About this Refuge: Worn by time and nature, the Wichita Mountains loom large above the prairie in southwest Oklahoma—a lasting refuge for wildlife. Situated just outside the Lawton/Ft. Sill area, Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge preserves approximately 60,000 acres of mixed grass prairie, ancient granite mountains, and fresh water lakes and streams for the benefit of wildlife and the American people. Best known for its roaming herds of bison, longhorn, and Rocky Mountain elk, Wichita Mountains also offers quality opportunities for wildlife dependent recreation including fishing, bird watching, wildlife photography, hiking, camping, and kayaking. The Refuge is also a great place for over 275 species birds to nest, feed, or rest during migration. 

I just can’t believe I had not known about this jewel previously, with amazing geological history, landscape and nature, just 2.5 hours north west of my home in Texas. I missed an opportunity to travel up here for a guided tour with my local photo club a couple of months ago, so with a bit of free time, I did a little research. Wow! I immediately made reservations in a RV Park in Lawton, Oklahoma, allowing me  spent 3 days in the reserve, September 3-5, 2024. I traversed most of the park, by road, and by hiking over 11 miles on the 14 trails. The rewards were being able to witness first had, the geological history of this amazing refuge, with its diverse wildlife and bird species, plus the stunning landscapes, lakes and mountains.

While researching the refuge, there was one species that caught my attention: The Black-capped Vireo, Vireo atricapilla. This tiny bird was near extinct, and thankfully, is now on the rebound. Now, I was on a mission to locate and photograph this beauty! I made inquiries at the visitors center for the best locations I might be able to find it. After much searching, the only trail I located the Black-capped Vireo was half way down the Charon’s Garden Trail, amongst massive boulders and trees on a very steep mountainside. It’s a very difficult hike and not for the faint of heart, but well worth the effort.

The three galleries below are Landscape & attractions, Birds and the Wildlife I encountered. 

To conclude my experience in the refuge, I was disappointed not to have had an opportunity to take a planned Milky Way composition (below) at the Jeb Johnson Lake Tower due to the cloud cover during my 3 night here. So on my last day, I visited the site and recorded a time lapse of the clouds instead. I’ll return some time in the future to capture this Milky Way composition.

PhotoPills Milky Way Plan