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TexasShadow's avatar
TexasShadow
Explorer II
Aug 11, 2013

Wichita Wildlife Refuge, OK

we just spent a very hot weekend in Lawton last week and took a drive out through some of the Wichita Wildlife Refuge. It's pretty and there is a nice campground and several little lakes. I recommend it but not when it's so very hot. sometime in the late fall would be nicest, I think. springtime is stormy weather time.
  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    We love the Wichita Mtns Wildlife Refuge at Medicine Park OKLA.. Will go there everytime we are in the area...



    we have been camping at Camp Doris both tent camping and more recently with our OFF-ROAD POPUP since the early 70s... We mostly camp off the power grid but they do have Electric at some sites with central location for water and bath rooms/showers. the Camp ground management are super people.

    A perfect get-away from the working days while living in the Wichita Falls TX area...

    The best part of the day is to walk down to the many lakes at watch the Bird wildlife come in everynight...

    The fun part is you really need to watch where you step after dark as Buffalo runs free in this area.

    Roy Ken
  • We just left there last week, we are from Lawton but as fulltimers we just go back and visit family. The drive up Mt. Scott never gets old.
  • When we lived in Iowa Park Texas we used to go there all the time and camp. One of our more exciting times was climbing Little Baldy mountain at 6:00am when the temps were 106 degrees. Great place to camp with neat hiking trails and a very nice interpretive center and don't forget to go to Meers and have a Meers burger. Fun place!
  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    X2 on Meers - That was my first for Buffalo burgers back in those days...

    I also got some pictures of a cougar on the Refuge...

    Prairie Dog City not too bad as well...

    Roy Ken
  • This is a GREAT place. They have some really fabulous hiking areas, my favorite is the Elk Mountain hike - it's not that high and you get a spectacular view. They do an Eagle/Hawk tour in the late winter and they take you into private parts of the park. Another good trail is the Charon's Garden Trail. There's a great trail map on their site. Mt. Scott is a fav among mt. climbers and repellers.

    Also Quartz Mountain State Park is close by which is a beauty of a facility. During the summer they have arts camps there for kids who qualify in high school, so the facilities are really fabulous.
  • I live 30 miles from the refuge. If you are in the area in September, check out the annual three-day Comanche Nation Fair at the tribal complex nearby. I was part of the parade color guard last year, but will be gone for this year's fair. There will be dance and drum competition, Native American arts and crafts and authentic fry bread.
    Did I mention fry bread?

    GM
  • We went last year stayed at Ft. Cobb SP at White Catfish Cove campground. It was a little warm in the middle of July, not much different than here in Midland, just a little more humid. Went sightseeing to Wichita Wildlife Refuge & Mt. Scott. My dad grew up in Lawton and I heard many tales of them driving up Mt. Scott back in the 40's. Also went over to Red Rock Canyon SP another one we would stay at in the fall, as well as Ft. Cobb. The campers next to us lived in OKC told us all about the state park system. Then she wanted info about our Gulf coast campgrounds. One evening they took us over to eat at a place in Carnegie a local hangout. Talk about some good home cooked food. After our week stay we headed back to Midland for our hot dry weather.

    Sharon