Wichita Mountains
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The Wichita Mountains are located in southwestern Oklahoma. The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, a favorite for hikers and rock climbers in the region, is located adjacent to Cache, Oklahoma, Medicine Park, Oklahoma, and historic Meers, Oklahoma while just a short drive from Lawton, Oklahoma. Buffalo, elk and deer are protected on the 59,020 acre wildlife refuge. The Field Artillery capital of the world, Fort Sill, occupies the southern part of the range. Backcountry camping is available in the Charon Gardens Wilderness area. Additional points of interest are the Wildlife Refuge visitors center, Holy City of the Wichitas, Quanah Parker Lake & Dam, Lake Lawtonka, and Quartz Mountain Nature Park.

Geology

The geologic history of the Wichita Mountain region began with the deposition of late Precambrian to early Cambrian sandstones. These sandstones were intruded by coarse gabbro sills of about 575 million years ago as the region began to rift apart in a failed continental breakup. The gabbro intrusion was followed by erosion and further intrusion of granite accompanied by volcanic eruptions of rhyolite lava and explosive volcanic breccias some 50 million years later. Following these igneous episodes the region subsided and shallow sea sediments were deposited over the area consisting of sandstones and limestones.

Granite knob in the Wichita Mtns.

During the Pennsylvanian Period (330-290 million years ago) the region was subjected to intense pressure during the continental collision or orogeny which produced the Ouachita Mountains to the east. This resulted in faulting and folding along with up to 20,000 feet of local uplift. This uplift created rugged mountains which have been reduced to their present state by erosion. At 2,464 ft (750m) Mt Scott is the second tallest mountain in the Refuge and the third tallest in the state. Mt. Pinchot in the Special Use Area is 12 feet taller. A paved road leads to the summit of Mt. Scott, from which visitors can see for dozens of miles on a clear day. The highest peak in the Wichita Mountains (including areas outside the refuge) is Haley Peak, at 2481 ft. Haley Peak (officially unnamed) is located on private property just outside the NW corner of the refuge. [Haley Peak Elevation information from records stored at USGS/NSDI Standards Team/NGTOC III/Mid-Continent Mapping Center/Rolla MO.]

When the area was part of Indian reservations and therefore off-limits to non-Native Americans, the Wichita mountains were rumored to contain rich gold deposits. When the area was first opened up for settlement, many prospectors staked mining claims, and towns were laid out to serve the presumed bonanzas, but no economic deposits were found. The gold boom was prolonged by some unscrupulous assayers who found gold in every sample, but the miners eventually gave up, leaving behind ghost towns such as Wildman, Oklahoma.¹

References

1. ^ Dan Plazak (2006) A Hole in the Ground with a Liar at the Top, Salt Lake: University of Utah Press, ISBN-10:0-87480-840-5, p.198-200.

• America's Volcanic Past - Oklahoma

External links

• United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Official Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Homepage
• BikeUSA.com: Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge