Spend The Night Under The Stars At This Amazing Campground In Oklahoma
By Catherine Armstrong|Published June 07, 2018
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Catherine Armstrong
Author
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
Spending time in Oklahoma’s beautiful outdoors is even better when you can stay the night. Here’s a campground that not only offers you a place to pitch your tent… it’s situated under a night sky where you’ll see thousands of stars.
Black Mesa State Park is one of Oklahoma's most remote state parks, located along the panhandle near the New Mexico border. You'll find it near the town of Kenton, on State Highway 325.
This gorgeous park covers 349 acres, and there are another 1,600 acres of protected nature preserve right next door. You can spend an entire day exploring and hiking here.
At the end of the day, settle in at the Black Mesa State Park Campground, which is nestled right on the banks of Lake Carl Etling. There are 25 tent sites and 29 RV sites here, and they're first come, first served, so get there early.
This park is so remote that there's almost no light pollution, making the stars in the night sky much more visible. People come here from all over the country to gaze heavenward, and the annual Okie-Tex Star Party is held here every October.
If you really want a stellar view of the sky, hike up to the top of Black Mesa before sunset. Before you make the journey to Black Mesa State Park, make sure that you have plenty of food, water, and supplies. The nearest town is Kenton, but with just 17 residents, there aren't any services there. The closest town with groceries and gas is Boise City, with is about 35 miles from the park.