See http://www.otrd.state.ok.us/ for the official web page of Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department for more information about the individual state parks (not too many details, though). They have a nice Hiking Trails, Bike Paths, Equestrian Trails brochure that you can usually pick up at an Oklahoma Visitor Center.
Oklahoma Pictures (3 pictures)
Beavers Bend State Resort Park
Directions:
About 200 miles/about 3:15 hours from Plano. There are a couple of
ways to get there. The easiest/fastest seems to be taking I-30 from
the Dallas area to I-259 north (exit 178). Stay on 259 to Oklahoma
and just past Broken Bow. Take a right onto 259A with a sign saying
Beavers Bend this way. The visitors center is a couple of miles
ahead. Stop in the center and pick up a trail map.
Free.
Trails:
There are several small (about 1 mile) nature trails in the park that
are easy, smooth, 2 to 3 person width trails. The big hiking trail
is the David Boren Hiking Trail (DBHT). The DBHT is a 12 mile one-way
trail that is marked with white spots on trails. The trail is well
defined and is mostly 1 person width. There are four sections to the
trail where you can park and start hiking. I choose to hike the
Skyline Trail (6 miles).
Area:
Forestry and you go up and down and up and down and up and down.
Picture
When I did the hike:
Several times.
Recommendation:
It's a nice trail and a good workout. The occasional whistle from
the little train in the park was a little annoying. It's a good
park to take the family to as there are many activities in the
park. I've been there a couple of times and done the whole trail
(but not at one get go). The Skyline Trail is the best section and
good conditioning for elevation hiking.
Ouachita National Forest
Directions:
Free.
Trails:
Lots of trails.
I like doing parts of the big trail (Ouachita Trail). I did the
Horsecollar loop once and didn't really like it - it's a multi-use
trail (hikers, bikes, equestrian). I'd stick to the hikers only
trails.
Area:
Mountains and trees.
When I did the hike:
Several times.
Recommendation:
Good place to go and not many people.
Ouachita National Forest - Beech Creek Trails
Directions:
I30 to I259 North to Big Cedar, Oklahoma. Take a right on OK 63 for
about 5 miles. You should see a sign for Ouachita National Forest on
the right and take a right on to FR6026 - a gravel, one-lane road.
After a little under 5 miles, you are given a choice of 3 directions
to go - go straight (take a right for the Blue Bouncer loop) onto
FR K-68A - a dirt road - a short ways to the parking area. FR K-68A
used to go all the way to the trailhead for the Beech Creek Trail,
but is now blocked off a short ways in. There are no facilities.
About 250 miles, 4 hours from Allen, Texas
Free.
Trails:
Way out in the middle of no where, there are 4 trails in the Beech
Creek conservation area of the Ouachita National Forest. All 4
trails are marked with white blazes, and the non-vertical blazes
indicate the trail is changing direction. They are also mostly
dirt (or leaf covered), one-person width trails. The Turkey
Snout Loop goes near the parking area - unless you really have a
desire to hike a very weedy dirt road for about a 1 mile, hike
part of the mild Turkey Snout trail either to the north or south.
The trail for both directions is just ahead of the parking area
and before the dirt mound that blocks the road. The trail to the
north is not as well defined and I had to use the white blazes a
lot to figure out which direction to go (including stopping a
couple of times to search for the next white blaze) - granted the
ground was covered with leaves, so the trail might be clearly in
the spring or summer. The fairly mild trail goes up a small hill
and around for about 2 miles before ending back on the dirt road.
It is about 1/3 mile further up the road to the old parking area.
