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Mountains of Red River
Valley Tour!
Southeastern Oklahoma -
Little Dixie
Southwestern Oklahoma -
Meeting the Plains
Northwestern Texas - North
Texas Hill Country
the Choctaw and Chickasaw Tribes.
vacation destination, but I think that they're missing out. Considering that mountains, forests, streams, waterfalls, and
dramatic western landscapes are only a few hours' drive away from Dallas/Fort Worth, one of the biggest metropolises
in the U.S., one would think Oklahoma would be a popular place.
But when I drove along the Quachita (Wash-I-tah) National Forest, which spans the southeastern part of the state, I
encountered very few tourists, and just a handful of locals. For the largest part of my journey, I savored the solitude and
undisturbed vistas of the tallest mountains east of the Rockies and west of the Appalachians. I must admit I enjoyed
having this landscape to myself, though I do believe that tourism would bring a few extra dollars to the struggling
hamlets at the bases of the mountains.
The mountain ranges in "Little Dixie", so called because the Choctaw who settled here in the early 1820s practiced
Southern plantation culture, run north and south along old fault lines. Millions of years ago, these mountains stood as tall
as the Rockies, but erosion and tectonic inactivity has reduced them to hills that reach from 1,000 to 2,000 feet. The
ranges, divided by broad valleys - the Kiamichi River being the widest valley - each have a different name, too. You can
drive around the Kiamichi, Winding Stair, Rich, San Bois, Blue, Limestone Ridge, and Jack Fork mountains.
As I travel through Southeastern Oklahoma, I will post my travel experiences along with photos. Hopefully, I'll be able to
cover the whole area soon!
ranges. In the spring, these waters turn into shallow, but swift rapids.
which borders the Kiamichi Mountains. The
sign on it hints that this was also a Masonic
meeting place. Above the sign the year 1926
is spelled out in bottles! You can make out
the sign - and a little of the date- on the photo
below.
Stair Mountain Scenic Byway (OK 1). These
springs nourished not only horses, but
notorious outlaws as well, as the remote and
uncontrolled area made a perfect bandit
getaway. Belle Starr, Jesse James, Cole
Younger, and the Dalton Gang hid out in
these mountains.
The stone work surrounding the springs was
built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The
water has a heavy iron content and should be
boiled before ingested.
Winding Stair Scenic Byway
OK 1 winds its way up mountains and down
valleys, and offers scenic overlooks. You can
reach the road via US 271 (road entrance is
northeast of Talihina) or via US 259.
Beavers Bend State Resort Park
Beavers Bend is one of Oklahoma's favorite
parks, offering overnight cabins, fishing,
swimming, boating, and hiking. The park has
a wonderful nature center, too, and is located
north of Broken Bow on US 259.
Heavener Runestone State Park
This is a cool park that centers upon a large
sandstone, upon which Viking runes have
been carved. Historians still debate whether
the runes are authentic, but the stone makes
a good conversation piece! Along US 270
north of Heavener.
Robbers Cave State Park
My husband and I took a belated honeymoon
here (we were very broke). The park has
beautiful scenery within the San Bois
mountains, and the "cave" (two large stone
slabs forming a cubby) was supposedly the
hideout of many a bandit. Lots of graffiti
marks the spot where Jesse James came to
escape the demands of banditry. On OK 2,
north of Wilburton.
Tuskahoma
Tuskahoma was the first capital of the
Choctaw Nation, which was later moved to
Durant. Now the old capital building is a well
preserved monument to Choctaw ingenuity.
On US 271 northeast of Clayton, follow signs.
are my dad, son, niece, and mom smiling in
front of Winding Stair Mountains scenery.
was built using locally quarried stone.