Oklahoma has its share of heavenly places. Here are 13 of those places — the most beautiful places our state has to offer, in our opinion.
Any one of these locations would be perfect for a road trip.
1. Beavers Bend State Park: The feel of Colorado without the drive
A short three-hour car ride from Tulsa will get you to Beavers Bend State Park near Broken Bow, where the trees are tall and the air is clear.
It is like traveling to Colorado but here in Oklahoma.
Bring your backpack and hiking boots and visit the state park’s hiking trails. It really gets you back to nature, hiking the various trails in the park. Horseback riding is also available.
Don’t forget about the lake. Broken Bow Lake was built under the supervision of the Tulsa District of the Corps of Engineers. The lake covers 14,000 acres and has a shoreline of 180 miles. Boats and houseboats are available for rent, and one can camp in a cabin, RV or tent. If you get a chance to visit the dam’s spillway while it is not spilling, it is a nice spot to relax.
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There is also a zipline at Broken Bow Lake, which fills up fast, so be sure to make reservations.
The nearby Hochatown community is full of things for kids and adults to do. You can rent a cabin, go hiking, visit a brewery, a winery and even a distillery in this unincorporated town.
2. Keystone Ancient Forest: Not one to be missed
Owned by the city of Sand Springs and protected through a conservation easement held by The Nature Conservancy, the Keystone Ancient Forest is considered a world-class hiking destination.
The Keystone Ancient Forest is part of a vast cross-timbers woodland that stretches from Kansas, across Oklahoma and into Texas, formed by a mosaic of rugged oaks and occasional prairies that forge a point at which the deciduous forests of the east transition to the Western Plains.
Deer, mountain lions, bobcats, eagles, migratory birds and more than 80 species of butterflies are among the forest’s inhabitants.
Recent upgrades to the preserve include its $1 million visitor center and recent expansions of its public hiking hours.
The preserve has five trails of varying lengths and difficulty, totaling more than 12 miles of hiking adventures that offer great views of Keystone Lake.
3. Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge: Explore ancient peaks
A straight shot down Interstate 44 and not far from Lawton is one of the few mountainous areas in the state, the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.
Hiking, camping, wildlife viewing and rock climbing are among the favorite activities at this federally protected wildlife refuge.
Several easier hiking trails will take you through scenic portions of some of the country’s oldest mountains. In some places, you can see remnants of old mining claims, hidden caves and curious woodland called the “parallel forest,” where cedars were planted years ago in straight lines.
If you’re looking for a bigger hiking challenge, try hiking the Charon’s Garden Trail, which will have you going up and down steeper inclines, crawling through boulders and, in the spring, takes you past a seasonal waterfall. For the more adventurous, reserve a backcountry camping permit (tent only, and no fires allowed) and explore the wildest portion of the Wichitas. If you’re looking for a more comfortable camping option, reserve a space at the Doris Campground, which offers tent and RV sites.
Rock climbers can find anything from easy scrambles to expert-only routes in numerous spots in the range, including crags on Mount Scott, Elk Mountain and Crab Eyes.
As far as wildlife goes, keep an eye out for elk, deer, eagles, coyotes and bison, among other species that call this mountain range home.
The refuge is about 3½ hours southwest of Tulsa.
4. Natural Falls State Park: Get a taste of the Ozarks
Tucked away in the foothills of the Ozarks, Natural Falls State Park often ranks as one of the most scenic spots in Oklahoma.
The park’s namesake is a slender, 77-foot waterfall that cascades down a cliff face and into a pool below. You can view the falls from above or take a walkway down to the pool and see the falls from below.
Aside from that, this 120-acre park has a 4.5-mile network of trails that winds throughout this lush, heavily wooded space. Some of the trails are easy, some are steep.
Hiking the park, you’ll get a healthy dose of thick broadleaf trees and tall lodgepole pines.
If you’ve seen the movie “Where the Red Fern Grows,” the park might look familiar: It was filmed here.
The park also has RV campsites (a few of which have full hook-ups) as well as tent sites.
If you’re looking for more unique accommodations, reserve one of the park’s yurts — climate-controlled and equipped with a microwave oven, a small refrigerator and electrical hookups. Each yurt can sleep between four to six people.
Looking for more to do? Natural Falls State Park also has an 18-hole disc golf course, basketball and volleyball courts, a playground and on-site fishing.
The park is about two hours east of Tulsa on U.S. 412.
5. Talimena National Scenic Byway: Beauty mixes with history
The Talimena National Scenic Byway is Oklahoma’s best-known scenic drive. It might even be called heavenly.
It’s 54 miles, with 40 miles of it in Oklahoma, and has 22 designated vistas. The byway stretches along Oklahoma 1 and Arkansas 88 from Talihina, Oklahoma, to Mena, Arkansas.
Drivers wind through the Ouachita National Forest with the Kiamichi Mountains as the backdrop.
