Recreation: Our Great Outdoors

Charles Page founded Sand Springs in 1908, but some of the trees in the Keystone Ancient Forest are 500 years old. Whether you’ve lived in Sand Springs since 1938 or you moved here in 2018, there may be a few other things you don’t know about the outdoor spaces in our town.

With warmer temperatures just a few short weeks away and the growth of our city continuing each day, we reached out to Jeff Edwards, the Parks Director for Sand Springs Parks and Recreation, to get the inside scoop as to how Sandites can utilize all the offerings of the parks and recreation department. Some of his suggestions and insights may surprise you.

“Someone visiting our parks system for the first time may be surprised that Sand Springs has 15 developed park properties,” said Jeff, “including many ‘pocket parks’ in neighborhoods across the city.” Because most playgrounds have an average lifespan of 20 to 30 years, the city’s oldest park, Ray Brown Park, no longer has its original equipment. It was removed during a community workday and now features a newer structure. Because of successful general obligation bonds and fundraising efforts, Sand Springs is fortunate to have five playgrounds less than four years old.

12 WeAreSandSprings.com | March 2020 A common misconception is that the Keystone Ancient Forest is a park, but the 1,400-acre property is actually classified as a nature preserve. The parks and recreation department does manage the forest, however, which Jeff said helps “preserve it as native Oklahoma land first.” Too much use, Jeff said, could cause the Forest to be “lost in the history of what native Oklahoma land was when Washington Irving passed through long before statehood.” Currently, hiking is only permitted at the Keystone Ancient Forest on select Saturdays because of limited staffing. A small group of volunteer trail guides keeps the Forest open and in operation, though Jeff said the City is making preparations for a visitor center that will house a staffer and increase the annual hours of operation. “By 2021,” Jeff said, “we expect the Forest to be open to the public for hiking three days per week year-round.”

In the meantime, volunteer positions for the trail guide crew are open. “Becoming a volunteer at the Keystone Ancient Forest is a great way to give back to the community,” Jeff said, “and the process is quite easy.” Interested individuals can visit with established trail guides during open hiking and spend a few hours working with them to learn the ropes. Sandites who want to commit to becoming a part of the trail guide crew can contact the parks office to sign up and receive an official crew shirt and ID badge in exchange for assisting the operations of the Forest.

In addition to the parks and Keystone Ancient Forest (which, by the way, has over 80 species of butterflies), a vast trail system runs from Case Community Park and the Case Community Center to the KATY Trail, which stretches more than 30 miles to the east and connects with many other Tulsa trails.

The Case Community Center, a state-of-the-art multipurpose facility, hosts over 100,000 patrons each year, and has a membership base of roughly 25,000 individuals. With their CASEcard, members can access the strength and exercise equipment, indoor walking track, open basketball play, video games, and tennis table activities.

“The Case Community Center is a safe, clean, and exciting venue for recreational activities,” Jeff said. “The space is also available to rent for various events such as baby showers, birthday parties, wedding receptions, indoor batting practice, and more.”

Some Sand Springs visitors and residents alike may not know that the Canyons at Blackjack Ridge, an 18-hole course tucked away in the hills of northern Sand Springs, is part of the parks and recreation department, as well. While Sandites frequent the course regularly, Jeff said it’s not unusual for celebrities visiting the area to book tee times under a pseudonym. “One celebrity confirmation,” Jeff said, “is Willie Nelson, who has played the course several times.”

And if you get hungry after a round of golf? “The best item on the menu at the Canyons at Blackjack Ridge is the deep-fried hot dog with homemade ranch kettle chips,” Jeff said. “Don’t count calories - just eat and enjoy!”

“One of the greatest enjoyments of working in the field of parks and recreation is the contact with the community,” Jeff said. “Our staff has the opportunity to connect with so many people, many of whom are hitting their first ball, making their first goal, or catching their first fish.”

Jeff said the greatest realization is that most everyone visiting the parks and open spaces in Sand Springs are making new memories and “doing so with a big smile.”

Whether you sign up to volunteer at the Keystone Ancient Forest, make use of the air-conditioned options for basketball and table tennis, or try a new dish at the golf course grill, be sure to take advantage of all our parks and recreation department has to offer this spring and summer. And if you know someone planning a visit to our community share with them everything you know about these great opportunities.