Oklahoma is generally not high on most lists of hiking destinations. Common perceptions of the state are rooted in the Dust Bowl: flat, arid plains; dust storms; and a generally inhospitable place to live. Much of Oklahoma still fits this bill, though it is less arid than expected, and the farms and ranches are productive again. It does not seem like the place for hikers to go in search of interesting terrain, wilderness and beauty. Emerging from the unyielding flatness of the Oklahoma plains, the Wichita Mountains are a revelation of surprising beauty, craggy mountains and untamed wilderness.

When nearing the outskirts of the Wichitas, the flatness of the fields gives way to rolling foothills punctuated by an occasional rocky outcrop. Once in the heart of the range, rugged domes and high peaks composed of pink, weathered granite proliferate, revealing an unexpectedly ragged mountain fastness. Yet, the mountains, amazing as they are, are not the only treasures in the Wichita Mountains. The Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge contains the bulk of the range itself and nearly all the publicly accessible land. Consequently, these mountains are home to one of the largest bison herds on public lands as well as elk, deer, prairie dogs, armadillos and the other usual denizens of the plains, plus an unusual herd of feral longhorn cattle. Taken together, the mountains and the wildlife combine to form an exceptional hiking destination.

First Hikes in the Wichita Mountains

I first discovered the Wichita Mountains at the beginning of a four-year stint at graduate school in Dallas. Growing up in northern California, I had not quite realized how important mountains and the wilderness were to me. My first semester in Texas was difficult as I came to terms with my self-imposed exile in the flatlands. When asked about where to go, Dallas residents all pointed me to the Texas Hill Country, which, though interesting and supplying some hiking opportunities, failed to satisfy my hunger for wilderness. By accident, I stumbled across a brief reference to the Wichita Mountains on the internet. Though doubtful of their mountain qualities I made the three hour drive north to Lawton, Oklahoma the following weekend. As I approached, the peaks loomed on the horizon. It was a dramatic moment, the realization that a mountain oasis existed not far from the Dallas Metroplex.

Not only were the Wichitas a wildlife refuge, they were also a hiker’s refuge. Although the area was not vast compared to a national park or a national forest, the mountains were so rugged that there was immense opportunity for exploration packed into a relatively small area. Over the next four years I returned to the Wichitas again and again, piercing ever deeper into the heart of the mountains, discovering unexpectedly wonderful sites. Though there were many great memories built during these journeys, the one that stands out was a backpacking trip during the elk rut. All afternoon and through the night, their unique bugle could be heard as I set up camp and went to sleep. That night, as the elk bulls continued to call out into the darkness, a lone bison walked nonchalantly through my camp, only a few feet away from me. As I lay there looking up at the stars, I was amazed that such a land could be found in Oklahoma.

The Wichita Mountains are a small mountain range. Rather than being a single block of mountains, the Wichitas a series of several separate batholiths. The western half of the range consists of numerous isolated granite islands protruding from the flat Oklahoma farmland. Most of this area is privately owned, though there are two spots that are accessible to the public. Quartz Mountain State Park is the larger with the more interesting landscape. The park boasts a few developed trails, a number of very good opportunities for off-trail exploration, and Baldy Point, one of the finest climbing areas in the Wichitas. Great Plains State Park also offers public hiking. Unfortunately, most of the park is occupied by a lake and only the southern fringes have any mountains of note. Thankfully, there is a developed trail here that explores this small slice of the park.

The Eastern Wichitas

The eastern half of the Wichita Mountains is remarkably different. Rather than isolated plutons punctuating the land, the eastern range is a large collection of peaks, canyons and valleys. Almost the entire area is contained within the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge (WMNWR) and the U.S. Army’s Fort Sill Military Reservation. Although Fort Sill is closed to the public, hikers and backpackers will find ample opportunities in the WMNWR to explore the part of the Wichitas with the highest concentration of peaks, exposed granite, amazing rock formations and wildlife.

Within the WMNWR itself, much of the land is set aside for use only by the refuge’s animal denizens. Still, there are three portions of the park that are open for public exploration. The first of these is the Mount Scott area, at the extreme east end of the park. No trails exist within this area but it consists of open granite dotted by the occasional juniper and post oak, trees that are common throughout the entire mountain range. Although this area is essentially trail-less, there is a road to the top of Mount Scott, the second highest peak in the WMNWR. The views from the summit are spectacular and take in most of the refuge and beyond.

The Dog Run Hollow area, the second section of the WMNWR that is open to the public, is of more interest to hikers. This occupies the central part of the refuge. Unlike the Mount Scott area, there is a well-developed trail system providing access to some interesting destinations. The Dog Run Hollow Trail is a large, five-mile loop. Connector trails allow for a few different route options. The most interesting part of the Dog Run Hollow Trail is the east end, where the trail follows the rim of Cache Creek’s small but rocky canyon. During high water the creek tumbles down pretty cascades before flowing into Forty-Foot Hole. At the hole, the creek passes through a small gorge with sheer cliffs. The name is derived from the fact that the cliffs extend forty feet below the surface of the water, making a surprisingly deep pool. Beyond the trail system, the Dog Run Hollow area also has plenty of room for cross-country exploration on the west side of Cache Creek. This includes another, larger canyon called the Narrows, a favorite area for rock climbers.

