Updates from Oklahoma Department of Tourism

Photo Credit: Lisha Newman (OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.) Oklahoma Tourism Information Centers are temporarily closed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, although exterior restrooms at the Blackwell, Sallisaw and Erick centers will remain open for travelers. Oklahoma State Park lodges, nature centers, group camps and dining halls and community buildings are closed to future visits through April 15. Cave Tours at Alabaster Caverns will also be suspended through April 15. Park cabins, campgrounds and RV sites, as well as outdoor public spaces and restrooms, will remain open at this time. As part of the park's enhanced cleaning and safety protocols in response to COVID-19, all dishes - including pots and pans - have been removed from the park cabins. Park staff has been working to continuously clean throughout the day, focusing on high-traffic areas and high-touch surfaces. Oklahoma Department of Tourism asks business owners, museum and attraction directors, and event organizers to email them at update@travelok.com with cancellations, postponements or temporary closures, as well as ways the community can support them during this challenging time. The Department would also love to hear about any virtual activities or remote opportunities businesses and organizations are offering. It is recommended people help support Oklahoma businesses in other ways, like purchasing gift cards from local eateries and shopping destinations, or hitting the shops virtually for sweet tunes by Oklahoma musicians, Route 66 coloring books, handmade wooden toys and more. The Department has temporarily suspended its Oklahoma Road Trip project, a 52-week video series that follows the travels of a film crew from Broken Arrow-based Retrospec Films on short trips around the state. In the meantime, the first 32 episodes of the series are available for viewing at RoadTripOK.com and on the TravelOK.com YouTube page at YouTube.com/TravelOK. Customers can still order from the new ShopTravelOK.com store, although availability of some items might be limited because of supply chain issues caused by the coronavirus. Other closures: The office at Fort Cobb is now closed to the public, but will remain staffed, so please call (405) 643-2249 with any questions. Due to recent park flooding and concerns over COVID-19, Cherokee Landing State Park will be closed temporarily. Due to COVID-19 health concerns, Blue Heron Lodge is only offering takeout food for the foreseeable future. Due to concerns over COVID-19, the Osage Hills State Park office will be closed with a lock box check-in instituted. During this closure the office will be staffed, so guests are invited to call (918) 336-4141 with any questions. Other campgrounds throughout the state are also experiencing flooding. It is recommended to call ahead before traveling to your destination.