Hiking Oklahoma: A Guide to the State's Greatest Hiking Adventures

by Jamie Fleck

Overview

This visual trail guide allows readers and hikers to explore all the natural grandeur that Oklahoma has to offer. Captivating photography, vital hike specs, trailhead gps coordinates, turn-by-turn directions and informative maps guide readers to 48 of Oklahoma’s most scenic day hikes. As a long-awaited and much-needed resource, Hiking Oklahoma covers some of the most picturesque and rewarding trails in the state. Hikes cover the entire state: Red Carpet Country (northwest Oklahoma), Great Plains Country (southwest Oklahoma) Frontier Country (central Oklahoma), Chickasaw Country (south central Oklahoma), Green Country (northeast Oklahoma), and Choctaw Country (southeast Oklahoma).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493056583
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/01/2021
Series:	State Hiking Guides Series
Pages:	280
Sales rank:	982,766
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

From living in Texas, Boston, Los Angeles, and Oklahoma, Jamie Fleck has experienced first-hand all that Oklahoma has to offer compared to other regions in the United States. She has hiked, camped, fished, kayaked, and photographed nearly 90% of the state parks, national lands, and regional outdoor areas in Oklahoma. Jamie is a professional freelance photographer and writer. She has leveraged her photography skills for over a decade working with numerous outdoor companies and well-recognized brands. She has been a resident of the Tulsa, Oklahoma area for almost fifteen years. She currently divides her time between Oklahoma and Texas. To get to know Jamie more and follow along with her adventures, find her on Instagram @morningsbythesea and her website: http://www.flecksoflove.com/.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments viii

Meet Your Guide ix

Before You Hit the Trail x

Introduction 1

Map Legend 10

The Hikes

Red Carpet Country (Northwest Oklahoma)

1 Vista Trail (combined with Bird Haven Trail), Black Mesa State Park 12

2 Black Mesa Summit Trail, Black Mesa Nature Preserve 16

3 Cathedral Mountain Trail, Gloss Mountain State Park 21

4 Eagle Roost Nature Trail (combined with Hoot Owl Trail), Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge 26

5 Trail to Inspiration Point (via Lodge Trailhead), Roman Nose State Park 31

6 The Switchback Trail (via Two Lakes Trailhead), Roman Nose State Park 37

Honorable Mention

A Three Springs Trail, Roman Nose State Park 43

Great Plains Country (Southwest Oklahoma)

7 Washita Battlefield Park Trail, Washita Battlefield National Historic Site 45

8 Baldy Point Trail, Quartz Mountain State Park 49

9 Summit Trail (via Cedar Valley Trailhead), Quartz Mountain State Park 54

10 Light Blue Trail (West Area of Granite Hills Trail System), Great Plains State Park 58

11 Elk Mountain Trail, Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge 62

12 Post Oak Falls Trail, Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge 66

13 Kite Trail, Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge 70

14 Jed Johnson Tower Trail (including Central Peak Vista), Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge 74

15 Orange Trail, Lake Lawtonka 78

16 Black Trail, Lake Lawtonka 82

Honorable Mention

B Mountain Pass Trail, Quartz Mountain State Park 87

Frontier Country (Central Oklahoma)

17 Stinchcomb East Trail, Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge 89

18 Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Courage Trail (combined with Trail B, Trail C, and Meadow Trail), Martin Park Nature Center 92

19 Sutton Wilderness Trail, George Miksch Sutton Urban Wilderness Park (City of Norman) 96

20 Liberty Lake Trail, Liberty Lake (City of Guthrie) 99

21 SCIP North Trails System, Soldier Creek Industrial Park (City of Midwest City) 105

22 Blue (Southwest) Trail, Lake McMurtry Natural Resource and Recreation Area 111

23 Red (Southeast) Trail, Lake McMurtry Natural Resource and Recreation Area 116

Honorable Mentions

C Bluff Creek (Mountain Bike) Trail, Bluff Creek Park (City of Oklahoma City) 123

D Bert Cooper Trail, Lake Hefner (City of Oklahoma City) 124

E Spring Creek Trail, Spring Creek Park (City of Edmond) 127

Chickasaw Country (South Central Oklahoma)

24 Veterans Lake Trail, Chickasaw National Recreation Area 129

25 Bison Pasture Trail (including Bromide Hill Overlook), Chickasaw National Recreation Area 134

26 Travertine Creek Trail (including Little Niagara Falls), Chickasaw National Recreation Area 139

27 Buffalo and Antelope Springs Trail, Chickasaw National Recreation Area 144

28 Buckhorn Hiking Trail, Lake Murray State Park 149

29 Ski Jump to Tucker Tower Trail, Lake Murray State Park 154

Honorable Mentions

F Lakeview (of the Arbuckles) Trail, Chickasaw National Recreation Area 158

G Craven Nature Trail, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge 160

Green Country (Northeast Oklahoma)

30 Less Traveled Trail, Keystone Ancient Forest Preserve 163

31 Frank Trail (combined with Wilson Trail), Keystone Ancient Forest Preserve 167

32 Redbud Valley Oxley Nature Trail, Redbud Valley Nature Preserve 172

33 Skull Hollow Nature Trail, Oologah Lake 177

34 Pryor Creek Nature Trail (via Elliott Trailhead), Pryor Creek 181

35 Red (Mountain Bike) Trail, Osage Hills State Park 186

36 Study Trail (combined with Prairie Earth Trail), Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve 191

37 Deer Run Trail (combined with Eagle Roost Trail), Sequoyah State Park 195

38 Pine Ridge Trail (combined with Savanna Trail), J. T. Nickel Family Nature & Wildlife Preserve 199

39 Sparrow Hawk WMA Trail, Sparrow Hawk Wildlife Management Area 203

40 Chinkapin Hiking Trail, Lake Eufaula State Park 208

Honorable Mentions

H Yellow Trail, Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness 214

I Overlook Nature Trail, Lake Tenkiller 217

J Dripping Springs Trail, Natural Falls State Park 218

Choctaw Country (Southeast Oklahoma)

41 Rough Canyon Trail, Robbers Cave State Park 221

42 Trail to Lake Wayne Wallace Overlook, Robbers Cave State Park 226

43 Cedar Lake Trail, Cedar Lake National Recreation Area (Ouachita National Forest) 232

44 Mountain Top Trail, Winding Stair Mountain National Recreation Area (Ouachita National Forest) 236

45 Whiskey Flats Trail (via South Rim Trail, combined with Little Bugaboo Trail), McGee Creek Natural Scenic Recreation Area 240

46 Forest Heritage Tree Trail, Beavers Bend State Park 245

47 Deer Crossing Trail to Cedar Bluff, Beavers Bend State Park 250

48 Friends Trail, Beavers Bend State Park 254

Honorable Mentions

K Lakeview Lodge Trail, Beavers Bend State Park 258

L Lookout Mountain Trail, Beavers Bend State Park 261

Hike Index 262