Charon's Garden

Though the Mount Scott and Dog Run Hollow areas offer good hiking and scrambling opportunities, the Charon’s Garden Wilderness is the jewel of the Wichita Mountains. Here one finds all the best attributes that define the Wichita Mountains: high peaks, narrow canyons, caves, unusual rock formations, wildlife, and human history all gathered together, amplified and arranged in spectacular fashion. Although the Wichitas’ pink granite is ubiquitous throughout the mountain range, here it is manifest on an unequaled scale. The area is so rugged that it is easy to see why it was set aside as a wilderness, preserved in its primeval state: it was considered too inhospitable to be of any use to farmers and ranchers. However, what was unwelcoming to those who earn their living from the ground is a paradise to those who draw other kinds of sustenance from the land. The Charon’s Garden Wilderness offers hikers and, to a lesser extent, backpackers, a chaotic jumble of peaks and canyons to explore. Though the area is small, it is such a maze of rock that there is the opportunity for multi-day exploration without exhausting all of the sights found in the wilderness.

There are two developed trails in the Charon’s Garden Wilderness. Both trails depart from the Sunset Trailhead on the area’s north side. The most popular route is the Elk Mountain Trail, a 1.1-mile trail that climbs to the broad summit plateau of Elk Mountain, the wilderness’s tallest peak. Though relatively short, the trail is only the beginning of the journey on Elk Mountain. The summit is expansive, with lots of potential for exploring the enormous boulders and delicate vernal pools. The Rock Rooms are a series of caves created by massive boulders stacked together in a draw on the south side of Elk Mountain. Some enter the caves and descend through the darkness from the summit plateau several hundred feet down to an exit at the base of the mountain.

The second trail to penetrate the wilderness is the 2.2-mile Charon’s Garden Trail. This path skirts the western foot of Elk Mountain before passing through the Valley of the Boulders, which also contains cavernous rooms between the massive house-sized boulders. High above the trail brood the enormous Apple and Pear, a pair of boulders, true to their namesakes. Beyond the boulder fields, the trail parallels Post Oak Creek, the only watershed in the Charon’s Garden Wilderness. The route finally ends at the wilderness area’s southern trailhead. Along the way, the path passes by Post Oak and Little Post Oak Falls, the only notable waterfalls in the Wichita Mountains.

Though these trails offer scenery far exceeding anything one would expect from this part of America, they are really just appetizers to the real adventure of the Charon’s Garden Wilderness. The only way to truly explore this wilderness is to depart the trail and scramble over the cliffs and boulders, climb down into the draws filled with thickets of juniper and oak, and ascend the peaks that dot the wilderness. There, one finds the true essence of the wilderness in the Wichita Mountains. Though human feet seldom journey into the hinterlands beyond the trails, the feet of bison, deer and elk are no strangers to these lands. They, along with geologic wonders like the appropriately named Crab Eyes and the numerous peaks, ensure there is no lack of destinations to explore.

Although the number of official trails in the wilderness is limited, the Refuge makes the expectation of cross-country travel explicit. Backpacking is allowed in the wilderness, but camping is permitted only in a broad valley between the heart of the wilderness and Sunset Peak, a lone mountain occupying the northern part of the region. While there are use-trails, there are not official trails accessing the camping area. Bison and longhorn cattle often frequent this valley, adding significantly to its scenic quality. The Crab Eyes, twin rocks perched precariously on a 100 foot tall column of rock, are easily reached from the camping area as well.

Hikers and backpackers are not the only people who have fallen under the spell of the Charon’s Garden region. Rock climbers have developed numerous routes in the wilderness and elsewhere in the Wichita Mountains. Indeed, the Wichitas are considered one of the finest climbing destinations east of the Rocky Mountains. The granite slabs and walls draw climbers from around the area and across the country. Trails blazed by climbers to reach climbing areas are eagerly used by hikers as well.

Final Thoughts on Oklahoma's Wichita Mountains

After I finished school in Texas, I returned home to California. Now surrounded by more familiar hiking haunts, I strangely found myself longing for my small granite refuge in Oklahoma. The tiny mountain range had cast its spell on me and helped me to redefine my definitions of wilderness, of beauty and what I considered spectacular. Places in California that I had disregarded in favor of the grand towers of the Sierra Nevada had a new appeal to me. My time in the Wichita Mountains had blessed me with an appreciation for the beauty found in lands not so tall or vast, but still rich with a glory and wonder of their own. I suspect this spell of the Wichitas will be with me as long as I live.

Resources

For getting to and from the trailhead and exploring other Oklahoma destinations, the Delorme Oklahoma Atlas & Gazetteer can be a useful resource. See the Hiking Oklahoma Falcon Guide for more information on hikes in the state.

Editor's Note: This article by contributor Bubba Suess originally appeared in Issue 9 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos and content.