The trail to the south (I took this back) is very mild and flat
and a little more defined. There was only one confusing spot as
to which way to go after crossing a creek (enough stones not to
get wet) - heading back to the new parking area, go left after
crossing the creek. This section is about 2 miles and comes out
about .3 miles into the Beech Creek Trail. The Beech Creek
Trail starts at the old parking area and is a well defined trail
(I hardly had to use the blazes) that goes along the creek and has
some ups-and-downs as well as some level areas. I went about 2
hours along this trail before heading back. The Walnut Mountain
Loop starts/ends 1.3 miles into the Beech Creek Trail and comes
out on the dirt road a little ways past where the Turkey Snout
trails ends at the road - there is a sign indicating where the
Walnut Mountain Loop starts/ends on the road, but you have to keep
an eye out for it.
Trail Length:
Beech Creek Trail - 6 miles, one-way
Turkey Snout Loop - 5 miles
Walnut Mountain Loop - 10 miles (more difficult)
Blue Boncer Loop - 10 miles (more difficult)
Trail Map:
http://www.fs.fed.us/oonf/oklahoma/hike/bctrmap.html
Area:
The pretty woods and hills and mountains of the Ouachita Mountains.
Picture
When I did the hike:
December 21, 2002; June 25, 2003
Recommendation:
For those days when you _really_ want to get away from everything.
It is a very nice area and you'll likely have it all to yourself
and you have your choice of trails for level of difficulty. Don't
go on a rainy day or when it recently has been raining. Note that
because the trail is not often used, it gets very over grown in the
summer and you'll be trudging through the weeds, which can be
unpleasant.
Robbers Cave State Park
Directions:
About 190 miles/3 hours from Plano. Take US 75 north, US 69 will
merge with 75, stay with 69 (75 branches off) to McAlster [note: 69
is a rough road at spots - it's highly likely you don't have a flat -
also watch out for the speed traps around Atoka], take 270 to
Wilburton (follow the Eastern Oklahoma State College signs), take 2 (a
left at the light) to the park (there's a sign that says Robbers Cave
this way). The restaurant, store, nature center, and recreation area
is the first turn off on the left (you can pick up a trail map in the
nature center). To get to the cave area/trailhead, either take
Robbers Cave road from the recreation area or take 2 to the first left
after the "Robbers Cave Wildlife Maintenance Area" sign which is on
the right.
Free.
Trails:
There are several trails in the park. I've actually never been to
the 1.5 mile loop on the east side of Highway 2. The trails tend to
be one person width trails, rocky at spots, and have some change in
elevation including some good climbs (and they tend not to be gentle
grade climbs). There are small (less than a mile) yellow dot and red
dot trails around the cave area (the dots are usually found on trees).
The head of the longer trails start to the left of the parking area
for the caves. This the blue dot trail. After a mile, you'll have
your choice of heading towards the Lost Lake or the Mountain
Trail/Deep Ford. The Lost Lake trail will loop you back to the cave
area after 1.9 miles. By taking a left on to the Mountain Trail,
you'll be following double blue dots for half a mile (keep an eye out
for the sharp turn off the trail down into the "canyon"). Then you
are presented with a choice of taking the 1.8 mile Cattail Pond Trail,
which intersects with the Lost Lake trail, or continuing on the
Mountain Trail. The Mountain Trail continues for a long, long time -
the map says 4 3/4 miles. The trail ends at a low wet water crossing
where you have the option of turning around and taking the trail back
or crossing the creek and walking the road back (it's a little shorter
and not much elevation change). I rarely encounter other people on
the Mountain trail. It took me 2 1/2 hours to hike from the parking
lot to the low water crossing and 1 1/2 hours to hike the road from
the low water crossing back to the parking lot.
Area:
Forest, rocky, mountains, lakes, and green. I've been to the trail
many times and the weather has ranged from cool and rainy to perfect to
hot, hot, hot. I've seen the occasional deer and tons of lizards and
frogs. The only time I have had trouble with bugs was the hot, hot,
hot day. If you take the Mountain trail, be on the lookout for spider
webs across the trail (there usually aren't too many, just enough to
keep you on your toes).
Picture
When I did the hike:
Many times. Most recently: May 8, 2004 [Note: The trails have been
cleared of downed trees or other routes made (often short, steeper
routes) since the rough winter of 2001. There are still many down
trees visible in the forest and it will be a several years before the
area becomes as pretty as it used to before that winter.]
