Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge is my favorite wildlife refuge to date! It has varied wildlife, several hiking trails, and tons of stunning landscapes. However, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife is still my favorite refuge for birding.
Wichita Mountains is the oldest managed wildlife facility in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service system, protected since 1901. It is more accessible than some other refuges as all its major roads are paved. Visitors can enjoy hiking, camping, rock climbing, boating/kayaking, fishing, birding, and wildlife photography.
Landscapes
When most people think of Oklahoma, they don’t picture mountains, but the Wichita Mountains prove them wrong! The refuge preserves nearly 60,000 acres of ancient granite mountains, freshwater lakes, and mixed grass prairie.
We entered Wichita Mountains from OK Highway 54, into the western portion of the refuge. These were my favorite spots.
Lakes
With 13 lakes in the refuge, it felt like every time we turned around there was another one – we visited six in our short time there. Many of the lakes were created during the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) or Works Progress Administration (WPA). Fishing is allowed in all refuge lakes.
Caddo Lake was the first area we came across. In the morning, a herd of bison grazed just along the road. Behind them, the 11-acre lake was a beautiful splash of blue on the landscape.
Behind Caddo Lake is Charon’s Garden Wilderness Area. It is one of two wilderness areas in the refuge. Canyons, granite summits, rock formations, and post oak tree thickets make up the landscape. Two prominent lakes here are Treasure Lake and Post Oak Lake. It is popular for hiking and rock climbing. We hiked to Post Oak Falls. Read more about that hike below.
French Lake is next. The 35-acre lake is best viewed from the Dog Run Hollow trail system. We hiked Elk Trail. Read more about that hike below.
Buford Lake can be visited from a 0.5-mile hike starting along the main road or from a small side road close to the dam.
Quanah Parker Lake was named for the last chief of the Quahadi (Kwahadi) Comanche tribe. The 96-acre reservoir was surrounded by fields of gold and dozens of Texas Longhorns.
The final lake we visited was Rush Lake. It has an accessible parking spot and ramp down to view the lake and dam. Both Rush and Jed Johnson Lakes are down a side road along with the Holy City.
Mount Scott
In the farthest corner of the refuge is Mount Scott, the highest mountain within the public areas (technically Mount Pinchot in the Special Use Area is taller).
You can drive up to the summit on a paved road which opened in 1938. Along the winding road, there are a few small pull-offs. Like most of the Wichita Mountains, Mount Scott is capped by 500-million-year-old granite. In addition to granite, rhyolite and gabbro are also common in the area.
For more adventurous souls, you can also hike to the top during specific hours. A decent-sized parking lot gives visitors the chance to stop and walk around.
The summit provides incredible views of the surrounding landscape. Lakes can be seen to the south and east.
Wildlife
In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt issued a proclamation making the area the nation’s first big-game animal (and other native wildlife) refuge. Mom and I were captivated by the frequency and number of wildlife we found.
We saw American bison throughout the refuge, but the largest group was near Caddo Lake. In 1907, fifteen American bison arrived in the refuge from the Bronx Zoo. At that time, bison had been extinct in the southern Great Plains for 30 years. Now, the herd has grown to about 650.
Texas Longhorns were near extinction in the 1920s. In 1927, they were added to the refuge for their historical and culture importance. They vary in color including black, brown, red, white, and spotted. The vast majority of Longhorns we saw were near Quanah Parker Lake.
Also at Quanah Parker Lake, we spotted a western meadowlark. With all the bright yellow blooms in the field, the meadowlark nearly blended into the background. Wichita Mountains sees over 275 bird species during the year.
Driving back from Rush Lake, we spied black-tailed prairie dogs. They were popping in and out of their burrows. These underground colonies are called prairie dog towns. One prairie dog seemed to be acting as a guard and slowly inched towards the car as we watched.
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge was the first time I had seen prairie dogs and Texas Longhorns in the ‘wild.’ It is also known for its Rocky Mountain elk; however, we didn’t see any on our trip.
Hiking
There are over 15 miles of hiking trails for all skill levels. Trails range from 0.1 miles to 6.0 miles, including two universally accessible trails. We hiked two trails on our visit.
Elk Trail
Elk Trail is part of the Dog Run Hollow trail system along with Buffalo Trail, Longhorn Trail, and Kite Trail. The trails are blazed with animal symbols stenciled on rocks or markers. However, there were minimal blazes, which seemed to be only where the trails cross.
The 1-mile Elk Trail starts at the French Lake trailhead. I consider it a moderate trail due to the rocks, fallen logs, steps, and inclines on the path. After the bridge, I recommend turning left and taking the trail clockwise.
We had open views of French Lake very quickly. The path hugs the edge of the water. There were butterflies (like the dainty sulphur), grasshoppers, blue jays, osprey, white-throated sparrows, and yellow-rumped warblers. The best sighting was dozens of turtles soaking in the sun from a log and rocks.
Be aware that just as the trail turned away from the lake, we did have to pass somewhat close to a small group of Texas Longhorns. Just a reminder that you are in the animal’s home, and you need to take care not to startle or upset them.
Then we walked through a forested area and up an incline to a ridge. From the ridge, we enjoyed spectacular views of the lake. Finally, we headed back down to the parking lot on switchbacks.
Post Oak/Charon’s Garden Wilderness Trail
Charon’s Garden Wilderness Trail is a 2.4-mile hike between Sunset to the north and Treasure Lake/Post Oak Lake to the south. We hiked a 1.5-mile portion of this to Post Oak Falls. I would consider this portion a moderate hike because there are some steep and narrow declines into the canyon. There are also little to no trail markers which made us wonder several times if we had accidentally gone off-trail.
We started on the trailhead at Post Oak and Treasure Lakes. Treasure Lake is to the right of the trail and the rocky ledges provide great overlooks.
From parking area, take the straight route all the way into the mountains. The trail splits into several different paths but they all come back together at the bottom of the canyon.
In the canyon, look for a signpost. Post Oak Falls has an arrow to the right. Continuing straight leads to Sunset Peak.
From the signpost, it was a short hike to the waterfall area. We did have to cross a section of large rocks which can be a problem if you don’t watch your footing.
Post Oak Falls is fed by a seasonal stream, and sadly it was dry when we visited. This area is beautiful and quiet though, so we spent some time soaking up the atmosphere before heading back.
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge was one of my absolute favorite locations in Oklahoma! I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys wildlife viewing or outdoor activities.
Your description of Wichita Mountains is enough to have us contact the Refuge to see if plein air painting is permitted. If not, working from our photographs back in the studio is a close second. Once again, our thanks for a very descriptive blog.