The road dips and swirls along the ridgeline 2,000 feet over valley floors. Hickory, blackjack oak and southern pine make their way upward along the slopes to the crest of the mountains.
While the scenic byway gets a lot of attention in the fall for its striking foliage display, Talimena also makes a beautiful drive in spring. The surrounding forest comes alive with green as winter fades away.
Stop at some of the area’s most popular destinations, including Talimena State Park, the Ouachita National Forest and the Cedar Lake Recreation Area. The route is also rich with history. Of note, Deadman Vista was a site lawmen used to hang horse thieves in the 1800s. Horse Thief Springs, another vista, is where outlaws watered their mounts.
Without stopping, the entire drive takes a total of one hour and 10 minutes. Hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, horseback riding and more outdoor activities are available year-round.
6. Tallgrass Prairie Preserve: Largest patch of native tallgrass left on Earth
The largest patch of native tallgrass left on Earth, the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve sprawls across more than 39,000 acres of Osage County an hour and a half northwest of Tulsa.
The preserve offers mostly rough, unpaved roads and sparse amenities because the focus remains on conservation, not tourism. But it nonetheless attracts tens of thousands of visitors a year to enjoy the epic scenery, which can stretch for miles across the prairie.
Bison are the most popular attraction, with more than 2,500 roaming free across the preserve. But the prairie is also home to more than 700 species of plants, more than 250 birds and 80 mammals.
Most visitors stick to a 15-mile road that leads from the main gate to the preserve headquarters and gift shop, where a historic 1920 ranch bunkhouse offers public restrooms. Along the way, the route passes four scenic turnouts, picnic locations, a self-guided nature walk and a two-mile hiking trail.
Starting and ending in Pawhuska, the drive takes about two hours at a leisurely pace with time for stopping. But Pawhuska itself will demand some time as well. Although it has a population of less than 4,000, the town has developed into a significant tourist attraction in its own right.
7. Little Blue: a destination for photo ops, campers
It’s impressive when water comes roaring down the rocks at the Little Blue Area at Grand Lake State Park near Disney.
Depending on how much water is flowing, the atmosphere can be serene or it can be powerful, with mist from the water peppering those who stand and watch from a distance.
Little Blue isn’t just a place for photo ops. It’s a bring-your-tent-and-ice-chest area.
Camping spots are available on site and, hey, if the kids need something to do while you’re kicking back and relaxing, they can play in a creek that runs adjacent to the camping area. The creek provides welcome relief from the heat during summer months.
To the west of the swimming hole is where the water churns down the rocks. When there’s no water pouring down the hillside, visitors sometimes climb the rocks to go exploring. Campers and visitors bring rods and reels to go fishing below the spillway.
Little Blue is located about 65 miles northeast of Tulsa. Leashed pets are welcome, according to travelok.com, and the park is open 24 hours a day.
Stores are nearby in Langley and Disney for campers who need to stock up or replenish supplies. If camping isn’t your thing, it’s at least worthwhile to show up for photo ops below the spillway.
8. Little Sahara: Like visiting another country
For a surreal experience that feels as if you have traveled across the globe, head west three hours to Little Sahara.
The name sort of says it all.
It’s a desert-like environment covered by sand dunes.
The main attractions at Little Sahara State Park, 101 Main St. (from U.S. 412, go 7 miles north on U.S. 281) in Waynoka, are dune buggy and ATV-riding across the sand dunes. Visitors can bring their own ATV or rent one off-site by a private vendor.
Little Sahara State Park has over 1,600 acres of sand dunes, ranging in height from 25 to 75 feet. The vast dunes have formed over time from terrace deposits, remnants of prehistoric times when the Cimarron River flowed over the entire area.
One of Little Sahara’s biggest events happens in the spring — but it might not be fit for everyone.
The Waynoka Rattlesnake Hunt, held the first weekend after Easter, is April 5-7 this year. The hunt custom dates back to the 1940s when area farmers had snakes attacking their livestock. Over time, it became a festival.
But one of the best things you can do at Little Sahara is sit on top of a seven-story-tall sand dune and watch the glow of the western sunset growing brighter. Then you will know this unique little desert is truly pure Oklahoma.
9 and 10. Red Rock Canyon and Gloss Mountain State Park: Visually vibrant
Two scenic examples of Oklahoma’s diverse topography feature striking red dirt formations — Red Rock Canyon Adventure Park in Hinton and Gloss Mountain State Park in Fairview.
The western Oklahoma parks, located about 90 minutes apart, have widely varying activities, but both areas are visually vibrant and family friendly.
Red Rock Canyon is a former state park that has been privately owned since 2018. It’s a popular spot for rappelling, though visitors must bring their own ropes and gear. Other activities include fishing, hiking trails and a seasonal swimming pool with a climbing wall and slide. Camping enthusiasts can rough it in a tent, bring their RV or book a pop-up glamping tent for a hotel-like experience.