Recommendation:
This is my favorite spot relatively close to Dallas and I've been there
many times, despite the 3 hour drive. For your first visit, spend a
couple of hours roaming around the cave area and then take the short
loop to the Lost Lake. Come back a second time and take the Mountain
Trail. It is a long, tiring hike (I'm always struggling the last hour
and am thrilled when I finally make it to my car). Note that the cave
area is popular and tends to get crowded after 11:00 on weekends when
the weather is nice.
Short Mountain Hiking Trail
Directions:
I-75/69 North to I-40 East to I-59 South (just west of Sallisaw). On
I-59 go about 8 miles (over the bridge and a mile or so further) to
the Short Mountain Rec. Area signs and follow the signs to the park.
The trailhead is a very short ways up the dirt road on the right -
the restroom is to the left of the turnoff. The drive from my place
was about 250 miles/3:45 hours.
Free.
Trails:
The brochure I had (didn't have a trail map) describes the trail as
a 5.4 mile trail with steep climbs at the ends and a chance of seeing
bald eagles from November through March (I went January 1). The
trail is a mostly one-person width, but wider in some areas. The
trail is pretty well defined, but there are a number of branches you
can take and not really any markers (I saw a couple of orange markers
on the way back, but didn't see them going). For the start of my
hike, I stuck to the trail that stayed closest to the lake and was
rewarded with some pretty views (for the "true" trail, take a right a
the fork; for the pretty views, take a left). Near a ridge, the trail
seemed to peter out on me, but I came across the true trail without
too much trouble after a little bit a looking around while going up.
Once you climb the hill (it didn't wear me out enough to be a
mountain), the trail is mostly flat. I wandered around on the top,
the trail again petered out on me, I back tracked to the tower and
hooked a right a short bit along the road next to the tower. The
trail eventually hooked back to the ridge trail and I headed back
towards the car.
Area:
I didn't see any bald eagles, but there were plenty of birds. The
trail goes through a woody area (thin trees) and has a number of
pretty views of the lake. Unfortunately, there was a little bit of
trash and some graffiti at spots.
When I did the hike:
Saturday, January 1, 2000
Recommendation:
It's a nice place and worth a visit once, but a little short of a
hike for such a long drive. After this hike, I headed to Runestone
Park and then a pretty drive along scenic highway 1 in the
Ouachita National Forest.
Heavener Runestone Park
Directions:
I-59 to Heavener. The sign for the turnoff is on the east side of
the road and is right under the Heavener business district sign.
Follow the signs to the parking area.
Free.
Trails:
There is the nice, boring paved/stoned trail down to the Runestone
and back. You have to take this (or at least part of it) to get
to the Runestone (a Viking carving in a rock). The fun part is the
one-person width "Nature Trail". With as much elevation change in
the trail, it is more of a hiking trail. The brochure I have
describes it as a 1 mile trail, but it seemed a little longer. To
start the trail, go to the right along the boring trail a little
bit until you see a sign on the hill saying nature trail. Go up
to the picnic area and the the trail continues on the other side.
The trail loops over, around, down, back, and then a climb up back
to the gift shop. Or you can start the trail behind the gift shop
and loop the other way.
Area:
A thin, woodys area along a hill/small mountain.
When I did the hike:
Saturday, January 1, 2000
Recommendation:
It was actually quite a workout (I also ended up doubling some of
the trail as I couldn't find the start). Not worth a trip just
for this (unless you are in the area), but fun to do for a side
trip.
Turner Falls Park
Directions:
$5. (private park)
Trails:
No true trails, just roaming around.
Area:
Recommendation:
Dirty (as in trash), no trails, blah.
Waurika Lake - Walker Creek Trail
Directions:
Free.
Trails:
Area:
Recommendation:
Flat, full of spider webs (and spiders). Don't go.