MEDIA ROOM

Oklahoma Tourism Industry Generates $12.8 Billion in Visitor Spending and Supports More Than 109,000 Jobs OKLAHOMA CITY —Oklahoma’s tourism industry continued to drive strong economic growth across the state in 2025, generating billions in visitor spending and supporting jobs and communities in every region of Oklahoma. According to the 2025 Oklahoma Travel Impacts reports prepared by Dean ... Read More

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New Mandatory Site Visit Date Set for Roman Nose State Park Restaurant Request for Proposals WATONGA, Okla. – Potential bidders who would like to respond to the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the operation of the restaurant at Roman Nose State Park must attend a mandatory site visit Friday, March 6 at 9:30 a.m. Bidders are required to be present for the tour to enter a bid for the locatio... Read More

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Mandatory Site Visit Upcoming for Quartz Mountain State Park Restaurant Request for Proposals LONE WOLF, Okla. – Potential bidders who would like to respond to the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the operation of restaurants at Oklahoma State Parks, including Quartz Mountain State Park, must attend a mandatory site visit. Bidders are required to be present for the tour to enter a bid for th... Read More

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Mandatory Site Visit Upcoming for Roman Nose State Park Restaurant Request for Proposals WATONGA, Okla. – Potential bidders who would like to respond to the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the operation of restaurants at Oklahoma State Parks, including Roman Nose State Park, must attend a mandatory site visit. Bidders are required to be present for the tour to enter a bid for the speci... Read More

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Mandatory Site Visit Upcoming for Robbers Cave State Park Restaurant Request for Proposals WILBURTON, Okla. – Potential bidders who would like to respond to the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the operation of restaurants at Oklahoma State Parks, including Robbers Cave State Park, must attend a mandatory site visit. Bidders are required to be present for the tour to enter a bid for the s... Read More

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Mandatory Site Visit Upcoming for Beavers Bend State Park Restaurant Request for Proposals BROKEN BOW, Okla. – Potential bidders who would like to respond to the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the operation of restaurants at Oklahoma State Parks, including Beavers Bend State Park, must attend a mandatory site visit. Bidders are required to be present for the tour to enter a bid for the ... Read More

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Mandatory Site Visit Upcoming for Lake Murray State Park Restaurant Request for Proposals ARDMORE, Okla. – Potential bidders who would like to respond to the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the operation of restaurants at Oklahoma State Parks, including Lake Murray State Park, must attend a mandatory site visit. Bidders are required to be present for the tour to enter a bid for the spec... Read More

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Request for Proposals Issued for Oklahoma State Parks Restaurants OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, in coordination with the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, have released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the operations of five restaurants in Oklahoma State Parks. “I am well aware of the challenges this agency has faced... Read More

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Oklahoma Announces Plans for Route 66 Centennial Celebration in 2026 November 11, 2025 Oklahoma Announces Plans for Route 66 Centennial Celebration in 2026 Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell and the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission unveil programs to honor America’s most iconic highway OKLAHOMA CITY – As the Mother Road marks its 99th anniversary this year, Oklahoma... Read More

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Oklahoma State Parks Restaurants to Close Operations September 30 September 18, 2025 Oklahoma State Parks Restaurants to Close Operations September 30 The Lookout Kitchen will be closing restaurant operations within Oklahoma State Parks September 30, 2025. After the restaurants close, OTRD will provide grab-and-go food options and catering lists to ensure food r... Read More

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Lookout Kitchen Restaurants to Reopen in Oklahoma State Parks July 14, 2025 Lookout Kitchen Restaurants to Reopen in Oklahoma State Parks The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD) and the Lookout Kitchen (Lookout) have reached an agreement to conditionally reopen the Lookout restaurants in Oklahoma State Parks. The Lookout locations at Beavers Be... Read More

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Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department Closing State Park Restaurants July 8, 2025 Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department Closing State Park Restaurants Earlier this morning, the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD) suspended the Lookout Kitchen’s (Lookout) operation of the state park restaurants. OTRD took this action in response to Lookout’s repea... Read More

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Sequoyah State Park Lodge Offering Special June Booking Discount HULBERT, May 27, 2025 Sequoyah State Park Lodge Offering Special June Booking Discount Following a successful reopening last week, we are excited to announce Sequoyah State Park Lodge is now offering a special discount for the month of June! As a thank you for your patience and continued support,... Read More

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We're Back for the 2025 Season HULBERT, May 16, 2025 After the fire last December, we’ve been working tirelessly to reconstruct the Sequoyah State Park Lodge — and we’re excited to welcome you back starting May 23, 2025! We are now accepting reservations for the lodge, lodge rooms and cabins. To book your stay, please visit Tra... Read More

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Oklahoma State Parks Remain Open Amid USACE Recreation Area Closures May 9, 2025 Oklahoma State Parks Remain Open Amid USACE Recreation Area Closures Oklahoma’s state parks are open for business. With 10 distinct ecoregions, Oklahoma State Parks offer premier outdoor recreation opportunities throughout our 38 state parks. From RV camping to hiking and boating, ther... Read More

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Lake Murray State Park Enhances Accessibility with New Action TrackChair ARDMORE, August 20, 2024— To promote accessibility within Oklahoma State Parks, the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD) has unveiled a new Action TrackChair at Lake Murray State Park that is designed to help individuals with disabilities navigate a specially designed trail. “This new ... Read More

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First episode of Routes: A Discover Oklahoma Production will be available for streaming Thursday OKLAHOMA CITY, August 16, 2024 — The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD) today announced the first episode of Routes: A Discover Oklahoma Production will be available Thursday, August 22 online at Discover-Oklahoma.com. The first episode, “Oklahoma: A Chef’s Playground,” features cu... Read More

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Oklahoma State Parks welcomed almost 300,000 visitors for July 4th weekend OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD) today released an update on the increased travel and visitation numbers generated by July 4th weekend at Oklahoma State Parks. In total, between Wednesday, July 3 and Monday, July 8, Oklahoma State Parks welcomed almost 300,000 v... Read More

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Celebrate Earth Day at an Oklahoma State Park OKLAHOMA CITY, April 16 — To celebrate Earth Day, the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department is hosting activities at five state parks on Sunday, April 21, to encourage park visitors to preserve and protect Oklahoma’s beauty and natural resources. “We’re excited to celebrate our agency’s missio... Read More

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Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department to host Tourism Day at the Capitol OKLAHOMA CITY, April 15, 2024 — The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department is hosting Tourism Day at the Capitol on Thursday, April 18, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Partner organizations representing Oklahoma’s 3rd largest industry will be in attendance to share information about travel and tourism and... Read More

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