Day Trips
The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge encompasses a rare island of native grassland and its natural occupants
By Gerald E. McLeod, Fri., June 10, 2005
The Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in Southwestern Oklahoma was once a part of what the Native Americans called "the Big Pasture." The grass-covered rolling hills give way to great piles of boulders and sheer granite cliff remains of the ancient mountain peaks.
The rugged land west of Lawton is the perfect depository for one of the nation's last free-ranging buffalo herds. The park also protects from extinction Texas longhorn cattle and mountain elk. It is a sanctuary where prairie dogs run free and red-tailed hawks circle looking for a meal. The diversity of residents – more than 50 species of mammals, 240 kinds of birds, 64 kinds of reptiles and amphibians, 36 species of fish in nine small lakes, and 806 kinds of plants – thrive in this seemingly harsh environment.
Of the 59,020 acres managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, a little less than half is open to the public. There are more than 40 miles of paved road for road cyclists to go from breathtaking views at the top of Mount Scott to tree-shaded creek beds. The nine hiking trails cover more than 15 miles over a variety of terrain. And the granite outcroppings offer some of the best rock climbing in the region.
The refuge's one campground takes over the former site of a mining camp on the banks of Quanah Parker Lake. Under the shade of towering trees, the 90 campsites provide the essentials of drinking water, restrooms, showers, and limited electrical hookups. Unfortunately, the camp sites cannot be reserved and are given out on a first-come, first-served basis.
As the oldest of the more than 500 federal wildlife refuges, the land was set aside in 1901, just before the Indian Territory was opened to settlers. In the 1870s the area had been part of the vast Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Reservation. President Theodore Roosevelt came here for a wolf hunt in 1905.
As the visitor drives the two-lane blacktop through the park, herds of bison and longhorns graze in the meadows alongside the road without a fence. "They're free to go where they please," a ranger told a guest. "I can't tell you where the best place to see them will be."
By 1900, the American bison was almost extinct in the wild. Only two small wild herds and a few hundred animals in zoos around the country remained. In 1907, 15 bison were brought to the preserve to begin a herd that now numbers in the hundreds with excess animals auctioned off each year.
The turn of the century also brought big changes to the cattle industry. Texas longhorn cattle, once the preferred breed for long cattle drives to the northern markets, were being replaced by European and East Indian breeds. The longhorns were destined to follow the bison to extinction, if not for a few Texas cattlemen and the Forest Service.
Using a foundation herd of 21 longhorns culled from South Texas ranches in 1927, the refuge built one of the most genetically diverse purebred herds in the nation. The park stocks about 300 animals and auctions off the surplus in September.
The longhorns and bison of the Wichita Mountains seem to be oblivious to human visitors. Generally, both will move away from visitors who try to get too close, but either can turn aggressive and dangerous at the slightest provocation, especially if a calf is near or they feel threatened.
The elk in the refuge are much more elusive than the bison or longhorns. They tend to stay in the higher elevations and the wilderness areas closed to the public. Indigenous to this rugged area of Oklahoma, elk were exterminated due to overhunting by the late 1800s. The seed stock for the current herd was established in 1911 and has thrived in the lush environment. Public hunts help maintain a manageable number.
The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge encompasses a rare island of native grassland and its natural occupants. To explore the beauty of the park, begin at the Visitors Center at the intersection of state highways 115 and 49; about 14 miles west of I-44 North of Lawton, Okla. For more information, call 405/429-3222 or visit wichitamountains.fws.gov.
730th in a series. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of Day Trips 101-200, is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
