# Bison and granite in the Wichita Mountains

> 3-day road trip of about 241 km (150 mi) with 6 stops, from Oklahoma City to Quartz Mountain Nature Park. About 2 h 41 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b9-wichita-mountains/

**At a glance:** 3-day road trip of about 241 km (150 mi) with 6 stops, from Oklahoma City to Quartz Mountain Nature Park. About 2 h 41 min of driving in total. From Oklahoma City to a refuge where bison roam among granite peaks, then west to the red hills of Quartz Mountain.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 241 km (150 mi) |
| Driving | 2 h 41 min |
| Suggested days | 3 |
| Stops | 6 |
| Route | Oklahoma City → Quartz Mountain Nature Park |
| States | OK |
| Updated | May 21, 2026 |

## Route description

Leave Oklahoma City south-west through Chickasha and farm country to Anadarko, home to several tribal nations and to the American Indian Exposition held each August. From there it is under an hour to Medicine Park, a century-old resort town built of round red cobblestones along a creek.

OK-49 enters the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge just west of town. Take the short, steep road to the summit of Mount Scott for the widest view, then drive slowly through the refuge, watching for bison, longhorn cattle and prairie dog towns; trails lead to lakes and boulder-filled canyons.

Deeper inside the refuge is the Holy City of the Wichitas, a group of stone buildings put up for an Easter passion play. Camping in the refuge is at Doris Campground, where sites go quickly on spring and fall weekends.

Continue west on OK-49 and back roads to Quartz Mountain Nature Park on Lake Altus-Lugert, where red granite hills rise from the water. From here it is about three hours back to Oklahoma City via US-183 and I-40; spring and fall are far more comfortable than the summer heat.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Oklahoma City** (OK)
2. **Anadarko** (OK)
3. **Medicine Park** (OK)
4. **Mount Scott** (Medicine Park, OK): A paved three-mile road climbs to the top of this granite peak in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. The view takes in lakes, boulder fields and the open plains; long trailers are not allowed on the summit road.
5. **Holy City of the Wichitas** (Lawton, OK): A set of stone buildings built for an Easter passion play first staged here in 1926. It sits inside the wildlife refuge, so watch for bison on the drive in.
6. **Quartz Mountain Nature Park** (Lone Wolf, OK): Red granite hills rising from the shores of Lake Altus-Lugert in the far southwest of the state. Good for a scramble, a swim and a quiet campsite away from the refuge crowds.