Gloss Mountain is a stunning landmark as well as a convenient roadside attraction for those traveling on U.S. 412. A trail of stairs up rocky Cathedral Mountain leads to the top of a scenic lookout spot. The land contains many shiny selenite crystals, which might account for some calling it “Glass Mountain.” There is no camping at Gloss, but visitors can picnic, walk around and view wildlife.
11. Turner Falls Park: Experience natural beauty
It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic summer getaway than a day spent at Turner Falls Park in Davis.
Located in the Arbuckle Mountains on 1,500 acres, the park is home to a 77-foot waterfall, with a natural swimming pool formed at its base. Another swimming hole, Blue Hole, has both a slide and a diving board for summertime fun. This park, however, is loved for much more than its swimming areas — guests can also enjoy hiking, camping, cabins, picnic areas and even RV sites with convenient hookups for overnight stays.
There are many unique features that make Turner Falls Park such an enjoyable place to explore. Wildlife such as whitetail deer, wild turkeys and more roam the park freely. For geology enthusiasts, the park is filled with natural wonders such as caves, conglomerate formations, limestone, granite, shale and limestone. What’s more, a historic castle constructed in 1930 is on the property for all to enjoy.
“There’s just a mystique about the park that people fall in love with when they come in because of its beauty,” said Cathi Neal, sales and service manager at Turner Falls Park. “It’s very cool to watch families come and have quality family time while being outdoors. Internet and phone service isn’t the greatest here, so people are actually interacting with each other and having a good time.”
12. Robbers Cave: More than a hole-in-the-wall
Robbers Cave State Park gets its name from a void among some boulders where bad guys may have once hidden out, but it is in fact much more than that.
Located about 120 miles southeast of Tulsa in the Sans Bois Mountains, the 8,246-acre enclave has just about everything an outdoor enthusiast could want, whether spending an afternoon or a week. Among the miles of mountain trails is one to fit just about any hiker’s level of endurance, and the three lakes are available for fishing and boating. Some areas are open to seasonal hunting.
Campsites for everything from pup tents to RVs are available, as are group camps, cabins and a 20-room lodge. Other accommodations include equestrian campsites and yurts.
Now, about that name.
There is some reason to think a little marketing may have been involved. The park was originally called Latimer State Park, for the county in which it was located, and occupied 120 acres donated by Wilburton newspaper publisher Carlton Weaver.
A Texas native, Weaver had been a delegate to Oklahoma’s constitutional convention in 1907 and was elected to the Legislature in 1930. Somehow, he managed to get himself chosen speaker of the House of Representatives in his one and only term.
Weaver, who died in 1947, is buried in the park.
By 1935, Latimer State Park had become Robbers Cave State Park. The origins of the name, and the legends surrounding the cave itself, are murky.
The general narrative is that outlaw bands used the cave as far back as the American Civil War. Situated atop a steep rock slope, it is easily defended and somewhat hidden from view below.
The most popular legends have both Belle Starr and the James Gang hiding out there, though there is no definitive proof either were ever there. A painting on one cave wall of a pony and a six-pointed star are thought to refer to Samuel “Pony” Starr, a rancher and relative by marriage of Belle Starr. The names “Jack Pone” and “Pat Casey,” who apparently were known as outlaws in territorial days, are carved near the cave. As late as the 1930s, George “Pretty Boy” Floyd and his associates were known to hide in the area, although not necessarily in the cave.
Perhaps the best evidence that the park was once an outlaw hideout was found in 1952, not at the cave but less than a mile away in a stream bed. There, a Boy Scout camp supervisor and his wife, while seining for minnows, discovered more than 180 gold wedding bands, presumably the loot from a long-forgotten robbery.
13. Black Mesa State Park & Nature Preserve
The key word for Black Mesa is “up” — as in going up and looking up.
During the day, one can hike to the highest point in Oklahoma at 4,973 feet above sea level. (For comparison, Tulsa’s elevation is 722 feet.) The 8.5-mile trail is in the remote Black Mesa Nature Preserve, which is run in conjunction with the state park, near Kenton (pop. 5). The preserve is home to animals such as mule deer, golden eagles, piñon jays and red-tailed hawks.
At night, sit back and take in an awe-inspiring display of the Milky Way. Black Mesa State Park offers some of the darkest skies on public land in the nation. Star-gazing enthusiasts flock here each August to watch the Perseid meteor shower, but any clear night provides an excellent opportunity to glimpse skies unpolluted by light.
Hundreds turn out each fall for the long-running Okie-Tex Star Party, hosted by the Oklahoma City Astronomy Club. The gathering takes place at Camp Billy Joe, just outside Kenton, and features guest speakers, meals and accommodations.
Other points of interest are Lake Carl Etling, which offers fishing for bass, bluegill sunfish, walleye and flathead catfish, and the Preston Monument that marks the meeting point of Oklahoma, Colorado and New Mexico. The area is rich in ancient history as well: Dinosaur footprints can be found at the preserve, which is named for black lava rock.