dv enture Guide to Oklahoma Lynne M. Sullivan HUNTER HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC. 130 Campus Drive, Edison NJ08818 (732) 225 1900, (800) 255 0343, fax (732) 417 0482 1220 Nicholson Rd., Newmarket, Ontario, Canada L3Y 7V1, (800) 399 6858 The Boundary, Wheatley Road, Garsington Oxford, OX44 9EJEngland 01865-361122; fax 01865-361133 ISBN 1-55650-843-3 ©1999 Lynne M. Sullivan Maps by Kim André, © 1999 Hunter Publishing, Inc. Cover photo: Steve Vidler (Leo de Wys) For complete information about the hundreds of other travel guides offered by Hunter Publishing, visit our Web site at: www.hunterpublishing.com All rights reserved. No part of this bookmay be reproduced, transmitted or utilized in any formor by anymeans, electronic ormechanical, includ- ing photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,without permission inwriting from the publisher. Brief extracts to be included in reviews or articles are permitted. Every effort has beenmade to ensure that the information in this book is correct, but the publisher and authors do not assume, and hereby dis- claim, liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or potential problems caused by in- formation in this guide, even if such errors or omissions are a result of negligence, accident or any other cause. 4 3 2 1 Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the relevant copyright, designs and patents acts, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publisher. eBooks Corporation Contents INTRODUCTION! How to Use This Book 3 Getting There 6 Getting Around 7 Getting Started 8 Adventures 11 Climate 18 Get a Pass 20 Who Ya Gonna Call?? 20 OKLAHOMA CITY 25 History 26 Touring 27 Adventures 37 Where to Stay 39 Hotels 39 Chain Hotels 40 Bed & Breakfasts/Small Inns 40 Where to Eat 41 Where to Shop 44 Touring Nearby Towns 45 TULSA 59 Touring 59 Adventures 64 Where to Shop 66 Where to Stay 67 Hotels 67 Chain Hotels 67 Bed & Breakfasts 68 Where to Eat 69 Touring Nearby Areas 69 NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA 73 Touring 73 Hunting the Uncommon 86 Adventures 89 On Foot 89 On Wheels 95 On Horseback 101 On Water 102 iv n Contents Where to Stay 111 Hotels, Resorts & B&Bs 111 Camping 117 Where to Eat 117 Where to Shop 120 Powwows, Festivals, Arts & Crafts Fairs 123 SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA 127 Touring 129 Adventures 141 On Foot 141 On Wheels 157 On Horseback 161 On Water 165 Where to Stay 177 B&Bs, Lodges & Cabins 177 Spas 182 Camping 182 Where to Eat 183 Where to Shop 186 Powwows, Festivals, Arts & Crafts Fairs 187 SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA 189 Touring 189 Adventures 203 On Foot 203 On Wheels 214 On Horseback 218 On Water 219 Where to Stay 223 Hotels & Inns 224 Campgrounds 226 Where to Eat 226 Where to Shop 229 Powwows, Festivals, Arts & Crafts Fairs 231 NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA 233 Touring 233 Adventures 238 On Foot 238 On Wheels 249 On Horseback 253 On Water 254 Where to Stay 257 Hotels, Inns & Ranches 257 Guest Ranches & Cattle Drives 259 Camping 260 Contents n v Where to Eat 260 Where to Shop 262 Powwows, Festivals, Arts & Crafts Fairs 263 n Maps Oklahoma 1 Oklahoma City 25 Tulsa 59 Northeast Oklahoma 74 Northeast Oklahoma Adventures 90 Southeast Oklahoma 128 Ouachita National Forest 130 Southeast Oklahoma Adventures 142 Southwest Oklahoma 190 Southwest Oklahoma Adventures 204 Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge 206 Northwest Oklahoma Adventures 234 Introduction he opportunity for adventure in Oklahoma is enormous. The two Tmajor urban areas, OklahomaCity andTulsa, offer explorers a vast variety of museums, parks, gardens, and outdoor activities. When you get out into the countryside, snoop around the small towns, and visit the resorts, state parks, andwilderness areas, you truly experience the best of the state. Other than mammoth Texas, there isn’t a state in North America with more natural and cultural diversity. OklahomaCity is the capital and geographic center of the state. Northeast of this midpoint is “green country,” a potpourri of mountains, rivers, state parks, and tallgrass prairie. To the southeast is “Kiamichi country,” with dense pine for- ests, tree-rimmed lakes, and misty mountain streams. “Southwest territory” offers dramatic landscapes dominated by theWichitaMoun- tains, which lure artists and writers as well as avid outdoorsmen. The “high plains” stretch northwest into the Panhandle, sprinkled with slow-paced towns and geologic mysteries that occur nowhere else in the world. Introduction 2 n Introduction More Native Americans live in Oklahoma than in any other state. Some of the 39 tribes headquartered here are truly native and lived in the area before Columbus discovered America. Others arrived in the 1830s when the US government established Indian Territory as a convenient dump- ing ground for native tribes who were hindering white settlement in other states. The Five Civilized Tribes who established protected capitals here dur- ing the 19th century are the Choctaw and Chickasaw fromMississippi, the Seminole from Florida, the Creek from Alabama, and the Cherokee fromCarolina, Tennessee, andGeorgia. TheCherokeemove in 1838was a four-month struggle that became known as “The Trail of Tears.” Many adventures in this book relate to the Native American people be- cause they have given Oklahoma a distinct personality and authentic character. Numerous place names are Indian words – “Oklahoma” is Choctaw for “red men” – and every region holds events to celebrate In- dian customs. If this part of history interests you, use this book to seek out the best powwows, historical re-enactments, and native