too bad its either too hot or too cold to enjoy it most of the time. At least we havent sold it to oil companies yet though lol so we got that going for us... For now..
@@planetbell1the panhandle is already all people think Oklahoma looks like anyways. No need to show it. 😂 All goes back to The Grapes of Wrath that was set in the panhandle. Most of Oklahoma is green, wooded, and hilly with some beautiful mountain ranges.
Eastern Oklahoma/west Arkansas is beautiful part of country, glad I’ve been able to drive around that part of Oklahoma, really cool backwoods, probably lots of stills and homegrown
Hahaha, yes there is certainly a lot of stills and homegrown over there. I grew up in semi-arid western Oklahoma and that part of the state is like a different state. Thanks for commenting!
Couldn't agree more! We often times overlook things in our backyard. I'm living in Taiwan now and went to my favorite beach yesterday and I was kicking myself for not going more!
I have been hiking in the Wichita Mountains hundreds of times in the last 53 years. I'm 70 now, so my hikes are 3 to 5 mile loops, mostly on elk and bison trails off of the trail map. Spectacular creek drainages "during rainy season". Wildflowers like nowhere else I've been. Bugeling elk season is one of my favorites.
As an avid hiker I was disappointed when I moved to Ft Worth with it's lack of elevation. I recently discovered the Wichita Wilderness via the All Trails app & it is jaw dropping beautiful. The amount of wildlife I encountered combined with the scenery has made it my favorite hike to date.
During Covid I decided to visit all of the corners of Colorado. At the CO/NM/OK "corner" I ventured to Black Mesa. Such an amazing place. Beautiful and NO people. On my list of places to return to explore further.
I have a lot of family in Oklahoma, and we used to go to Arbuckle Wilderness and Eufaula lake on occasion. The state's geography is really fascinating actually. :)
As a Texan, I’m so used to just the same old plains of Oklahoma in the 1-35 area. Now I want to go to Oklahoma. A hidden Gem indeed, I just wonder if majority of them are on the western part of Okie. Never heard of them.
The eastern side has the Ouachita Mountains and Ozark Plateau and lots of trees. The west has more geographic anomalies and wide open spaces. The interstates cut right through the most boring parts of the state :)
Scrambling and climbing the peaks in the Charons Garden Wilderness of the Wichita Mountains is a great training ground for the harder peaks in Colorado. There are plenty of 3rd and 4th class routes and technical routes as well. Baldy Point in Quartz Mountain State Park has the best climbing in the midwest. Also, don't forget the hills surrounding Turner Falls.
@@planetbell1 There are 6 summits above 2000 ft and quite a few below 2000 ft. in the gardens. It is all off trail bushwhacking with the exception of the trail up Elk Mountain. Twin Rocks Peak is a good central peak to view them all. There are 8 different technical climbing area including routes on Crab Eyes. There are probably several more secret areas not in books. Other rock climbing areas in the area include Upper Mt. Scott, Lower Mt. Scott, The Narrows. Baldy Point climbing area is about 50 miles to the west of Charon's Garden Wilderness.
Oklahoma has a lot of well kept state highways to get you to these places. When gas prices were low, my family would drive through the small towns and state parks during the weekend. My wife was from Oregon, and there were geography that reminded her of Oregon.
Great presentation. I’m on a one-year project in eastern OK, and was surprised by the mountains when I arrived. A beautiful area with nice people. Near Poteau is “The Tallest Hill in the World” Cavanal Hill. At an elevation of 1999 ft, it is one ft short of technically being a mountain.
One of the better videos I've watched lately. I'm really interested in seeing all of the great things you've shared here. I ride motorcycles & have recently been training to fly paramotors. The OK looks like a great landscape for both. Thanks for sharing these beautiful places with us. 👍👍
I think Oklahoma is a great landscape for motorcycles, the only problem is there are vast stretches of nothingness between some of the best natural beauty. But, you can ride on backroads through small towns and not deal with any trucks and experience very little traffic. The Wichita Mountains and Ouachita Mountains both have great roads.
@@planetbell1 I have a Sprinter van for covering the vast stretches of nothingness. I can camp in it & haul my toys too. Oh, I even have an inflatable dinghy & outboard for the lakes. We've been to Tulsa a couple of times, but never checked out the western end of the state. It looks really cool.
