Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

By the end of the 1800s, the tens of millions of bison that once darkened the American plains had been hunted to the edge of extinction, with only a few hundred left alive. In 1907, in one of the earliest acts of American wildlife conservation, fifteen bison were shipped by rail from the New York Zoological Society and released into this new refuge in the Wichita Mountains, a bold effort to bring the species back.

The transplant succeeded. From that small herd, the refuge's bison grew and thrived, and Wichita Mountains became a cornerstone of the effort that saved the American bison from disappearing. Today the refuge maintains a herd of these great animals, along with elk that were also reintroduced and a herd of Texas longhorn cattle kept to preserve that historic breed, all roaming freely across the range.

The Wichita Mountains are among the oldest mountain ranges in North America, their granite forged roughly 500 million years ago, long before the age of dinosaurs. What rise from the plains today are the worn, resistant roots of a once far taller range, ground down over eons into rounded domes, boulder fields, and rugged crags of pink and gray granite.

Mount Scott, one of the highest and most accessible peaks, offers a sweeping view from its summit out over the plains and the refuge's lakes, reached by a road to the top. Across the refuge, the bare granite, mixed-grass prairie, and pockets of oak forest create a varied landscape that supports a surprising range of life in the middle of dry southwest Oklahoma.

Beyond the bison, elk, and longhorns, the refuge shelters white-tailed deer, coyotes, bobcats, and prairie dogs, whose towns dot the flats and feed hawks and other predators. The skies hold eagles, hawks, and vultures riding the updrafts around the peaks, and the lakes and streams draw herons, waterfowl, and migrating birds.

The mixed-grass prairie and granite are home to lizards, tarantulas, and rattlesnakes, so hikers watch the rocks and stay on trails. Wildflowers flush the slopes in a wet spring, and the refuge protects a genuine remnant of the native southern plains ecosystem, a glimpse of the wild country that once stretched unbroken across this region.

Spring and fall are the finest seasons, with mild air, the best conditions for hiking the granite, and, in spring, wildflowers across the slopes and active wildlife. Summer is hot, and the exposed rock can be punishing by midday, so visitors head out early and the lakes become welcome cooling spots. Winter is quiet and often mild, with crisp days good for wildlife watching and long views.

The refuge anchors a rewarding region. The nearby resort village of Medicine Park, with its cobblestone buildings, the Meers Store famous for its burgers, and the Holy City of the Wichitas all lie close by, and the historic Fort Sill sits at the mountains' edge, together making southwest Oklahoma a surprising and worthwhile destination.

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