GOING

THE TODAY CAMPING

BY SUSAN AND BILL DRAGOO

E OF SOCIETY tent or under the stars is little about giant cottonwoods as they followed Anywhere in Oklahoma, outdoor primitive camping is permitted virtually are slaves, comfort and much about the temporary the bison; when cowboys slept by adventure is close at hand. Travelers are anywhere in the 350,000 acres of Okla- not so much liberation from what Washington Ir- campfires as they drove their herds unlikely to get bored with the same old homa’s portion of the Ouachita National to others as to ving called “our superfluities”—be they to market. landscape because of the state’s un- Forest alone. Beyond that, many local ourselves; our good wi-fi or the convenience of a ther- So it makes sense that Oklahoma of- usual natural diversity. Oklahoma has governments and private businesses offer superfluities are the chains that bind mostat—perhaps so we can ultimately fers a rich outdoor experience. This land, mountains, lakes, prairies, forests, rivers, camping and recreation opportunities. us, impeding every movement of our appreciate them all the more. which Irving described as containing and swamps in eleven ecoregions, and What better way to appreciate the state bodies, and thwarting every impulse Oklahomans are not so far re- “great grassy plains, interspersed with all of them have public lands well-suited than to backpack the Ouachita Trail or of our souls.” moved from the days when settlers forests and groves and clumps of trees, for camping. More than two million spend the night in a Panhandle oasis near —Washington Irving, 1835 traveled across Indian Territory on and watered by the Arkansas, the Grand acres lie in state parks, wildlife manage- the state’s highest point; camp in a cave the California Road, camping every Canadian, the Red River, and their ment areas, national forest, grasslands, or on a granite slab under the stars; or see Camping is illogical. Why sleep on night along the South Canadian tributary streams,” remains as alluring recreation areas, and wildlife refuges. the blackjack oaks silhouetted against the the ground when there’s a perfectly River; when the Plains Indians made today as it did in 1832, when he traveled The state park system alone has more sunset from a lakeside tent in the Cross good bed at home? But sleeping in a camps along clear streams beneath into the wilderness of Indian Territory. than 3,500 unimproved campsites, and Timbers? It’s all waiting in Oklahoma. JAMES PRATT

66 May/June 2016 OklahomaToday.com 67 coyote’s howl is more likely to lull campers to sleep than signal imminent danger, but there are real risks Safety in the wild. Before heading into the great wide open this Check summer, heed these safety tips.

ANIMALS: Most critters want to HEAT: Many Oklahomans avoid out- This is most effective within ten minutes avoid humans as much as humans want door activities during August’s blistering of contact. As an extra precaution, stay on to avoid them. Venomous snakes like cop- heat. If hot weather camping is your thing, well-traveled trails, and carry baby wipes. perheads and rattlesnakes live throughout stay hydrated, and avoid strenuous activi- Oklahoma, but snakebites are uncommon, ties in the middle of the day to prevent INJURY: Sprained ankles, cuts, contu- and death from snakebite is rare. Watch heat exhaustion and heat stroke. If you’re sions, and broken bones happen to even your step, wear long pants and boots, and hiking in hot weather, drink at least six- the most careful outdoorspeople. Carry don’t pick up a snake under any circum- teen ounces of water per hour. It’s best to a first aid kit, and know how to use it. stances. To avoid an encounter with a acclimatize before a long hike by training The Red Cross offers frequent first-aid member of eastern Oklahoma’s black bear for the distance, gradually increasing mile- classes. Don’t count on cell phone service population, keep food and trash locked in age as the weather warms up. in remote areas to summon help in case a vehicle or hung high from a tree—never of a serious injury. Instead, consider carry- in a tent. And the lumbering bison is quick POISON IVY: It’s found all over the ing a satellite GPS messenger such as a and agile and may charge with little or no state. Learn to recognize its seasonal SPOT Gen3 or DeLorme inReach. warning. Keep your distance. color changes and avoid it year-round. Get outdoors in late fall to early spring for the GETTING LOST: Losing your way BUGS: Chiggers, mosquitoes, and ticks lowest risk. It’s still there but not leafed is unlikely but not out of the question. quickly can take any trip from relaxing out, making contact less likely. Even in Carry a map, compass, and a GPS with to uncomfortable. The best avoidance warm weather, wear long sleeves and spare batteries, and maintain your orien- strategy is to camp and hike in late fall pants to avoid the itchy rash. If you sus- tation throughout the hike. Don’t rely on through early spring when the weather is pect you’ve been in contact with it, remove a cell phone for navigation. It’s best not cool. Applying insect repellent containing your clothing, turn it inside-out, deposit it to hike alone, but if you do, tell someone DEET on clothing and exposed skin can in the washing machine, and wash it sepa- where you’re going and when you expect help repel these pests. Wear long pants, rately in warm water. Wash your skin with to return. Carry a headlamp in case dark- even in the summer. soap and water to remove the plant’s oil. ness falls while you’re still on the trail.