@@planetbell1 The area around Broken Bow is where me and my family have been camping for a few decades now. Very peaceful, and the logging companies usually don’t mind if you camp on their timber lands as long as you don’t bother their operations so it’s usually free. Lots of trails to ride. Gotta be cautious you don’t stray into a hunting reserve though.
There's parts of the year you don't want to step foot anywhere near Gloss Mountains... as there's a high chance of encountering rattlers. I kid you not, about 1 every damned 100sq. feet. They're everywhere during these times, like a mine field.
Okie here. I love this video. If you ever update this or make a part two, don't forget to mention both the Arbuckle Mountains & the San Bois Mountains. ;)
I can tell you one thing. Of kite surfers knew of great salt plains lake, it would be packed all summer. I’ve never seen anything like it. Tons of wind and the entire lake is only 3-4 feet deep and no waves. It’s amazing
That makes sense that the lake is so shallow. I don't think there was much of a valley there. I'll have to look for kite surfers next time. Thanks for sharing.
we have every biome but artic tundra! this place is my home of record. honestly after traveling the country, this place is home. after all i have been through i will always live here. its the craziest politically and society wise. no place like tokelahoma
Lived in eastern Oklahoma all my life, I always considered it an offshoot of the Ozarks. Guess I need to explore more of the western side of the state!
As a kid I thought this state was flat corn/bean fields I went two years ago & I want to go back. I'm from Indiana & there's way more to see than my home state
I think your doing a awesome job revealing the goodies of Oklahoma. Any recommend place for adventurer to dig up gems or use metal detector to find gold, relics and etc. in OK?
The Gloss Mountains have a lot of fossils and interesting rocks. I think you can find arrowheads all over the state. If you've never dug for crystals at Great Salt Plains do that! It is a lot of fun even though you get muddy.
Oklahoma isn't really a gold or gem producing state, so you won't find much natural gold or gems. There are fossils to be found along the Red River, and you can dig crystals at the Great Salt Plains, but for relics and arrow points, you'll need to do research on where to go and who owns the property and get permission. There are a few outlaw hoards of stolen gold coins and jewelry rumored to be hidden away in the state, but searching for them can be a wee bit tricky as most of the assumed hiding spots are state parks and thus any treasures to be found there is going to be property of the State and they have a strict no metal detecting policy at those state parks. As for relics, depends on what you're looking for. In 1540 to 1542, Conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado along with 400 Spanish Men-At-Arms, 1,300 to 2,000 Mexican Indian allies, four Franciscan friars and a number of black and native slaves marched through the area of Beaver County Oklahoma searching for these mythical 7 cities of gold. Then there's the American Civil War, quite a few skirmish and small battles sites from that war out in the southeastern parts of the state at places like Honey Springs. You got the Chisolm Trail and the Great Western Cattle Trail, then you got the Indian Wars period that lasted from 1868 to 1890's with a lot of the fighting happening out in the western and northwester regions. Farmers still find artifacts from canister shot, bullets, buttons, insignia, there's even an entire supply train of some 13 or 14 wagons that went missing en-route to Camp Supply (present day Fort Supply) that has never been found. Unfortunately, most of this stuff requires you to access private property to search for it which means doing lots of research on who owns the property which means calling the local court houses to get that info along with contact info in order to reach out and request permission.
Not true. These mountains across five different mountain chains in different areas of the state that go up to beyond 2600 ft. That meets any definition of mountains. They just are not the Rocky Mts, but what else is? When you are in them, they look like mounains. Oklahoma has several more small mountain chains between 1100 and 1800 ft in elevation. Many do not seem to know about these places. Go there and you will see and you will enjoy it.
I’d call them “hill country” . Besides the Rockies there is the entire Cascades/Sierra Nevada Range, and the Olympics on the eponymous WA peninsula. Not to mention all the real mountain ranges elsewhere in the world(Alps, Dolomites, Himalayas, Picos de Europa, the Andes, etc..)
The Reservoirs and lakes are another great thing too. Turner Falls is (supposedly) a great place to rent a cabin. Just don't tell too many people! I am thankful for every day that most of the country thinks Oklahoma has "nothing to do" lol.
The reservoirs and lakes would make an interesting video. There are thousands of miles of coastline in an area that would be mostly dry. It is nice to enjoy these places without the crowds.
