Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge – Oklahoma
You might be looking at the title of this post “Wichita MOUNTAINS Wildlife Refuge” and starting to wonder to yourself, wait, MOUNTAINS in Oklahoma? Yes folks, that is 100% absolutely correct. If you asked me the same question a couple months ago I would have laughed along with you. These mountains are fairly legit.
VAST LANDS OF BEAUTY
Deanna had been to this area of Oklahoma before when she was in the area back in 2011 for some research over a summer, however, this was my first time. I honestly didn’t know what to expect, I know I say that a lot, but this was different. In all aspects of Oklahoma, it seems as though every considers it completely flat and is primarily used for farming. Well let me tell you friends, this isn’t the same Oklahoma.
In this area of Oklahoma just north of Texas, contains vast lands of preserved beauty, and is also one of the few places in the United States you can still see Bison roaming the prairies free.
ABUNDANT WILDLIFE
Although to Texans, the longhorn may just be a normal part of your everyday scenery, not to us. Seeing this magnificent animal roaming the prairie free and coexisting with some beautiful Bison, it is hard not to appreciate what this wildlife refuge is doing to protect these guys.
Taking in the beautiful mountainous terrain is one thing, but adding in the wildlife that can literally be within yards of your vehicle, is simply a unique experience that I recommend.
If you really keep on the lookout, you might find a few of these guys trying to blend into their surrounding environment. This guy didn’t quite change fast enough from the grassy terrain to this rock. He is trying though, gotta give his some credit.
THE TRAILS
WICHITA MOUNTAINS WILDLIFE REFUGE TRAILS MAP
Depending what your source is for hiking, whether that be Alltrails, or the map I shared above…the lengths of the trails can vary by miles. The one thing that I can tell you is that every trail we took at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge was completely worth it and each offered a unique experience.
NARROWS TRAIL
The first trail we hit up (images above) is called “Narrows Trail”. I’m still not sure if we hiked the entire thing or not, but we made it to an amazing stream and just basically sat there and soaked in all the views. The trail is fairly easy besides a couple small elevation gains with rocky terrain, so definitely take some solid boots or something that provides a bit of ankle support.
Rattlesnakes are fairly common in the area as well, so be alert while traveling through the trails as tall grass my mask their existence.
KITE TRAIL
The second trail we hit up, on day one (still more to come folks), was the “Kite Trail.” This is another fairly easy trail with a few areas where you do still have to hike up some rocky terrain. Nothing too advanced based on what we have hiked in the past, but still a decent workout and can be prone to ankle twists if not prepared.
This hike is absolutely gorgeous and you get to walk along the West Cache Creek for a bit while taking in the surrounding prairie and occasional rocky mountain.
It is a bit off the beaten path, so again be aware of rattlesnakes and cacti, but getting down into the canyon near the waterfalls was definitely worth it. You can see the footage of our experience there towards the end of the video at the top of this blog post.
DRIVING AROUND
If you aren’t into hiking, or don’t have the ability to get into rough terrain, just driving around the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is fulfilling enough. Take in those vast landscapes, the wildlife, and pull over at the many designated shoulders to experience this incredible borderline National Park beauty.
As I write this, May 2019, the road up to Mt. Scott was closed due to maintenance, but one that opens up again that will be a must do. There are a couple small parking lots at the top of the mountain, so definitely get there early once they fix the road to beat the crowd.
We ended up hiking to the top of Mt. Scott in our next video/blog post. That is right, since you took the time to read this blog post you got a little preview of the next adventure! Shhh, don’t tell anyone it is a a secret.
OTHER NEARBY ADVENTURES
One Day to Explore New Orleans
Valentine Lake Recreation Complex
NOTE FROM WRITER
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Also be sure to check out Deanna’s food blog, The Harvest Skillet, when you get the chance! A lot of awesome and healthy recipes to use there!
Adventure On!