As any scout knows, camping is all about preparation. Camper’s Kit Before hitting the trail, get outfitted the right way.

TENT: Start with a dependable shelter. Invest BACKPACK: A properly fitted pack is STOVE: The classic propane stove still is a in a tent that will shed rain and withstand Okla- nearly as important as a backpacker’s boots. good bet for cooking. Carry a compact stove like homa’s winds. Choose quality over cubic feet. Find a trustworthy outfitter, and practice hiking the Jetboil Flash for making quick meals and Durability, good ventilation, easy setup, water loaded before attempting a long outing. boiling water for that essential camp coffee. resistance, and stormworthiness are key factors. FIRE: Carry a reliable lighter. Backpackers CHAIR: Evenings around the campfire are LIGHT: A headlamp is the ultimate lighting know to store petroleum jelly-soaked cotton best enjoyed in a comfortable camp chair. There option, leaving hands free when working in the balls in an empty prescription bottle. They make are many quality options, and they all beat sit- dark. Bring spare batteries. great fire starters. ting on the ground.

BOOTS: For a backpacker, few things are KNIFE: Purchase a quality knife, and keep BEDDING: It’s hard to have fun if you can’t more important than good boots. Avoid cotton it sharp for making a fire stick, clearing small sleep. Promote sweet dreams with a compact and wear wool or synthetic socks, which wick brush around the campsite, or opening a pack- pillow, a comfortable mat, and a warm sleeping moisture away from the feet. age of bacon. bag for those chilly nights. STEVEN WALKER

68 May/June 2016 OklahomaToday.com 69 T SELEC ING A he biggest challenge to camping in Oklahoma may be choosing a place to start. These twelve campsites span Where the state’s diverse terrain from the wide open spaces of the To Camp northwest to the mountainous southeast. SITEPick the perfect place to pitch a tent with these easy steps.

1. Choose a level site free of debris, and avoid places where rain could pool. Select established sites to preserve the natural setting.

2. Camping near water provides convenient access, but stay at least 200 feet from lakes and streams to prevent contamination. Be sure to filter all water before drinking it.

3. When the wind comes sweeping down the plain, you’ll be happy your site has a windbreak such as large boulders or a stand of trees. State Park 4. Pick a spot that’s shady during the

JAMES PRATT day, but before setting up camp, In the tablelands of the Panhandle, Oklahoma’s highest point tops look at what’s overhead. A dead tree out at 4,973 feet above sea level. Hike to the summit, and camp limb hanging over a tent is called a down the road in the creekside oasis of Black Mesa State Park. “widowmaker” for good reason. Shaded tent sites along South Carrizo Creek offer a peaceful canyon setting, and the area’s dark skies make for ideal stargazing. Enjoy 5. Get to camp at least two hours the shelter of the unique Red Rock campsite, which is tucked into a before sunset to avoid rushing. rugged outcrop. Twenty-eight miles northwest of Boise City on State Point the tent’s head end toward the Highway 325, (580) 426-2222 or TravelOK.com/parks. east to catch the sun’s early rays— they’re nature’s wake-up call.

