Get out and enjoy the fresh outdoor air
If you’re looking for ways to get outdoors and try new experiences, there are plenty of options within driving distance of Oklahoma City. You can visit these places for one day or, if you’d like, spend a whole weekend exploring. These are just a handful of the adventures you can have across our great state.
Turner Falls Park
Turner Falls, located in the Arbuckle Mountains near Davis, is home to one of the tallest waterfalls in Oklahoma. The waterfall is 77 feet tall and drops into a natural swimming pool. Visitors can swim, hike, fish and camp all within the park. Campers can find campgrounds for their tent or RV, or if glamping is more your style, there are private cabins for rent. For more information on park hours and entry fees, visit their website.
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and Visitor’s Center
Located just north of Lawton, the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is filled with herds of bison, longhorns and Rocky Mountain elk. It’s a great place to fish, bird watch, photograph wildlife, hike, kayak and camp. With approximately 60,000 acres of land comprised of mixed-grass prairies, granite mountains and freshwater lakes and streams, there’s so much to explore and take in. For more information on hours and entry fees, visit their website.
Beavers Bend State Park
Lower Mountain Fork River in southeast Oklahoma is the perfect place for float trips and trout fishing. Beavers Bend State Park is also home to Broken Bow Lake, where you can canoe, water ski or scuba dive, and it also has miles of hiking trails and a golf course. Beavers Bend Lodge is a great place to stay for a weekend getaway, or if you’d like to be closer to the great outdoors, there are tent and RV campsites. For more information on all the activities and amenities, visit their website.
Black Mesa State Park
Oklahoma’s panhandle shares its border with Colorado and New Mexico and is where you can visit the nature preserve of Black Mesa State Park. Consisting of 1,600 acres, the park is perfect for bird watchers and astronomy enthusiasts. There’s also plenty of wildlife to see as the park is home to black bears, bobcats, mountain lions, mule deer, bighorn sheep and antelopes. Visitors can also boat, hike, canoe and kayak. To learn more about the park, visit their website.
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