Oklahoma’s Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge | Charons Garden Wilderness | Elk Mountain | History

Located in southwest Oklahoma, the Wichita Mountains are a stark contrast to the rest of this southern Great Plains State. Rich in indigenous and native tribes and nations history, this land has been sacred to multiple tribes.

This mountain range of mainly granite outcrops has the unique distinction of being one of the few locations in the United States and North America to see free ranging bison, also referred to as buffalo.

The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge was created in 1901 by President William McKinley. After his assassination in 1905, Theodore Roosevelt became president ushering in a name change for the refuge. In 1907, the New York Zoological Society donated 15 bison to reestablish a herd that today has grown to over 650.

The refuge is full of recreational opportunities such as hiking, rock climbing, bouldering, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and camping.

Some of the best hikes take you down to the creek floor where you are looking up at the granite mountains, such as The Narrows, while others take you through a vast desert like environment to a waterfall called Post Oak Falls in the Charons Garden Wilderness. This wilderness is one of only three designated wilderness in Oklahoma.

The Charons Garden Wilderness was established in 1970 and consists of 5,700 acres. This is over 25% of the total acreage of 22,400 that is accessible to the public. The entire refuge including the special use area, which is protected habitat for flora and fauna, is over 59,000 acres.

Elk Mountain is one of the tallest peaks in the Wichita Mountain range, coming in at over 2,000 feet.

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:15 Wichita Mountains Location and Geology
1:07 History
2:54 The Narrows
7:25 Charons Garden Wilderness
8:09 Post Oak Falls
9:39 The Boulderfields
10:51 Elk Mountain
13:31 Outro