Beavers Bend State Park Alabaster Caverns State Park Shaded sites along “Breathtaking” is an overused but completely Wild cave camping at Alabaster Caverns State Park is one of appropriate description for the riverside set- Oklahoma’s most primitive and unusual camping experiences, South Carrizo Creek ting in Beavers Bend State Park’s Elm Camp- says park manager Mike Caywood. From April to September, ground. Site 14 offers privacy and a close-up

groups of three to fifteen campers can rent the Water Cave JOHN JERNIGAN/OKLAHOMA TOURISM at Black Mesa offer view of the bald cypress-lined Mountain Fork for an overnight stay. Birding, bat watching, touring the park’s River as it flows beneath towering limestone namesake cavern, and exploring other wild caves nearby make a peaceful canyon bluffs. From there, it’s a short walk to canoe Alabaster Caverns a rich adventure destination in northwest rentals and hiking trails in one of Oklahoma’s Oklahoma’s Gypsum Hills. Six miles south of Freedom on State setting, and the area’s most scenic state parks. Eight miles north of Highway 50, (580) 621-3381 or TravelOK.com/parks. dark skies make for Broken Bow on U.S. Highway 259, (580) 494- 6452 or TravelOK.com/parks. ideal stargazing. 70 May/June 2016 KIM BAKER/OKLAHOMA TOURISM OklahomaToday.com 71 Clayton Lake State Park CAMPER’S Lakeside camping at its loveliest is the essence of Clayton Lake State Park. Three primitive campsites line the shore in Area 2, where E T E you can pitch a tent on lake’s edge and wake to the sight of vibrant I Q U E T T foliage through the morning mist. The Clayton area also offers some of the state’s best off-roading trails, so bring a four-by-four or dirt Be a good neighbor on the bike. Five miles south of Clayton on U.S. Highway 271, (918) 569- campground with these 7981 or TravelOK.com/parks. simple guidelines.

Charon’s Garden KIM BAKER/OKLAHOMA TOURISM Wilderness Area 1. Minimize your environmental impact by following “Leave No Trace” Only ten campers are permitted principles including disposing of to stay in this 5,000-acre rugged waste properly, minimizing campfire valley of immense boulders in the remnants, and traveling and Wichita Mountains every three camping on durable surfaces. For days, meaning outdoorspeople who more information, visit lnt.org. overnight here likely will not en- counter another human—especially 2. Pack it out even if you didn’t pack it since campfires are prohibited. The in: Leave the campsite cleaner than surrounding terrain also is a mecca you found it. for rock climbers and day hikers. Reservations are required. Ten 3. Noise is irritating in direct miles west of I-44 on State Highway proportion to the hour of the day. 49, (580) 429-3222 or fws.gov/ Keep quiet. If arriving late, keep

refuge/Wichita_Mountains/. JAMES PRATT voices low and lights to a minimum.

4. Be friendly and greet other campers, but always respect your neighbors’ camping and personal space.

Pitch a tent in Rock 5. Completely extinguish your campfire Creek Campground, when you’re done. As Smokey the Bear says, “Only you can prevent a secluded spot wildfires.” Gather only downed wood. Avoid cutting branches—even where the stream’s dead ones—from live trees, as they may provide cover to birds and trickle lulls wildlife. Have extra firewood? Leave it behind for the next campers so travelers to sleep. they can minimize their own impact.

