primitive tent sites) — plus a Group Camp with 10 A-frame cabins sleeping 98 people in total and a dining hall with a full kitchen. Every individual RV and tent site must be reserved online in advance; there are no first-come, first-served campsites. For a loop-by-loop breakdown, hookup details and reservation rules, read our guide to fall camping at Sequoyah, campground by campground.
To compare cabins, hotels and vacation rentals across the rest of the county, browse more places to stay near Tahlequah.
Fall at Sequoyah
October and early November are among the best weeks of the year to be on the peninsula. Summer humidity drops, the weekend boat launch lines ease up, and the hardwood canopy turns color along all three sides of the park.
Shoreline Foliage on Three Sides
Sweetgum, blackgum, hickory, oak and sumac put on a layered show from bright yellow to deep crimson, reflected directly in the coves of Fort Gibson Lake. In eastern Oklahoma, fall color typically builds from late October into the first half of November. The 3.4-mile Sequoyah Paved Trail and the 0.15-mile Inspiration Point spur give you easy vantage points without rugged climbing. For county-wide timing and scenic drives, see when fall color peaks here.
Cooler Trail Weather
Midday temperatures that feel heavy in July and August turn crisp enough for back-to-back loops on Whispering Pines, Hackberry Gap and Eagle Roost.
Quieter Coves on the Lake
With fewer wakeboats on the main channel, fall mornings are prime time for calm-water paddling, pontoon cruising from Paradise Cove Marina, and shoreline fishing.
Call the park office at 918-772-2545 before your trip to ask about current fall nature programs, guided walks and seasonal weekend activities.
Common questions about Sequoyah State Park
No. Sequoyah State Park is the 2,200-acre peninsula park on the eastern shore of Fort Gibson Lake near Hulbert in Cherokee County, home to the 104-room lodge, 45 cottages, golf course, riding stables, Three Forks Nature Center and Paradise Cove Marina. Sequoyah Bay State Park is a smaller campground and boat-ramp park on the western shore near Wagoner in Wagoner County. Always confirm your reservation and GPS point to 17131 Park 10, Hulbert.
The park grounds are open 24 hours a day, and every vehicle requires an Oklahoma State Parks parking pass: $8 per day with an Oklahoma or Oklahoma tribal license plate, or $10 per day for out-of-state plates. Annual passes cost $60 ($75 out of state). One vehicle pass is included with each reserved lodge room, cottage or campsite when you enter your license plate at booking. Oklahoma residents 62 and older (and their spouses) and honorably discharged Oklahoma veterans qualify for a free pass.
Yes. According to the park office, bikes are allowed on all twelve trails on the official park map. The 3.4-mile Sequoyah Paved Trail is the easiest ride for road bikes, hybrids and families. Riders should skip the 0.8-mile Fossil Trail System, which is rocky and not bike-friendly. For purpose-built mountain bike singletrack nearby, ride Welling Ridge Trails just east of Tahlequah.
The outdoor pool at the Lodge at Sequoyah State Park is open only to registered lodge and cottage guests from Memorial Day through Labor Day; day visitors and campers cannot use the lodge pool. If you go in the water along Fort Gibson Lake, wear a life jacket at all times, as reservoir conditions and depths change quickly.
No. While the 104-room lodge reopened in May 2025 after a December 2024 fire, its restaurant space remains closed. Plan meals around Hulbert just outside the park gate (where Above Par BBQ and Retro Coffee are local favorites) or drive 18 miles east on Highway 51 into Tahlequah.
Pets are not allowed in the lodge, and they are allowed in select park cottages only for a nightly fee. Confirm that you are booking a designated pet-friendly cottage before completing your reservation. In the campgrounds and on park trails, leashed pets (10-foot maximum leash) are welcome.
Sequoyah State Park at a glance
| At a glance | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | 17131 Park 10, Hulbert, OK 74441 (Cherokee County), on the eastern shore of Fort Gibson Lake along State Highway 51, about 18 miles west of Tahlequah · Park office: 918-772-2545 |
| Hours | Open 24 hours a day, year-round · Quiet hours 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. |
| Parking pass | $8/day for Oklahoma or Oklahoma tribal license plates ($10/day out of state) · Annual pass $60 ($75 out of state) · One pass included per reserved lodge room, cottage or campsite · Free pass for Oklahoma residents 62+ (and spouses) and honorably discharged Oklahoma veterans |
| Trails | 12 mapped trails (0.15 to 3.4 miles) · Bikes allowed on all mapped trails; skip the rocky 0.8-mile Fossil Trail System on a bike |
| Lake and marina | Fort Gibson Lake (more than 19,000 surface acres, about 225 miles of shoreline) · Paradise Cove Marina at 2429 Park 56 (918-772-3270) for slips, gas, bait and rentals |
| Nature center and golf course | Three Forks Nature Center (19460 Park 80, Tue.–Sun. 9 a.m.–4 p.m.) · Nine-hole golf course and driving range (19277 Park 10) |
| Lodging and camping | The Lodge at Sequoyah State Park (19808 Park 10): 104 rooms, 45 cottages (select cottages pet-friendly for a fee) and a group bunkhouse · Five individual campground loops plus a 10-cabin A-frame Group Camp |
Plan the rest of your trip from Tahlequah
Treat Sequoyah State Park as one half of a Cherokee County weekend. Downtown Tahlequah, the capital of the Cherokee Nation, sits about 18 miles east on State Highway 51, close enough to spend the morning on Fort Gibson Lake and the late afternoon walking Muskogee Avenue for dinner, coffee and Cherokee Nation cultural museums. For a quick overview to share with your group, start with our Sequoyah State Park visitor guide. If you are pitching a tent or parking an RV, our fall camping guide to Sequoyah State Park breaks down every campground loop and booking rule. And if you are bringing a bike, add a morning on the singletrack at Welling Ridge Trails.
Explore the Award-winning Visitor Guide
Tahlequah and Cherokee County's official Redbud Award-winning visitor guide packs three days of hikes, floats, rides, and fish into one download. Trip ideas, mileage, and outfitter contacts, ready before you leave home.
