Alabaster Caverns State Park

Alabaster Caverns State Park
Passage in Alabaster Caverns
A map of Oklahoma showing the location of Alabaster Caverns State Park
A map of Oklahoma showing the location of Alabaster Caverns State Park
LocationWoodward County, Oklahoma, United States
Nearest cityFreedom, Oklahoma
Coordinates36°41′54″N 99°08′47″W / 36.6983658°N 99.1464906°W / 36.6983658; -99.1464906[1]
Area200 acres (81 ha)
Established1956
Visitors24,706[2] (in FY 2016[2])
Governing bodyOklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department
www.travelok.com/listings/view.profile/id.110

Alabaster Caverns State Park is a 200-acre (0.81 km2) state park approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south of Freedom, Oklahoma, United States near Oklahoma State Highway 50.[3] The park attracted 24,706 visitors in FY 2016, The lowest count of the three parks in its part of Oklahoma.[a] According to the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, the park previously attracted about 40,000 visitors per year. It is home to the largest natural gypsum cave in the world that is open to the public.[3] The gypsum is mostly in the form of alabaster. There are several types of alabaster found at the site, including pink, white, and the rare black alabaster. This black alabaster can be found in only three veins in the world, one each in Oklahoma, Italy and China. Another form of gypsum can be found in the many selenite crystal formations.[4]

The state is currently considering closing Alabaster Caverns State Park for budgetary reasons.[5]

  1. ^ "Alabaster Caverns State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c Neal, James. "3 area parks at risk of closure." Enid News & Eagle. March 17, 2017 Accessed August 19, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Allen, LaRadius. Alabaster Caverns State Park Archived June 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture Archived May 31, 2010, at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 19, 2013)
  4. ^ Alabaster Caverns State Park, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (accessed May 19, 2013)
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Fultenberg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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