It was something to see the Wichita Mountains on my way to my grandparents in Burns Flat, OK, in my childhood. (Burns Flat was home to a SAC base which is now the Oklahoma Spaceport.) Not mentioned in this video is the Arbuckle Mountains along I-35 about halfway between Dallas and OKC, more like the Texas Hill Country than the Wichitas and Ouachitas, but notable for their geology. Oklahoma claims to have the most diverse geography per mile of any state.
I think Oklahoma is diverse because it stretches from the foothills of the Rockies to the swamplands of the southeast, with places like the Wichitas and Ozarks. It has a of everyting. I honestly haven't explored the Arubuckles but I'll try to get there this summer and update my video. Thanks for you comments.
I live just down the street from the dispensary at the end. It is becoming the biggest industry behind oil and cattle. The town has several of them. I can however take a drive in less than a tank of gas and see several different environments and landscapes.
@@planetbell1 Near Woodward. NW part of the state. We call it the middle of nowhere. Lots of wild game and it is a lot greener than people think it is. Not a lot of people except around town. Nice and peaceful most of the time. Drugs have been a problem here has long has I can remember. I think the isolation may have something to do with it.
I live in Woodward the dinosaur statue town and yes I tell you what anywhere you go, north, south, east, or west, Oklahoma becomes beautiful head north toward buffalo and the canyons are one of my favorite sights.
Wichita Mountains are extremely old granite mountains. They are the only east-west mountains in North America. To the west of the Wichita Refuge, some areas were quarried for granite for tombstones.
The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge was established originally as a forest preserve. In 1907 it was changed to a wildlife refuge for the primary purpose of preserving bison. About 15 bison were brought by train from the New York City Zoo to establish the first herd. If someone fusses about the Refuge being not so good for camping, they should be reminded it was created for animal preservation.
One correction : Alabaster Cavern is not the largest gypsum cave in the world. Not even in Oklahoma. It IS a very nice tourist cave, though. Not far from Alabaster Cavern is the Selman Bat Cave, another site worth seeing. It is managed by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. In the summer you can watch millions of Mexican Freetailed bats as they exit the cave at dusk to forage for insects. It gives the Carlsbad Cavern bat flight a run for its money.
Just wanted to point out one more animal you can find (though they’re very illusive) in the witchita mountains and most any mountains west of there into New Mexico and part of west Texas is Audad. They’re a very wild looking mountain goat that can get up to 300 pounds with massive horns. I was a hunting guide for a place in Oklahoma and we bought animals regularly from the guy who originally released them in the 90’s. He estimates there’s somewhere around 500-750 in that area of Oklahoma.
Sand dune area reminds me of the sand dunes at Pismo Beach. Filled with noise, dust, pollution, and idiots on atv's. A place most locals learned to avoid, and hate.
I don't really understand the appeal of ATVs but people love them. When I shot those videos it was a quiet evening and there weren't any ATVS and it was really peaceful. Would be cool if there was a large area set aside for people and not machines. Thanks for sharing.
"I think Bigfoot IS blurry. We've been looking for a CLEAR guy all this time. If we started looking for a BLURRY dude, we'd find Bigfoot tomorrow." - Mitch Hedberg
Mitch Hedberg, RIP. Legend. "I wanna hang a map of the world in my house. Then I'm gonna put pins into all the locations that I've traveled to. But first, I'm gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map so it won't fall down."
Nice video, minus the geologic evolution theories to explain the geology. Much of the features can occur quickly, as in years vs millions of years. The Mt St Helen eruption's aftermath created a damn across the river feeding Spirit Lake, which backed up until the damn broke months later and the resulting erosion downstream created a mini Grand Canyon, complete with layers of strata giving the appearance of "millions of years of alluvial deposits." All in a timespan of months. Providence Canyon in Georgia, nicknamed the "Little Grand Canyon," is a similar story. A one sq mile area of deep eroded cliffs that look more like Bryce Canyon that the Grand Canyon, it was carved out in only 70 yrs by rain, after a farmer began to till the ground on his homestead in the 19th century. If it were not witnessed in real time, modern evolutionary "scientists" would have come along and claimed this feature was eroded over "millions of years." Just throwing this out. Observable incidents that demonstrated some geologic features may not have taken long "geologic" time periods to form. If noone was present to witness it, we dont know.
Ummm just a quick correction. When you think the Appalachian mountains Vermont is not what comes to mind. Tennessee west VA and VA the Carolinas. Only Yankees think of Northern states in the Appalachians
The Appalachian mountains run all the way through the east coast. Might not have the same culture of West Virginia but it’s definitely the same mountains.