Chickasaw Glover River IRIS GREENWELL

Water is the big attraction in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area Southeastern Oklahoma’s Glover River and its surroundings are about as near Sulphur. The springs for which the town is named still gurgle into wild as it gets in the state, so this campsite is best found via GPS coordi- rock-lined pools feeding the park’s streams and waterfalls. Pitch a tent in nates (34°18’32.4”N 94°56’09.6”W). “The Glover is the last free-flowing Rock Creek Campground at Site 70, a secluded spot where the stream’s river in the state,” says Dakota Christian of the Three Rivers Wildlife Man- trickle lulls travelers to sleep. Don’t miss a chance to wade in Little agement Area, through which the stream flows. This primitive campsite is Niagara waterfall and hike to Antelope and Buffalo Springs near the Trav- located near a low-water bridge and a deep hole, making it a good spot to ertine Nature Center. And the park is so close to town, campers can pop fish for native smallmouth bass. Bring a boat to canoe or kayak these re- into Sulphur for lunch or shopping at the Artesian Hotel, Casino, and Spa. mote waters. Sixteen miles north of Broken Bow on State Highway 259, (918) U.S. Highway 177 south of Sulphur. (580) 622-7234 or nps.gov/chic/. 527-5308 or wildlifedepartment.com.

May/June 2016 OklahomaToday.com 72 JAMES PRATT 73 From a ridge in Ellis County’s Near Pawhuska, visit the world’s largest protected remnant of tall- grass prairie at the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Packsaddle Wildlife then camp close by at Osage Hills State Park. This densely wooded park is full of historic Civilian Conservation Corps infrastructure and Management Area, features miles of mountain bike and walking trails. “Tent Hill” is look out upon rolling located on a hilltop away from park lights; on its north end, Site O is prime for solitude and scenery. The stone lookout tower makes a grasslands easing comfortable place to stretch out and count shooting stars or watch the sunrise over Osage County. Eleven miles west of Bartlesville on down to the wooded U.S. Highway 60, (918) 336-4141 or TravelOK.com/parks. bottoms of the Canadian River. REBEKAH MORROW

Okmulgee and Dripping Ouachita Trail Springs Lakes and Recreation Areas Oklahoma’s only long-distance hiking trail begins near Talihina and runs across the The Cross Timbers were a notorious bar- Ouachita Mountains to just outside Little rier to travel for early explorers and, though Rock, Arkansas. Forty-six of its 222 miles diminished, their thick stands of post and are on the Oklahoma side of the border, and LISHA NEWMAN/OKLAHOMA TOURISM blackjack oak still run north to south across they are some of the most rugged on the Oklahoma. One of the largest contiguous Ouachita Trail. Primitive camping is allowed stands of ancient Cross Timbers is located at anywhere along the trail, but volunteers have Okmulgee Wildlife Management Area, across built log shelters every nine miles or so. the road from lakeside camping at Okmulgee Each three-sided structure has a sleeping Lake. Camp along the shoreline at Red Oak platform, fire ring, and picnic table. Rock Gar- campground for a bit of seclusion, and the den shelter at mile 9.4 is a great first night’s park’s scenic overlook is the perfect place to stop for backpackers on this rugged section watch a spectacular Cross Timbers sunset. of trail or a good overnight for an out-and- After a rain, don’t miss the thundering cas- back. In “leaf off” season, the view across cade pouring over the lake’s massive stone Holson Valley is spectacular. The trailhead is spillway. Five miles west of Okmulgee on State located in , six miles north Highway 56, (918) 756-5971. of Talihina on U.S. Highway 271, (918) 567- 2052 or TravelOK.com/parks. MICHAEL ALAN WELLS/OKLAHOMA TOURISM

Packsaddle Wildlife Management Area

From a ridge in Ellis County’s Packsaddle Wildlife Management Area, look Illinois River out upon rolling grasslands easing down to the wooded bottoms of the Canadian River, the southern boundary of this 22,000-acre landscape. Floating the Illinois River is an Oklahoma summertime rite of passage, The Dunn Unit campground’s prairie view will bring out any traveler’s inner and camping along the Illinois’ bank completes the experience. Outfit- cowboy or cowgirl. There are no picnic tables or privies, but expect to ters and campgrounds line the river near Tahlequah, and Round Hollow be mesmerized by prairie views and panoramic sunsets. Hunt, hike, or

Public Access Area, with a gravel bar and easy river access, makes a FITZGERALD/OKLAHOMA TOURISM DAVID visit the nearby Four Canyon Preserve or the Antelope Hills. Dine at the great base for a canoeing or floating weekend. Camp at Site R-8, which Packsaddle Bar and Grill outside the entrance on U.S. Highway 283. 2.75 overlooks the river from a knoll beneath the draping limbs of a large miles east of U.S. Highway 283 on E0770 Road and approximately one oak tree. Sixteen miles northeast of Tahlequah on State Highway 10, mile south. A hunting license or conservation pass is required to visit the (918) 456-3251 or ok.gov/osrc. WMA and is available from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conserva- tion. (580) 515-2030 or wildlifedepartment.com.

