Beyond a doubt, the #1 reason I love living in Lawton in Southwestern Oklahoma is the proximity of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.
Spanning almost 60,000 acres, the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge is the oldest Wildlife Refuge in the United States and is a mixed grass prairie habitat for an incredibly wide variety of animals — most notably the American Bison and Elk.
The WMWR was created in 1901 as part of the land lottery and land rush that created the town of Lawton that same year around Ft. Sill Army base.
Today, the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge sees over half a million visitors yearly who participate in a wide variety of activities including camping, hiking, rock climbing, and wildlife photography.
If you are coming to the Lawton area, no visit is complete without at least “doing the loop” through the reservation and visiting Prairie Dog Village, the Visitor’s Center, the Holy City of the Wichitas, the Parallel Forest, and Mt. Scott.
Lawton Cottage Rentals are just a short twenty minute drive from two different entrances to the Refuge.
The best hiking weather is April/May and October/November but the park is beautiful all year round and herds of Bison, Elk, and Longhorn Cattle are usually easy to find.
I recommend renting your vacation cottage at least 30-60 days in advance of your trip. See you soon!
Here is a preview of what you will see. Enjoy!