I live n Oklahoma and proud of it it is a truly amazing state we take for sometimes take for granted amazing wildlife so proud of Oklahoma best way to see it by foot a lot of hiking trails through out the state yes there are bigfoot rumors in the southeastern mountains look out❤😂😂 most natives are friendly LoL the white people u gotta look out 4 just kidding 😊😊❤
What gets me is, how can people say what is out of place and they didn't create it? God does things his way, and that's why he is mysterious. He does it how He wants to, and laughs when y'all try to figure it out.
Very True. California is spectacular - but you have CROWDS! I'm sure there are out of the way places with few visitors, but it can be hard to be alone in the national parks like Yosemite. Thanks your comments.
Oklahoma IS cool 10-12 billion a year in tourism revenue with 20-25 million people visiting yearly. Oklahoma has views that will challenge even the most spectacular view from any other state in the union.
Of interest: Oklahoma’s East and Southeast Ouachita Mountains are lower in elevation than Oklahoma’s rather flat panhandle. i.e. Oklahoma’s highest point is not in its mountains.
@@planetbell1 Not really major ones. Twister is the famous one in OK. More recent is Killers of the Flower Moon and Nefarious. That does sound like a good research topic. I wonder of they take advantage of the different regions or just focus on low costs in the metropolitan areas. I did NOT like that Tulsa Kings series at all. I don't think Taylor Sheridan is an Oklahoma fan. He filmed the Bass Reeves series in Texas!!!
@@planetbell1 between referee high school basketball games when I was young, working in the oil field, and driving a grocery delivery truck… And also a socially unacceptable amount of booze cruising, I can take you all over Northwest Oklahoma.
The photo in your thumbnail wasn't shot by you. It's a copyrighted photo I took in 2012 at Flatside Pinnacle. It is in the Ouachita Mountains, but it's in Arkansas not Oklahoma. It's available to be licensed for a nominal fee. Otherwise I'd appreciate it if you'd take it down.
finally Oklahoma getting some attention for its interesting geography. love the vid
Glad you enjoyed it! I enjoyed traveling around Oklahoma this summer and taking photos and videos. I'm working on a video about the Panhandle next.
too bad its either too hot or too cold to enjoy it most of the time. At least we havent sold it to oil companies yet though lol so we got that going for us... For now..
@@planetbell1 Cool
I drive through OK to Texas. It is peaceful and pretty.
@@planetbell1the panhandle is already all people think Oklahoma looks like anyways. No need to show it. 😂 All goes back to The Grapes of Wrath that was set in the panhandle. Most of Oklahoma is green, wooded, and hilly with some beautiful mountain ranges.
the more people remain ignorant to Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma the better as far as Im concerned.
Fly over, fly on.....
Nice video.
Thank you. It is our secret.
Oklahoma is a real hidden gem. I love all of the varied geology and geography. We went there for vacation this year and will go back again.
There are interesting places all over the plains but we tend to skip over them. I'm glad you got to visit Oklahoma.
Eastern Oklahoma/west Arkansas is beautiful part of country, glad I’ve been able to drive around that part of Oklahoma, really cool backwoods, probably lots of stills and homegrown
Hahaha, yes there is certainly a lot of stills and homegrown over there. I grew up in semi-arid western Oklahoma and that part of the state is like a different state. Thanks for commenting!
I've been to most of these spots and they are truly out of place and beautiful. Being an Okie, it's easy to take it for granted.
Couldn't agree more! We often times overlook things in our backyard. I'm living in Taiwan now and went to my favorite beach yesterday and I was kicking myself for not going more!
I have been hiking in the Wichita Mountains hundreds of times in the last 53 years. I'm 70 now, so my hikes are 3 to 5 mile loops, mostly on elk and bison trails off of the trail map. Spectacular creek drainages "during rainy season". Wildflowers like nowhere else I've been. Bugeling elk season is one of my favorites.
The wildflowers are insane. I saw that two years ago in May and it blew my mind. Thanks for sharing and happy trails!
As an avid hiker I was disappointed when I moved to Ft Worth with it's lack of elevation. I recently discovered the Wichita Wilderness via the All Trails app & it is jaw dropping beautiful. The amount of wildlife I encountered combined with the scenery has made it my favorite hike to date.
It is a great substitute for the Rockies. I'm glad you found that area. There are no crowds usually which is awesome as well. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you're enjoying our trails!
