Park Hill (population 4,000) is located near the eastern border of
Oklahoma in Cherokee county. It is 25 miles east of Muskogee on State Highway 62, and 70 miles from
Tulsa. It is a 35 minute drive to Sequoyah State Park. The nearest airports to Park Hill are Tahlequa Municipal Airport 8 miles to the north, and Tenkiller Lake Airpark 14 miles to the south. However, both of these airports are for private planes only, so you should chose to fly into Tulsa.
The average high during Park Hill’s summer is 93 degrees and the average low during the winter months is 25 degrees. Park Hill gets approximately 45 inches of precipitation per year, both in rain and snow.
Over 50% of the population of Park Hill is Native American, mostly from the Cherokee tribe, though all of the Five Civilized Tribes are represented in the area. There is a Cherokee National Museum located in nearby Tahlequa, capital of the Cherokee Nation.
Another attraction in the Park Hill area is the George M. Murrell home. Wealthy Murrell and his Cherokee wife moved to Indian Territory, as Oklahoma was then known, during the Trail of Tears in 1838. He built a large Greek-revival mansion on his new plantation and stayed there until the Civil War. His restored house and grounds are now open for tours.
Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy visiting Cherokee Landing State Park on Lake Tenkiller about 6 miles south of Park Hill. There is camping, fishing, boating, and swimming available in this 146 acre park.
