Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge - protected area in Oklahoma, United States

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is in the Great Plains Country region of Oklahoma.

Understand

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is an area of land set aside to preserve a cluster of some of the oldest mountains in the hemisphere and undisturbed mixed grass prairie. It offers superb wildlife viewing of species such as buffalo, and recreation, especially for the Great Plains region.

History

This refuge is the first of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's managed wildlife services. It started out as a national forest in 1901 and subsequently turned into the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in 1936.

Landscape

The mountainous landscape stretching from northwest to southeast is the result of a failed continental rift that emerged some 500 million years ago. It has since been weathered over time to become the rounded sort of promontories that exist today. The two highest points are Mount Pinchot and Mount Scott, at 2476 feet and 2464 feet, respectively, the latter being one that can be ascended fully via the Mt. Scott Rd for 360 degree views over the terrain.

Interspersed between the crags and mountains are prairie grasslands with perennial flowers and a number of intriguing fauna, plus picturesque reservoirs and patches of forest. A scenic and popular highway (OK Route 49/115) traverses the length of the refuge.

Flora and fauna

Some of the more interesting floral species include pockets of bigtooth maples, oaks, and eastern red cedar and 20,000 acres of open mixed grass prairie specimens like bluestem, grama, and Indian grass, with granite boulders sporting a chartreuse green lichen called Pleopsidium flavum thrown in. This makes for a very eye-catching experience.

For fauna, watch out for prairie dogs, deer, elk, and bison.

Climate

A dry subtropical climate permeates the area, with long hot, dry and windy summers and mild winters with minimal snowfall characteristic of the Southern plains. Due to its higher elevation than the surrounding plains, it is a little more comfortable in summer.

Get in

You can approach the refuge from a number of different highway routes. From Lawton, driving west on OK 62 and then turning north on NW Indiahoma Rd will allow you to begin touring the refuge from a southwest point. Alternatively, taking I-44 north and then OK 49 west will allow you to begin the tour from the eastern end. This latter option is probably the most common way of getting there. To see the refuge in full will entail some backtracking or careful planning as multiple highways converge within the park.

For pointers on how to get to Lawton to begin a trip, see the Lawton city article.

Fees and permits

The refuge is free and open 365 days a year, but one caveat to note is that the Mt. Scott Rd is closed off to vehicular traffic on Sundays until noon so as to accommodate hikers and bikers.

Get around

For most, the sensible way to navigate around the park will be with a car or motorcycle, as it's quite sizeable. One could conceivably hike or bike around, although designated trails might be more fun to hike than hiking on the roadway.

See

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge has many points of interest, many of which can only be reached by foot, for instance, the Charons Garden Wilderness. It's really quite a hiker's paradise, such that a hiking guide would be very beneficial if one is considering that sort of itinerary. However, some of the highlights that can be visited by motor vehicle include, going from east to west:

• Mt. Scott Drive 📍 - it might be fair to say this could be the best part of the trip, as it's kind of an unsurpassed experience to drive up the mountain and look around. Note the road is closed to cars until noon on Sunday to accommodate cyclists and hikers.
• Holy City 📍 - a movie set for the long-time Easter pageant "The Prince of Peace" circa 1937; there are religious structures related to the Easter story/Christianity all over that can be climbed on/seen, along with a museum and chapel.
• Lake Jed Johnson Tower 📍 - an obscure tower built by a seemingly eccentric engineer over Lake Jed Johnson. It can be seen from a couple of observation points or seen up close on foot.
• Visitor Center 📍 - exhibits and information about the refuge. Temporarily closed as of 10/2021 due to Covid-19.
• Prairie Dog Town 📍 - the little munchkins are running everywhere on the prairie.
• Post Oak Lake Dam 📍 - checking out this impressive CCC dam with the pretty reservoir behind and jumble of granite boulders everywhere is like a feast for the eyes. This is also the trailhead for the Charons Garden Wilderness.

Do

Hike, fish, swim, rock climb, engage in nature study, stargaze, camp, and reflect on your spot in the cosmos.

Buy

Knick-knacks are available ad nauseum just outside the park in Medicine Park, where tourist stores and gift shops seem to dominate the main drag.

Eat

Medicine Park is also a premier go to place for this. One recommendable place is the Old Plantation Restaurant 📍, a historic eatery with quite a few legends of speakeasy and Bonnie and Clyde allure. But another very popular option alleging best burger in the state is the Meers Store and Restaurant 📍 in Meers, considered to be a ghost town (with a very lively restaurant).

Drink

Sleep

For the more budget-conscious, you can either camp in the park or stay at a hotel in Lawton. Medicine Park has a lot of AirBnB type places, but these tend to be rather spendy.

Lodging

See Lawton article.

Camping

• Doris Campground 📍

Backcountry

Primitive camping on remote trails.

Stay safe

Don't provoke the buffalo: they don't appreciate it, and probably neither will you. Also, the FWS prohibits the feeding of prairie dogs at the Prairie Dog Town. Prepare for a hefty fine if you get caught red-handed.

Go next

Definitely recommended for additional visiting are Medicine Park 📍 and Lake Lawtonka 📍, just outside the eastern perimeter of the refuge. Though certainly an exaggeration in terms of grandeur, in a small sense Medicine Park to Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge seems the equivalent of Jackson Hole to Grand Teton National Park.