I live in Fort Worth too but will be moving back to Medicine Park and the Wichita Mountains soon. I think about the place when I’m not there.
During Covid I decided to visit all of the corners of Colorado. At the CO/NM/OK "corner" I ventured to Black Mesa. Such an amazing place. Beautiful and NO people. On my list of places to return to explore further.
Did you visit Picture Canyon in Colorado? I didn't have time but want to make it next time. Black Mesa is hauntingly beautiful. I love that area.
Go a little way over in New Mexico and visit the Capulin Volcano. You will see how Black Mesa was formed.
I have a lot of family in Oklahoma, and we used to go to Arbuckle Wilderness and Eufaula lake on occasion. The state's geography is really fascinating actually. :)
I need to make a follow up video on the Arbuckle's and all the lakes. Thanks for commenting.
"Come feed the animals, At Arbuckle Wilderness!!"
The Midwest gets overlooked all the time but it is a wonder to behold and explore. Thanks for making this!! 🇺🇸
My pleasure. Thanks for commenting. The plains states have hidden gems here and there, and no crowds!
As a Texan, I’m so used to just the same old plains of Oklahoma in the 1-35 area. Now I want to go to Oklahoma. A hidden Gem indeed, I just wonder if majority of them are on the western part of Okie. Never heard of them.
The eastern side has the Ouachita Mountains and Ozark Plateau and lots of trees. The west has more geographic anomalies and wide open spaces. The interstates cut right through the most boring parts of the state :)
Def visit the Wichita Mountains…..3 hour drive from DFW area.
Enjoyed your tongue-in-cheek delivery. And yes, the drive up to the top of Mt. Scott in the Wichita Mountains is pretty spectacular.
Thanks - I'm glad you enjoyed!
Scrambling and climbing the peaks in the Charons Garden Wilderness of the Wichita Mountains is a great training ground for the harder peaks in Colorado. There are plenty of 3rd and 4th class routes and technical routes as well. Baldy Point in Quartz Mountain State Park has the best climbing in the midwest. Also, don't forget the hills surrounding Turner Falls.
The Charon Gardens are stunning. I didn't know there were 3rd and 4th class routes. Thanks for sharing.
@@planetbell1 There are 6 summits above 2000 ft and quite a few below 2000 ft. in the gardens. It is all off trail bushwhacking with the exception of the trail up Elk Mountain. Twin Rocks Peak is a good central peak to view them all. There are 8 different technical climbing area including routes on Crab Eyes. There are probably several more secret areas not in books. Other rock climbing areas in the area include Upper Mt. Scott, Lower Mt. Scott, The Narrows. Baldy Point climbing area is about 50 miles to the west of Charon's Garden Wilderness.
Oklahoma has a lot of well kept state highways to get you to these places. When gas prices were low, my family would drive through the small towns and state parks during the weekend. My wife was from Oregon, and there were geography that reminded her of Oregon.
You are right - there are a lot of beautiful backroads - with very little traffic - to go from place to place. Do you have a favorite state park?
Great presentation. I’m on a one-year project in eastern OK, and was surprised by the mountains when I arrived. A beautiful area with nice people. Near Poteau is “The Tallest Hill in the World” Cavanal Hill. At an elevation of 1999 ft, it is one ft short of technically being a mountain.
Are you enjoying it? I need to visit Cavanal HIll and make a video about. Thanks for your comments.
Wow! I had no idea Oklahoma was so diverse! Thank you for posting.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I don't recall exactly but Oklahoma actually has the most diverse ecological sounds of any state
@@lindawade4ok639it’s the most diverse terrain in America
One of the better videos I've watched lately. I'm really interested in seeing all of the great things you've shared here. I ride motorcycles & have recently been training to fly paramotors. The OK looks like a great landscape for both.
Thanks for sharing these beautiful places with us.
👍👍
I think Oklahoma is a great landscape for motorcycles, the only problem is there are vast stretches of nothingness between some of the best natural beauty. But, you can ride on backroads through small towns and not deal with any trucks and experience very little traffic. The Wichita Mountains and Ouachita Mountains both have great roads.
@@planetbell1 I have a Sprinter van for covering the vast stretches of nothingness. I can camp in it & haul my toys too. Oh, I even have an inflatable dinghy & outboard for the lakes.
We've been to Tulsa a couple of times, but never checked out the western end of the state. It looks really cool.
