Park or nature areaUsable guide

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

Protected mixed grass prairie on Oklahoma

Photo: Jonathan C. Wheeler, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is in the Great Plains Country region of Oklahoma.

Getting there and around

Getting there

You can approach the refuge from a number of different highway routes. From Lawton, driving west on OK 62 and then turning north on NW Indiahoma Rd will allow you to begin touring the refuge from a southwest point.

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Getting around

For most, the sensible way to navigate around the park will be with a car or motorcycle, as it's quite sizeable.

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Airports and nearby hotels

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Lawton Fort Sill Regional Airport

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Full travel guide

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UnderstandWichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is an area of land set aside to preserve a cluster of some of the oldest mountains in the hemisphere and undisturbed mixed grass prairie.

Get inYou can approach the refuge from a number of different highway routes. From Lawton, driving west on OK 62 and then turning north on NW Indiahoma Rd will allow you to begin touring the refuge from a southwest point.

Fees and permitsThe refuge is free and open 365 days a year, but one caveat to note is that the Mt. Scott Rd is closed off to vehicular traffic on Sundays until noon so as to accommodate hikers and bikers.

Get aroundFor most, the sensible way to navigate around the park will be with a car or motorcycle, as it's quite sizeable.

SeeWichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge has many points of interest, many of which can only be reached by foot, for instance, the Charons Garden Wilderness.

DoHike, fish, swim, rock climb, engage in nature study, stargaze, camp, and reflect on your spot in the cosmos.

BuyKnick-knacks are available ad nauseum just outside the park in Medicine Park, where tourist stores and gift shops seem to dominate the main drag.

EatMedicine Park is also a premier go to place for this. One recommendable place is the Old Plantation Restaurant, a historic eatery with quite a few legends of speakeasy and Bonnie and Clyde allure.

SleepFor the more budget-conscious, you can either camp in the park or stay at a hotel in Lawton. Medicine Park has a lot of AirBnB type places, but these tend to be rather spendy.

Stay safeDon't provoke the buffalo: they don't appreciate it, and probably neither will you. Also, the FWS prohibits the feeding of prairie dogs at the Prairie Dog Town. Prepare for a hefty fine if you get caught red-handed.

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: Jonathan C. Wheeler, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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