Wichita Mountains Travel Guide

These mountains are older than the Rockies, now ancient and worn down, but still beautiful and majestic.  The Wichitas are the site of the oldest National Wildlife Refuge in the United States, the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.  It is the second most visited refuge in the national wildlife refuge system and attracts more than 2 million visitors annually.  At the turn of the century, the American Buffalo was nearly extinct, so President Theodore Roosevelt took all the remaining buffalo and placed half of them at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, and the other half at the Wichita Mountains.  Today, the animals cover the area, along with many other species of wildlife.  The Wichitas attract rock climbers from the entire region, particularly Texas because of it's amazing granite peaks and faces.  Mt. Scott has a paved road all the way to the top, and provides a great view of southwest Oklahoma.  Also in the area you can catch America's longest running passion play each Easter weekend at the Holy City of the Wichitas, hike the Charon's Garden Wilderness Area, camp alongside beautiful lakes, and be sure to try the famous Meersburger at the Meers Store north of the Refuge. The small historic town of Medicine Park is located at the main entry to the wildlife refuge on State Highway 49. It is widely known as "America's Cobblestone Community" and was Oklahoma's first planned tourism resort, founded July 4th, 1908. The area of the Wichita Mountains has recently been designated as The Wichita Mountains National Scenic Byway.