Wichita Mountains Oklahoma

Discussion 5 posts |  Only members can post. Join?

About Wichita Mountains Oklahoma

Established in 1901,Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is one of more than 546 refuges throughout the United States managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The 59,020 acre Refuge hosts a rare piece of the past - a remnant mixed grass prairie, an island where the natural grasslands escaped destruction because the rocks underfoot defeated the plow.

The Refuge provides habitat for large native grazing animals such as American bison, Rocky Mountain elk, and white-tailed deer. Texas longhorn cattle also share the Refuge rangelands as a cultural and historical legacy species. More than 50 mammal, 240 bird, 64 reptile and amphibian, 36 fish, and 806 plant species thrive on this important refuge.

How to Get There

From I-44 take Highway 49 (exit 45). Go west 10 miles to the Refuge gate. If coming from Highway 62, take Highway 115 (Cache exit) north to the Refuge Gate. A map is available. You will find leaflet dispensers inside each of the Refuge gates that have maps and information. Contact Refuge Headquarters for more information or see available Google Map. Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Official Web Site
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center
Wichita Mountains Climbers Coalition
Gateway to the Wichitas
Association of Friends of the Wichitas
Oklahoma Traveler Group
Oklahoma Through My Eyes

The Charon's Garden Wilderness Area is part of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Oklahoma and is managed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. It is located to the west of Medicine Park, Oklahoma and north of Lawton, Oklahoma. The wilderness area, dominated by rugged granite mountains, oak forests, and mixed grass prairies, covers 5,723 acres (23.16 km2) in the western portion of the Refuge. It is not unusual to run into deer, buffalo, elk, longhorn, and prairie dogs. Day use and limited backcountry camping is allowed with a permit from the Refuge. The area is popular with rock climbers, with formations such as Echo Dome and Crab Eyes being popular destinations.

Check out Meers!
Nestled in the Wichita Mountains region and the Red Bed Plains, Meers was established in the early 1900's. Reaching a population of 500 before the mining bust, it was the location of a smelter. Now home to the Meers Store and Restaurant, you will be located less than two miles from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Fort Sill is only 15 miles away and offers Geronimo's grave site, the Atomic Cannon and the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum's Mule Gun for your sightseeing fun.


The
Civilian Conservation Corps
and
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge
1933 - 1944

The Civilian Conservation Corps was organized by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. The program provided useful employment for nearly three million young men ages 17 to 26 and served to enhance and preserve our nation's natural resources. The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge was fortunate to have hosted three CCC Companies: Camp 812 - Buffalo Springs; Camp 859 - Panther Creek; and Camp 870 - Elm Island.

Under management of U.S. Army personel, work projectrs on the Refuge credited to these camps included dams, roads, buildings, fences, trails, and many of the recreational facilities still in use today. For their work, corpsmen were paid $30 per month, of which $25 was sent home to their families in an effort to relieve the burdens arising from the depression. They were provided housing, food, medical and dental care as well as educational training. The CCC Program improved the lives of those who worked on the many conservation and recreational projects on the Refuge. Their unparalleled accomplishements in preserving this irreplaceable, natural resource stand as permanent symbols to the dedication and productivity of the men of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

In grateful recognition of their service,
This memorial has been presented to
CCC Companies 812, 859 and 870
April 14, 1990
by
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge
United States Department of the Interior
Fish and Wildlife Service
www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM8J1Z_The_CCC_and_Wichita_Mo...

Please use the following COMMENT code to say Hi to a shot already in the pool
*********************************************************************************************
Thanks for stopping by
...-Wichita Mountains Oklahoma-...

*********************************************************************************************


Copy Between these lines to invite new members
*********************************************************************************
This is a brilliant photo.
www.flickr.com/groups/wichita_mountains_oklahoma/
Please consider posting this photo into Wichita Mountains Oklahoma Group and joint the community, thanks!!

**********************************************************************************

Invitation Code: Copy between lines
*****************************************************************************

Great Shot!!!

"Wichita Mountains Oklahoma"

Your invited to join and post your photo at
"Wichita Mountains Oklahoma"

********************************************************************************************
Wichita Mountains Byway Unveiled

The iconic Wichita Mountains of southwestern Oklahoma are the centerpiece for one of the newest National Scenic Byways in America. Unveiled just in time for the summer vacation season, the Wichita Mountains Byway showcases picturesque communities, unique landforms, and unparalleled wildlife viewing opportunities. While promising a memorable traveling experience for the visitor, the byway designation also brings the rare opportunity for new economic development and sustainability to the rural gateway communities. A ribbon cutting ceremony and reception will be held at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center on May 14 at 4:00pm.

