Great Plains Country, Oklahoma


In southwestern Oklahoma the golden shortgrass prairie extends for mile after undulating mile, mirroring the sky in its vastness. Less than a century and a half ago, the Southern Plains were the domain of the Kiowa and Comanche, who hunted buffalo on horses bridled with Spanish silver and traded with the Wichitas, farmers who lived in grass houses. To the Kiowa, the earth was sacred, and the Wichitas believed their ancestors lived on in the 650-million-year-old granite boulders of the Wichita Mountains. Travelers exploring the region today may encounter moments of similar reverence -- watching the sun set from atop Mount Scott in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, for instance, or watching an eagle soar in winter. A rowdier spirit lives endures in the area, too: Teddy Roosevelt created the wildlife refuge after he traveled to Oklahoma Territory to hunt wolves. Bison now graze on the 60,000-acre preserve, along with longhorn cattle, antelope and elk -- rugged mountain biking, hiking, camping and backpacking are permitted in some areas.
Explore Great Plains Country
Quanah Parker Star House and Eagle Park Ghost Town
Comanche Chief Quanah Parker had stars painted on the roof of his home to mimic those on the uniforms of the U.S. military officers. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cache, OK Famous HomesOld Town Museum Complex
The Old Town Museum complex is the steward for the present generation in preserving those moments of life experienced in settings like the interior of the Rock Bluff School, the Pioneer Chapel and early day pioneer doctor'
Elk City, OK MuseumsElk City Municipal Golf Course & Country Club
18 hole Public Golf Course with Snack Bar. Country Club - Swimming Pool - Lounge - Restaurant Pro Shop - Green Fee's &
Elk City, OK Golf CoursesFoss Lake State Park
Foss State Park sits on parts of the 60 miles of shoreline of western Oklahoma's largest lake, Lake Foss. The park has 8 campgrounds consisting of 110 Campsites, Swimming Beach, Boating, 6
, OK CampingAltus Air Force Base
Altus Army Air Field began training pilots to fly twin-engine aircraft in 1943. At the end of World War II, the Army stopped using the field and it was closed in 1945. The Air Force activated Altus Air Force Base in 1953. A Tactical Air Command troop carrier wing operated from Altus for 10
Altus, OK Military BasesThe Hughes Building and Hughes Jewelry
Originally the National Bank of Commerce (est 1902) with a Victorian red brick exterior, this historic Frederick building has for some 70 years now been clad with the beige 'deco' rock exterior it features today. The home of Hughes Jewelry since 1952
Frederick, OK Historic BuildingsShortgrass Country Museum and Historical Society
The Shortgrass Country Museum is one of the important historical landmarks of Sayre. In 1930 the Rock Island Depot was moved from its original site to the center of downtown.
Sayre, OK MuseumsElk City Lake
- 750 Acre Park
- 250 Acre Lake
- Picnic Pavilions with Grills
- Boating & Fishing
- Playground
- Swimming Beach Area
- 2 Boat Ramps with Docks
(1 Fishing Dock) - Campgrounds
- R V Sites - Free
(with electrical hookups) - Dump Station (Nearby)
- Hiking< Elk City, OK Recreation
Red Rock Canyon Rock Climbing
Red Rock Canyon is one of the most popular rappelling sites in Oklahoma. Visitors must bring their own ropes and gear and use the park's canyon walls at designated rappelling sites only to participate in this exciting activity. Rappelling is done at the visitor'
, OK RappellingQuartz Mountain Golf Course
Breathtaking natural beauty is probably the most distinguishable feature of Quartz Mountain Golf Course. Located at the base of rocky Quartz Mountain on the western edge of the Wichita mountains range, the course is surrounded by a sea of sage and prairie grass.
Altus, OK Golf Courses