Platt National Park, Sulfur, Oklahoma

Historical Platt National Park
Chickasaw National Recreational Area
Sulfur, Oklahoma
James S. Aber

In mid-November 2011, the author visited the Chickasaw National Recreational Area at Sulfur, Oklahoma on a field trip with the Earth Science student club from Emporia State University. We camped in the historical Platt National Park sector along Rock Creek amid colorful oak and other hardwood trees. Our KAP site was nearby on Bromide Hill, which rises some 140 feet above the creek.

Ground view taken from the overlook point on Bromide Hill looking northward over Rock Creek and autumn color in the Bromide Pavilion below. The hill is capped by massive conglomerate (lower right).

We flew a delta kite and small (Canon Elph) camera rig under partly cloud sky with a gusty southwest wind—not optimum conditions, but we were successful nonetheless.

KAP crew on Bromide Hill, including Jake and Michelle Perry, Megan Sprague, Brenda Zabriskie, and the Howell family (Deanne, Autumn, Trevor & Kit). The flying site was covered with yuccas, prickly pears, and burned stumps and logs from an old forest fire.

Overviews of the city of Sulfur. Left: view toward northwest. Right: view toward north with Rock Creek visible through the trees.
Left: looking toward the northeast. Park headquarters and ranger station in forest on right side of scene. Right: closeup shot of small pond on northern side of Bromide Hill. Note variety of deciduous trees and red cedar (conifer).
Left: Rock Creek and the Bromide Pavilion (center). Bromide Hill is the ridge on left side. Asterisk indicates overlook point for the ground shots (above). Our campground is in the center background (under trees). Right: closeup shot of Rock Creek and autumn color.

The kite flew well and reached full height during the photography session. However, after we retrieved the camera rig, gusty wind drove the kite in a series of loops that ended in a crash landing. Luckily the kite came down soft in a forest clearing, and all equipment was recovered without damage! We hope to return to this delightful site another year with sunny sky and better wind.

KAP site was located on a hill within a hairpin loop of road; kite crew at top of scene. The kite landed in a forest clearing in lower left corner of this scene. We quickly removed the line from the road and recovered the undamaged kite.

Related sites

Chickasaw National Recreational Area.
Historical Platt National Park.

Return to KAP gallery or homepage.
Last update Nov. 2011.

	Overviews of the city of Sulfur. Left: view toward northwest. Right: view toward north with Rock Creek visible through the trees.
	Left: looking toward the northeast. Park headquarters and ranger station in forest on right side of scene. Right: closeup shot of small pond on northern side of Bromide Hill. Note variety of deciduous trees and red cedar (conifer).
	Left: Rock Creek and the Bromide Pavilion (center). Bromide Hill is the ridge on left side. Asterisk indicates overlook point for the ground shots (above). Our campground is in the center background (under trees). Right: closeup shot of Rock Creek and autumn color.