Rising unexpectedly from the flat surrounding plain, the Wichita Mountains are an island in the prairie and an island in time. The area has long been a popular regional tourist destination with over 1.5 million visitors a year. Now with the increased national and international visibility that a byway designation brings, the region can expect even more visitors with. The ninety-three mile byway encircles the Wichita Mountains and links the gateway communities of Meers, Apache, Carnegie, Medicine Park, and Mountain View in a route that highlights and captures the outstanding features of the area. Byway travelers share the route with bison, red-tailed hawks and prairie dogs as they meander through historic communities, wind across ancient hills, and experience the southern Great Plains as it was before settlement. Southwestern Oklahoma and the Wichita Mountains Byway offer what America is hungry for – open vistas, family farms, and Main Street America. The byway offers a glimpse at authentic southern Great Plains life where the traveler can expect a hearty hello on the street, and a fresh pot of coffee brewing at the local café – a place where the hectic pace of modern life slows to match the rhythms of wind and sky.

The National Scenic Byway Program was created by Congress in 1991 as a way to recognize our most outstanding scenic and historic routes. Oklahoma Scenic Byway Program manages the nationally recognized state byways in partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the University of Oklahoma Outreach Program. To be designated as a national byway, a route must possess nationally or regionally significant qualities of a cultural, historic, archeological, recreational, natural or scenic nature. The Wichita Mountains Byway possesses significant amounts of natural and scenic resource values, at both the regional and national scales. At the heart of the natural and scenic resource values that garnered the designation lies the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.

Established in 1901, the Refuge offers visitors over 90 square miles of pristine prairie, ancient granite mountains, and old growth cross-timbers forest. The refuge manages the largest remaining intact block of mixed grass prairie in the world, and is home to over 1000 species of plant and animal. The refuge is also home to the greatest wildlife conservation story in our history. By the late 1800’s the American bison was edged toward extinction, plummeting from an estimated 60 million animals to only a handful left in the wild. A group of far-sighted conservationists led by Theodore Roosevelt helped establish the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge as a place to restore free-ranging bison herds and other wildlife species like elk and turkey that had been wiped out during settlement. That conservation legacy lives on today with the saga of the black-capped vireo. By the 1980’s when the tiny songbird was placed on the Threatened and Endangered Species list, the refuge population had sunk to less than 20 breeding pairs. Thanks to a combination of prescribed fire and cowbird management, the black capped vireo population has soared to over 3,500 breeding pairs. These public lands will be managed in perpetuity for their world-class natural and scenic qualities as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service‘s Refuge System mission to manage and conserve wildlife for the benefit of present and future generations.

While a national byway designation brings new federal grant opportunities and increased economic sustainability to an area, it also brings a challenge to maintain the authenticity of the travel experience and the values that attracted the byway designation. For the Wichita Mountains Byway, this means supporting the long-term wildlife conservation mission of the refuge and maintaining the small town charm and rural flavor of the route.

The long-term management of the byway and it’s intrinsic natural and scenic values will continue to be a cooperative effort led the byway stakeholders - the communities, agencies, businesses and individuals along the route. A vision for the byway was crafted by the stakeholders and is captured along with steps for guidance and stewardship in the Wichita Mountain Byway Corridor Management Plan. The plan includes information on preservation, promotion, interpretation, and management of the byway’s intrinsic resources and qualities. The leap from vision to reality is made possible by the Oklahoma Byway Program which partners with University of Oklahoma, to bring marketing and design expertise to the byway communities and to help maintain the authenticity of the byway.

The Wichita Mountains Byway stakeholder group will continue to address high priority improvement and preservation projects such as byway signage, restrooms, interpretive facilities, and Main Street revitalization projects. For more information about the new Wichita Mountains Byway visit the National Scenic Byways website at www.byways.org or the Oklahoma Byways website at www.okscenicbyways.org. For information about the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge contact the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center at (580) 429-2197 or visit the website at www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/oklahoma/wichitamountains.


www.byways.org/explore/byways/6334/

http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/oklahoma/wichitamountains/index.html