While the rest of the Internet has fully embraced fall, southwest Oklahoma can’t seem to make up its mind. Some days don’t get above 50°F and others we’re still seeing high 80’s. So when we found ourselves with a warm day, we headed straight for the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and checked out Kite trail!
I’ve shared about the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge a few times before – here and here, for starters – and it’s our favorite place to hike in the area. We’re trying to get to all the trails while we live here, so picked a short one for the afternoon!
The Kite trail is a quick one, only 1.3 miles each way. Perfect for an afternoon where you’ve only got a few hours. It also crisscrosses several other trails, making it easy to make a day of it.
The trail starts in a wooded picnic area next to a lake, picturesque and sun-dappled. Pretty quickly it reaches a dam, where we saw a couple guys and their dogs attempting to cross it.
The best part of the Kite trail is the way it winds along the top of a gorge. It’s so unlike anything else I’ve seen in Oklahoma, steep and unexpected. Something about it reminded me of the canyons in New Zealand, transplanted across the globe.
Beauty aside, its official name is the Forty Foot Hole. Sounds about right.
Parts of the trail is well marked with a symbol of a kite, but short sections over broad rocks require a little guesswork. Also, keep an eye out for snakes – we always heard them before we saw them, but be aware.
We love the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, and the views off Kite trail are some of my favorites! Where is your favorite place to hike?
All images copyright Teaspoon of Nose.
[…] Exploring the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge is always a good hiking day, and it was especially fun to discover an actual mountain! Mount Scott was definitely worth checking out. If you’re interested in other trails, our favorites are Charons Garden and the Kite Trail. […]
[…] into the Forty Foot Hole (again, here’s to good ole Oklahoma naming choices) and along the Kite Trail – the Bison Trail and Kite run parallel on opposite sides of the canyon for a […]
wow what an adventure, those pictures by the lake are so beautiful!
Thank you so much!
What a beautiful place it is. The way you described and shared pictures, hiking there looks like so much fun.
Gorgeous shots and your dog is beautiful! It’s always nice to get outdoors for a hike 🙂
It looks so beautiful you are really lucky to have such a lovely places nearby!
Thank you! This one surprised me – I didn’t expect to have a gorge!
Looks like a wonderful hike, parts of it do remind me of nz! I’d love to do this one day. Love the way you describe the walk. It makes the reader feel like they’re with you
Thanks Jem! It was crazy how the canyon reminded me of NZ (but of course, then I’d turn around and see cacti. So… only parts).