Elk Mountain is a mountain in the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Oklahoma. It really was gorgeous and worth the trip! It’s a moderate to hard hike on the trail I travel on which is the trail from the north. There is also a southern route that goes by some of the best parts of the Charon Garden Wilderness Area.
Useful Links
- Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Official Site
- Elk Mountain Trail – All Trails Site
- Elk Mountain Trailhead
Planning your trip to Elk Mountain
The northern Elk Mountain trail is a moderate hike and only about 1.15 miles one-way. It’s a moderate to even hard hike because there are some large areas of big rocks and you’ll have some tall stairs and ledges to climb up. They are only a foot or two but be ready for some big steps.
There are no train markings so be prepared to make mental notes or follow the trail with a GPS. I got lost on my way down two times because I took the wrong path and got stuck next to big rocks or on the ledge of a big drop-off. I’d also bring plenty of water and sunscreen because there isn’t much shade to protect you for the few hours it takes to hike.
Finally, the parking lot gets filled very quickly and the rangers regularly come through this area and check for parking violations. More importantly, don’t park in the grass or non-parking areas because it does damage a lot of the grasses. This is a wildlife refuge after all and it’s designed for animals and nature first and not people. Please respect that.
Hiking the trail
The trail is moderate to hike. It does have some big rocky areas and there are several big step-ups. You should be ready to also mark the trail in your mind or have a GPS to make sure you follow the correct path on the way down. There are no official trail markings so just following the footpath won’t get you safely down because there are several forks and Ys that will cause confusion.
The top is also very rocky but worth the journey! The views are incredible of the valley and lakes below and you can see to the south too. Elk Mountain is the highest peak in this area. There are also hiking trails that continue to the south and there are several caves, waterfalls, and arches you can find if you keep going to the south. The Wichita Mountains, which this peak is in, has tons of hikes all around this area which is called the Charon Gardens Wilderness Area.
It is about 1.15 miles one-way.
The mountains are a failed continental rift capped by granite in an area of gently rolling hills.
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