74 May/June 2016 JAMES PRATT OklahomaToday.com 75 76 May/June 2016 Camp ats E offers recipes to spice up your campfire. kentrollins.com . Kent Rollins, Oklahoma’s statechuck wagon cook, oughing itdoesn’t have to mean giving up flavor. Serve immediately.Serve remaining saucefrom theskillet. ice cream, anddrizzlewiththe desired, placethebananasover quickly. Remove fromheat. If on fire. Itshouldflameoff of theflavor. Lighttheschnapps nanas aroundtoabsorbsome Pour the schnapps into the skillet, and lightly stir the ba- side about1to2minutesoruntilslightlysoftened. heat. oneach Add thebananastoskilletandfry In acast-ironskillet, meltthebutterover medium-low ture untilgenerously coated. Leave theminthemixture. lengthwise. Toss theminthesugar andcinnamonmix- Set aside. Cut the bananasinhalf, andthencutagain In asmallbowl, combinethesugar andcinnamon. Vanilla icecream 1 cupHotDamn!cinnamonschnapps 1 stickbutter 3 peeledbananas 1 Tbsp.cinnamon 1 cupsugar Excerpted fromA Taste ofCowboy by KentRollins Fried Bananas Hot Damn! light themixture. match anddon’t flavor, save your the schnapps To keep moreof Tip:

LORI DUCKWORTH May be served warm orchilled. May warm beserved through.slightly andiswarmed quently untilthesaucethickens for about10minutes, fre- stirring sugar. Cookover mediumheat the Ro*Tel, green chilies, and peppers inadobosaucewith saucepan, combine thechipotle Remove thechipotlepeppersfromcananddice. Ina 1 cupsugar 1 4-oz. canchoppedgreen chilies 1 10-oz. canRo*Tel dicedtomatoesandgreen chilies, 1 7-oz. canofchipotlepeppersinadobosauce Excerpted fromA Taste ofCowboy by KentRollins Chipotle Relish Green Chile Tortillas andGreenChileChipotleRelish(seerecipe Salt andpeppertotaste 1 smalltomediumyellow onion, diced potato,1 russet diced 6 slicesthick-cutbacon, cutinto1-inchpieces ½ tsp. smoked paprika(ormoretotaste) ½ cupshreddedcheddarorpepperjackcheese 2 Tbsp.mayonnaise 1 4-oz. canchoppedgreen chilies 6 large eggs Breakfast Mountain Man Skillet Relish (recipebelow). andGreenChileChipotle aloneorwithtortillas warm the eggsarecooked through, frequently. stirring Serve and mixwell. Continuecooking2to3minutesoruntil minutes oruntilwarmed. Pour theeggs intotheskillet, with thepotatoes. Cookover mediumheatfor1to2 from theskillet. Add thebacon backintotheskillet untiltender.Continue frying Drainany excessgrease untilthey begintobrown,Fry thenaddtheonions. Add thepotatoestoskilletwithbacongrease. done. Remove andplaceonapapertowel. Setaside. the baconover medium-highheatuntilthree-fourths and pepper. Setaside. Inalarge cast-ironskillet, fry chilies, mayonnaise, cheese, smoked paprika, salt, In amediumbowl, beattheeggs. Stirinthegreen drained below) forserving OklahomaToday.com plastic bag. in aMasonjaror ing tripandstore before your camp- Make thisrelish Tip: 77

LORI DUCKWORTH