Tulsa Parks
Home to over half of Oklahoma's distinct ecosystems and state parks, northeast Oklahoma has been given the appropriate nickname of "Green Country." Tulsa, the gateway into Green Country, boasts 144 parks that total over 6,000 acres of outdoor public space, including 19 public golf courses, 22 swimming pools, 116 playgrounds and 135 tennis courts. La Fortune Park features a championship-layout golf course, while Chandler Park's rugged terrain is ideal for rock climbing. The 45-acre Woodward Park also serves as home to botanical gardens, including the Tulsa Municipal Rose Garden with more than 6,000 rose plants. Other points of interest include the Tulsa Garden Center, Mohawk Park, River SkatePark, Redbud Valley Nature Preserve and Swan Lake.
Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum, formerly named Riverside Park, is a green, 32.5-acre wonderland of walking trails, gardens and tree-stands. Located on Memorial Drive just north of the Arkansas River Bridge, the park boasts the Laci Dawn Hill Butterfly Garden and an outdoor amphitheater. It also serves as home to the annual Bixby BBQ' n Blues Festival. Also notable, the 100-acre Oklahoma Botanical Garden and Arboretum holds over 1,000 plant species in a variety of gardens, including a research garden and nursery, Japanese tea garden, rock garden, and garden designed for a miniature railroad.
