Mount Scott

The Wichita Mountains, and Mount Scott among them, are made of some of the oldest exposed rock in the region, granite and related stone that formed deep underground an immense span of time ago. Over the ages the softer surrounding land wore away, leaving these hard granite cores standing as rounded peaks and boulder fields above the surrounding plains.

That long weathering is what gives the mountains their distinctive look, smooth domes and stacks of tumbled boulders rather than jagged spires. The same rounded granite cobbles that litter the slopes of Mount Scott were gathered a short distance away to build the cobblestone village of Medicine Park, tying the whole landscape together through its stone.

A paved road climbs from the base of the mountain to the summit, curling along the slopes and offering wider and wider views as it rises. It is one of the reasons Mount Scott is so beloved, since it opens the top of a real granite peak to anyone who can drive or ride to it, not only to hikers and climbers.

At the summit the road ends in a rough, rocky crown scattered with granite boulders, and the plains fall away on all sides. On a clear day you can see for many miles across the refuge, the reservoirs, and the farmland beyond, and the low light of early morning or evening makes the whole scene glow. Winds can be strong at the top, and the summit road may close in bad weather, so it is worth checking conditions before setting out.

Mount Scott sits within the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, a rugged landscape of granite peaks, oak groves, prairie, and lakes that shelters some of the great animals of the southern plains. Below the mountain, free-ranging bison, elk, and longhorn cattle move across the refuge, and the mix of grassland and rock supports deer, prairie dogs, and a wealth of birds, from wild turkeys to soaring hawks and eagles.

The refuge was set aside in part to protect the bison at a time when the species had been nearly wiped out, and today its herds are a living link to the great plains ecosystem that once stretched across this country. A drive up Mount Scott and a slow loop through the refuge below make an easy and memorable pairing.

The Wichita Mountains have long been part of the homeland of Southern Plains peoples, and Oklahoma today is home to the Comanche, the Kiowa, the Apache, the Wichita, and many other tribal nations whose histories are woven through this range. The peaks were landmarks and gathering places long before roads and refuges, and that deeper history underlies every view from the summit.

For a traveler, Mount Scott is the high point of the whole area in both senses. It offers the widest view, the easiest access to a real peak, and a fine base from which to take in the refuge, the cobblestone town of Medicine Park, and the old country store at Meers, all within a short drive.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.