I’ve lived around the Wichita Range for over 20 years. This was a superb representation and #420
I love that area. I'm jealous you lived near there.
@@planetbell1 this video will show up in our kid’s homeschool course.
@@griggimon5968 Cool. What ages do you homeschool?
@@planetbell1 Our boys are 7 and 8.
The Kiamichi forest is one of my favorite places in the country.
I haven't been there yet - hoping to make it this summer. Any place in particular I should go?
@@planetbell1 The area around Broken Bow is where me and my family have been camping for a few decades now. Very peaceful, and the logging companies usually don’t mind if you camp on their timber lands as long as you don’t bother their operations so it’s usually free. Lots of trails to ride. Gotta be cautious you don’t stray into a hunting reserve though.
I'm 6 miles from the Wichita mountains. They are my Refuge from this world.
I'm jealous! I love that area. I grew up 3 hours away but I go there everytime I return to Oklahoma.
Thanks for shouting out my beautiful state 😊
My pleasure! I love traveling around Oklahoma.
Beautiful areas in Oklahoma. I had never seen that before. Nice video. New follower here. Crow✌️
Thanks for the sub! Oklahoma has some really pretty areas, you just have to get off the Interstate.
There's parts of the year you don't want to step foot anywhere near Gloss Mountains... as there's a high chance of encountering rattlers. I kid you not, about 1 every damned 100sq. feet. They're everywhere during these times, like a mine field.
That is what I've heard. Do you know what time of year to avoid?
Lived at the foot of Medicine Park for 8 years. Beautiful place.
I bet that was fun!
Okie here. I love this video. If you ever update this or make a part two, don't forget to mention both the Arbuckle Mountains & the San Bois Mountains. ;)
Thank you. I'm planning to travel around OK this summer and do an update and I'll add those places.
I can tell you one thing. Of kite surfers knew of great salt plains lake, it would be packed all summer. I’ve never seen anything like it. Tons of wind and the entire lake is only 3-4 feet deep and no waves. It’s amazing
That makes sense that the lake is so shallow. I don't think there was much of a valley there. I'll have to look for kite surfers next time. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve been to all of these and they’re all worth the time especially south east Oklahoma around lake Broken Bow
Thanks for sharing. The state really is beautiful.
It seems fitting that a black basalt lava flow from a volcano in SE Colorado created Oklahoma’s highest point; Black Mess at 4,973’ above sea level.
Right? That area is really stunning though. It feels like the wild west out there.
Mesa…..sorry folks. And I live in the state.
Great video about Oklahoma’s geographic points of interest!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you.
relaxing yet informative.. sweet video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Oklahoma is the best state coming from someone who has lived in cali for most of my life, there’s nothing like it
There are a lot of great things there. Thanks for your comments.
Oklahoma is very underappreciated for beauty.
Very True. There are several places I didn't mention that are beautiful as well. Thanks for your comments.
Cool, I didn't realize the beauty of Oklahoma
There are several great places I didn't include. It is a diverse state.
The only drawback to Oklahoma is the frequency of those blasted tornadoes.
Right? And we keep getting more and more each year.
we have every biome but artic tundra! this place is my home of record. honestly after traveling the country, this place is home. after all i have been through i will always live here. its the craziest politically and society wise. no place like tokelahoma
It is a special place. Thanks for your comments!
Copy the Toke
Lived in eastern Oklahoma all my life, I always considered it an offshoot of the Ozarks. Guess I need to explore more of the western side of the state!
The far northeastern area is part of the Ozark plateau. The state is so diverse.
You can drive to the top of Mt. Scott. It's awesome
If you haven't. The Boston foothills in Arkansas is the foothills for the Ozarks and is beautiful.
Just came across your channel is the second video, this is great stuff man!!
Awesome, thank you! I really appreciate it.
I'd add the Arbuckles to this list.
As a kid I thought this state was flat corn/bean fields
I went two years ago & I want to go back.
I'm from Indiana & there's way more to see than my home state
There is a lot of flat ground but a ton of geographic diversity, too. Thanks for sharing.
I think your doing a awesome job revealing the goodies of Oklahoma. Any recommend place for adventurer to dig up gems or use metal detector to find gold, relics and etc. in OK?
The Gloss Mountains have a lot of fossils and interesting rocks. I think you can find arrowheads all over the state. If you've never dug for crystals at Great Salt Plains do that! It is a lot of fun even though you get muddy.
