The Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge is located in Indiahoma, Oklahoma just North West of Lawton (check out the map at the bottom of the post). It’s an easy day trip from the Oklahoma City Metro and well worth the trip. The Refuge expands over 59,000 acres and is beautifully maintained. You’ll see free roaming longhorns and buffalo along the road and find plenty of hiking trails.
If time permits, I recommend making a stop at the Visitor’s Center. The friendly staff helped us find the trail we were looking for on the map and there is are several informative exhibits on local wildlife.
Hike!
Wichita Mountains Refuge has tons of trails to hike and explore and will keep you coming back for new adventures. On our first trip, we took the Kite Trail, about a 2.5 miles out and back trail. There are some steep and rocky parts of the trail, but even a pretty out of shape thirty something was able to make it through . The main reason we chose the Kite Trail was to see 40 Foot Hole. It’s an amazing and striking nature feature, unlike anything you’ll see in the area. The sound of the running water and back drop of a canyon right in the middle of the prairie illustrate the beauty of nature. This is only one of the many trails Wichita Mountains have to offer. We certainly have another trip in our near future.
On my next trip to the Wichita Mountain National Wildlife Refuge I’m planning to check out the Crab Eyes Trail. It looks like a great trail, about 3 and a half miles out and back with tons of unique rock formations. Leave a comment if you’ve checked it out and have any tips or tricks!
Since you’ve worked up an appetite…
After you work up an appetite, check out Medicine Park to find a local snack spot. The entrance to the Refuge is located just a quick drive from Medicine Park, Ok. This quaint town is worth checking out. We stopped in The Old Plantation Restaurant and were not disappointed. Honestly, I picked it because it looked unique and was the #1 Trip Advisor Restaurant in Medicine Park, nothing beats a quick google search. The restaurant is part of a hotel right along the main road of town (Lake Dr).
The hotel has some neat history, Bonnie and Clyde once stayed there and it definitely has unique character and charm. My husband and I got salads, split appetizers and were happy to find a flash back Onion Blossom. The full menu looked appealing With plenty of beers on tap, great food and even better prices, I’d recommend this stop! On our next visit is will be a tough call to try other options at Old Plantation Restaurant or one of the many other one of a kind restaurants.
There are tons of other options that are absolutely worth checking out! Leave a comment if you have any suggestions for our next adventure to hike and snack in SW Oklahoma!!
We visited Medicine Park on a warmer than average day in December, but the summer time would be a great time to visit again. Right in the center of town is a swimming hole open to the public for a small fee ($3 per person when we visited).
Overall, this day trip did not disappoint! It’s a perfect day trip from OKC, but there are tons of options for an extended stay. Let me know if there is anything area you’ve enjoyed! Leave a comment and get the adventure discussion started…
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Wichita_Mountains/visit/plan_your_visit.html
