Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge

A spring visit in May. Beautiful landscape and plenty of wildlife at the roadside. I would stop at the visitors center and read the history. Takes maybe a half hour to walk through but very well thought out. Guest services was very nice. Check out Holy City as well.

I absolutely love this place. I usually camp in the backcountry which is usually peaceful since they only give out a handful of permits and the best spots are fairly secluded. Bison wander freely here and I have woken up/returned to some pretty close to the campsite. The nearby military base does fly jets over the area as well as shoot artillery which can be noisy. Especially the jets. Still love it out here. Favorite trails have to be the Charon's Garden trail and the climb up Elk Mountain. The Bison Loop is also pretty nice.

If you blindfolded me, transported me by air , and dropped me down here, I would never guess that I had landed in Oklahoma. This is everything *not* Oklahoma I could ever conjure, and yet it is. This place is beautiful, and I cannot recommend it enough to friends!

All of this coming from an Amarillo-area guy who spends most of his free time wandering Palo Duro Canyon. The WMWR is something you would expect to find the opposite direction from Texas, and yet it has nearly 60,000 acres of mountains, trails, lakes, hiking, biking, boating, fishing, and pretty much anything else you could wish for in outdoor recreation.

Stir in a mid-May visit, and you find oceans of beautiful wildflowers, my favorite of which are the Indian Blankets. If you cannot find something photograph, shame on you.

I loved the open range aspect of the refugee, meaning that cattle and bison roam freely. That also means across the roadway, so be prepared to stop out of respect and for photographs—from a safe distance, of course!

The hiking is great, but plan on bringing proper footwear to tackle the occasional ruggedness. Also, watch for snakes, because they are prevalent. Stay on the trail and watch your hands and feet, and you should be fine.

I’ll be back for sure, and most likely in autumn or winter, just to see it under different circumstances. This is a gem in the middle of nowhere.

Family vacation for Spring Break 2024 was spent in and around the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. This was a nice peaceful trip. We went on a few hikes and saw lots of animals. The trails are dog friendly. The bison viewing is excellent here!! We also saw wild turkeys, longhorns, prairie dogs, deer, and elk!! Even if you aren’t someone who hikes, you can still see all of the wildlife by driving through the area.

This place has been therapeutic. Always great scenery. Love the wildlife here. Will always want to come back. The trails are nice. Its a great place to just get lost on a trail to find yourself and enjoy the surroundings. We went on Charons Garden trail and loved every inch of it.

Beautiful place with outstanding wildlife that can be seen just from sitting in your car. Elk, bison, prairie dogs, longhorns (not as special but still), whitetail deer, etc., can all be seen just driving around the refuge. Mount Scott is perfect for sunrises and sunsets.

It reminded us of Custer Nat'l Park in South Dakota - always a surprise around the next bend in the road. We see it all - bison, elk, longhorns and prairie dogs - all with an hour. The scenery is so pleasing to the eyes with huge boulders, red rock, grassy prairies, lakes and all accented in 1930's state park fashion. What a pleasure to come across this range of of the blue!

Absolutely AMAZING! So beautiful and quiet. We did a lot of hiking and saw plenty of buffalo. It's one particular one that hangs out at the Holy City and is a great spot for getting up close photos. Very serene and pretty. The plains, the prairie dogs,the business center etc were all fantastic. I went for my b'day. I've always wanted to see the buffalo in their natural habitat. We even hiked up a mountain and walked up on a full grown buffalo in the woods! What fun but extremely scary. The views are like anything I've ever saw. We drove up the mountain and it had the best views of Oklahoma. Will definitely return. Not to mention it's free. Beautiful park and friendly people in the visitor center. Only suggestion is to give out a real map of the park,not just hiking and camping locations. Hands down best trip ever. You won't regret it!!

Did a quick drive thru and made a couple quick stops. I saw bison patties. The entrance to Mt. Scott was closed off to cars Sunday March 17 2024. I don't know why. The park/ refuge is a beautiful piece of nature. It has lots of picnic table areas.

Buffalo, Long Horn Cattle, Amazing rock formations. Felt like epic struggles took place. I cant imagine just how tough and resilient people had to be. Take a drive thru, hike some also.

Just a peaceful, relaxing ride through mountains and wildlife. So beautiful.

Best hiking place only 3 hours away from Fort Worth, T.X., There’s tons of trails, rock climbing, bouldering, running, biking. When done for the day Medicine park is just around the corner, you can grab a burger at the lakeside cafe or ice cream at the creamery and check out the shops for local gifts!

You ever been to a national park? This one is pretty good bot too bad. Wicked trails and sick spots to go check out on foot.
Nothing too bad to say about this place, besides being located in OKLAHOMA.
. The weather is beautiful right now check it out.
There are also a plethora of picnic tables and sites that you can bring your family to for a fun lunch. Even your pregnant wife.

Exceeded my expectations. I was pleasantly surprised at the wildlife and nature scenes. I would like to visit again.

This is a hidden gem of diversity in Ecoregions. For the avid hiker there are many trails, some rough and rugged, some available to those challenged with disabilities. Visit Mount Scott first, and get an overview of what you will encounter- then make a trip to the Visitor’s Center to enhance your knowledge. We recommend a photo shoot in the Parallel Forest and a burger in Meers. Tour the town & architecture of Medicine Park for more historical context. We enjoyed our stay at the Hummingbird House. You will see so much wildlife: Bison, Elk, Turkey and smaller critters too. Our family loves to visit the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge!

Beautiful landscape and a relatively easy drive from DFW. The narrows trail is short but offers gorgeous views. It’s free of charge. Be careful of ticks as it’s teeming out there.

More wildlife than you can shake a stick at! Bison, deer, elk, and longhorn cattle roam freely as do wild turkeys. Don't miss the visitor center.

One of my families favorite places in the state. So much to do and super beautiful.

Beautiful and breathtaking to say the least. Remember leave no trace pack out what you packed in. It is stunningly Beautiful and thats why we come back as much as we can.

This is a small refuge for a motorcycle ride, but it is a great one. The prairie dogs, wild longhorns, elk and bison are fun to see. The place smells so fresh and clean, it is wonderful. There is so many hiking trails and lakes to fish in. Mount Scott has the best views! Places like the Holy City are worth a drop by. Camp Doris is a good place to camp if you want to hike and get primitive. I will ride this place again.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