Oklahoma isn't really a gold or gem producing state, so you won't find much natural gold or gems. There are fossils to be found along the Red River, and you can dig crystals at the Great Salt Plains, but for relics and arrow points, you'll need to do research on where to go and who owns the property and get permission. There are a few outlaw hoards of stolen gold coins and jewelry rumored to be hidden away in the state, but searching for them can be a wee bit tricky as most of the assumed hiding spots are state parks and thus any treasures to be found there is going to be property of the State and they have a strict no metal detecting policy at those state parks. As for relics, depends on what you're looking for. In 1540 to 1542, Conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado along with 400 Spanish Men-At-Arms, 1,300 to 2,000 Mexican Indian allies, four Franciscan friars and a number of black and native slaves marched through the area of Beaver County Oklahoma searching for these mythical 7 cities of gold. Then there's the American Civil War, quite a few skirmish and small battles sites from that war out in the southeastern parts of the state at places like Honey Springs. You got the Chisolm Trail and the Great Western Cattle Trail, then you got the Indian Wars period that lasted from 1868 to 1890's with a lot of the fighting happening out in the western and northwester regions. Farmers still find artifacts from canister shot, bullets, buttons, insignia, there's even an entire supply train of some 13 or 14 wagons that went missing en-route to Camp Supply (present day Fort Supply) that has never been found.
Unfortunately, most of this stuff requires you to access private property to search for it which means doing lots of research on who owns the property which means calling the local court houses to get that info along with contact info in order to reach out and request permission.
Not true. These mountains across five different mountain chains in different areas of the state that go up to beyond 2600 ft. That meets any definition of mountains. They just are not the Rocky Mts, but what else is? When you are in them, they look like mounains. Oklahoma has several more small mountain chains between 1100 and 1800 ft in elevation. Many do not seem to know about these places. Go there and you will see and you will enjoy it.
Exactly. Thanks for the comments.
I’d call them “hill country” . Besides the Rockies there is the entire Cascades/Sierra Nevada Range, and the Olympics on the eponymous WA peninsula. Not to mention all the real mountain ranges elsewhere in the world(Alps, Dolomites, Himalayas, Picos de Europa, the Andes, etc..)
Geologists say the Arbuckles were higher than the Rockies are, at one time. They've just been eroded through the eons.
@@assember2628 That is a crazy thought. Thanks for sharing.
MEDICINE PARK is an awesome place to use as a base camp to explore the area. We like to visit at least once or twice a year.
It really is! I love Medicine Park!
The Reservoirs and lakes are another great thing too. Turner Falls is (supposedly) a great place to rent a cabin. Just don't tell too many people! I am thankful for every day that most of the country thinks Oklahoma has "nothing to do" lol.
The reservoirs and lakes would make an interesting video. There are thousands of miles of coastline in an area that would be mostly dry. It is nice to enjoy these places without the crowds.
More lake line than there is eastern coastline if I remember correctly!@@planetbell1
It was something to see the Wichita Mountains on my way to my grandparents in Burns Flat, OK, in my childhood. (Burns Flat was home to a SAC base which is now the Oklahoma Spaceport.) Not mentioned in this video is the Arbuckle Mountains along I-35 about halfway between Dallas and OKC, more like the Texas Hill Country than the Wichitas and Ouachitas, but notable for their geology. Oklahoma claims to have the most diverse geography per mile of any state.
I think Oklahoma is diverse because it stretches from the foothills of the Rockies to the swamplands of the southeast, with places like the Wichitas and Ozarks. It has a of everyting.
I honestly haven't explored the Arubuckles but I'll try to get there this summer and update my video. Thanks for you comments.
This is a quality video. Shame it has so few views
Thank you. I is like the 5th video I made so I don't have much of an audience yet. :)
I live just down the street from the dispensary at the end. It is becoming the biggest industry behind oil and cattle. The town has several of them. I can however take a drive in less than a tank of gas and see several different environments and landscapes.
It is crazy how the marijuana business has taken over. What part of the state do you live in?
@@planetbell1 Near Woodward. NW part of the state. We call it the middle of nowhere.
Lots of wild game and it is a lot greener than people think it is. Not a lot of people except around town. Nice and peaceful most of the time. Drugs have been a problem here has long has I can remember. I think the isolation may have something to do with it.