exhibits. Expect to be surprised if your idea of Oklahoma comes from reading John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck never set foot onOkla- homa soil, and the image he created of an entire state of “Okies” fleeing froma “desolate, arid dust bowl”was simply fiction.Only a small portion of western Oklahoma experienced the devastating wind-driven drought and destruction that ravaged parts of middle America during the 1920s and 1930s – and even those parts have healed quite nicely. Youwon’t find singing cowboys dressed up in gaudy outfits like the char- acters in Rogers and Hammerstein’s musical, Oklahoma!, either. The true state is something between these two extremes – an extraordinary mix of nature, history, and culture. Big cities and all-but-deserted small towns. Breathtakingly beautiful mountains and miles of tedious flat- land. World-class art collections and the World Championship Cow Chip Throw. Some images will always define Oklahoma: Cowboys and Indians; Will Rogers and Troy Aikman; oil tycoons and prohibition-era gangsters; illegal “Sooners” and land-run “Boomers”; Garth Brooks and Belle Starr; Woody Guthrie and Jim Thorpe; dirty-faced rescue workers and the entire University of Oklahoma football team. This book will help you discover the real Oklahoma. A wide range of ac- tivities has been chosen to appeal to most every taste and skill level. There are suggestions for the avid sportsperson seeking the ultimate How to Use This Book n 3 challenge as well as information on ventures safe enough for families with young children. If you’re a curious armchair traveler, this book describes the state’s best-known attractions so that you almost experience them yourself. If you’re looking for solid details on where, when, and how to hike, bike, float, fish, climb, ride, explore, and enjoy Oklahoma’s bounty, you’ll find them on the following pages. OK Facts & Stats n Oklahoma covers 69,919 square miles on the American Great Plains. n It is bordered by Missouri and Arkansas to the east, Texas to the south andwest, NewMexico across the narrowwest- ern edge of the panhandle, and Colorado andKansas to the north. n Just over 3,000,000 people live in the state – about 70% of them in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the largest cities. n Approximately 250,000 Native Americans live in Oklahoma. n The state capital is Oklahoma City. n It became the 46th state on November 16, 1907. n The highest point is Black Mesa at 4,973 feet. n Nicknamed the Sooner State, Oklahoma’s motto is Labor Omnia Vincit (Labor Conquers All Things). n The state bird is the scissor-tailed flycatcher. n The official state flower is mistletoe, and the state tree is the redbud. How to Use This Book Two interstate highways, I-35 and I-40, cut Oklahoma into almost equal fourths and converge in the center of the state, which is also the middle of Oklahoma City, the capital. This division corresponds almost exactlywith the state’s fourmain geographical regions, and the four sec- tions of this guide cover each area. Two additional sections cover the metropolitan areas of Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Introduction 4 n How to Use This Book Within each of these six sections, you will find chapters on all types of adventures to be takenOnFoot, OnWheels, andOnWater. Other chap- ters are geared toward the basics, includingWhere to Stay andWhere to Eat. Each section also includes just enough history and geography to make your explorations interesting, a few tips to smooth your journey, some frank evaluations, and plenty of resources to consult for additional information. The six regional sections begin with a Quick Start Introduction of relevant history, principal sites, andmajor activities. Touring actually puts you on the road and leads you along scenic routes to the best sites in that city or region. As the road trips progress, you are given valuable de- tails such as addresses, directions, landmarks, phone numbers, prices and hours of operation. Contact information for city, state, and national agencies that provide useful maps and brochures is also given, either in the text or at the end of the chapter. These resources are listed again by category at the back of the book. Chapters on specific adventures follow the driving-tour chapter in each regional section. OnFoot suggests hiking/backpacking trails, interpre- tive walking paths, rock climbing locations, and public golf courses. On Wheels includes bike routes along back roads, information onmountain bike trails, and directions to areas open to motorcycles and off-road vehicles. On Water covers canoeing, rafting, kayaking, boating, and fishing on both rivers and lakes. Oklahoma is horse country, and On Horsebackwill guide you to camps and trails open to horse owners, sta- bles that rent by the hour, and companies that run “city slicker” trips. Sometimes, the same trail, river, mountain, or lake is mentioned in more than one chapter because a terrific hiking path through a forest may also be the best equestrian route, and a stretch of river that looks like a canoe trail to one reader may look like a fishing hole to another. If you’re interested in a certain activity, turn directly to that chapter. If you want to investigate all an area has to offer, skim through the pages and search for that location in boldface type. After the adventure chapters, you’ll find Where to Stay, Where to Eat, and Where to Shop. Oklahoma urban areas are as modern and convenient as the rest of North America, and you can find chain hotels, familiar restaurants, and shoppingmalls scattered throughout the state. At times, you will be ad- vised to use these well-known establishments simply because they are