I live in Woodward the dinosaur statue town and yes I tell you what anywhere you go, north, south, east, or west, Oklahoma becomes beautiful head north toward buffalo and the canyons are one of my favorite sights.
That drive towards Buffalo is really nice. Those red earth canyons are beautiful. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I live extremely close to medicine park. thank you for your video!
Thanks for watching!
I’m glad you found the crazy creationist coffee shop in Woodward.
Me too! It is my favorite thing there :)
That the actual name of the place? I drive buy it at least twice a month but I never bother to look at the place's name.
Wichita Mountains are extremely old granite mountains. They are the only east-west mountains in North America. To the west of the Wichita Refuge, some areas were quarried for granite for tombstones.
I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing.
@@planetbell1 I have later learned that at least one other range is east-west. It's also a very old range. Think it was in NM.
The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge was established originally as a forest preserve. In 1907 it was changed to a wildlife refuge for the primary purpose of preserving bison. About 15 bison were brought by train from the New York City Zoo to establish the first herd. If someone fusses about the Refuge being not so good for camping, they should be reminded it was created for animal preservation.
Great point. I should do a video just on the Bison. It is fascinating. Thanks for sharing.
What a great video, would love to see one about Arkansas if you ever felt like it!
Maybe one day! I have family there and go every summer. Where should I visit?
Very well done!
Thank you very much!
I was actually at Medicine Park just yesterday enjoying a Vodka and water with my wife on the very same bar deck you showed in the video😄
NIce! I love that spot.
Wichita mountains are neat. We used to rock climb there in the early seventies.
I love that area. It is so beautiful and no crowds. Thanks for sharing.
Great video! I was born are raised in and near Oklahoma City. All I ever saw was flat farm lands peppered by oil rigs.
That is a lot of the state, but there are hidden gems all around.
Great video.
Glad you enjoyed it
One correction : Alabaster Cavern is not the largest gypsum cave in the world. Not even in Oklahoma. It IS a very nice tourist cave, though. Not far from Alabaster Cavern is the Selman Bat Cave, another site worth seeing. It is managed by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. In the summer you can watch millions of Mexican Freetailed bats as they exit the cave at dusk to forage for insects. It gives the Carlsbad Cavern bat flight a run for its money.
Thanks for the info. I'll have to check out Selman.
Just wanted to point out one more animal you can find (though they’re very illusive) in the witchita mountains and most any mountains west of there into New Mexico and part of west Texas is Audad. They’re a very wild looking mountain goat that can get up to 300 pounds with massive horns. I was a hunting guide for a place in Oklahoma and we bought animals regularly from the guy who originally released them in the 90’s. He estimates there’s somewhere around 500-750 in that area of Oklahoma.
Thanks for sharing. i had to look it up - I'd never heard of an Audad before. They were introduced sort of like the Bison were reintroduced.
My grandmother grew up in the Wichitas near Quartz Mountain state park. They ate Mountain goats during the 30s to survive
Would that be the elusive jackalope? 😁
Would’ve been nice to include maps to show where the areas are. But great video. I’m from the Texas panhandle so I enjoy things from the region
Thanks for the suggestion. I've tried to include maps in my newer vids.
If you're going to Black Mesa, take a crowbar with you, you're gonna need it from the aliens that live there.
And from God's Misfits!
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it
black mesa is great for astronomy
I want to go back and check out the dark skies. I can see why there is no light pollution - there is nothing out there!
you left out southeastern Oklahoma where Red Slough Wildlife area is, and native alligators and palms live in the swamp lands.
You are right! I'm planning to visit SE Oklahoma next summer so I'll stop there. Thanks for the info!
@@planetbell1 my family loves Beavers Bend, Broken Bow
thanks
You're welcome!
Sand dune area reminds me of the sand dunes at Pismo Beach. Filled with noise, dust, pollution, and idiots on atv's. A place most locals learned to avoid, and hate.
I don't really understand the appeal of ATVs but people love them. When I shot those videos it was a quiet evening and there weren't any ATVS and it was really peaceful. Would be cool if there was a large area set aside for people and not machines. Thanks for sharing.
"I think Bigfoot IS blurry. We've been looking for a CLEAR guy all this time. If we started looking for a BLURRY dude, we'd find Bigfoot tomorrow." - Mitch Hedberg
Mitch Hedberg, RIP. Legend. "I wanna hang a map of the world in my house. Then I'm gonna put pins into all the locations that I've traveled to. But first, I'm gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map so it won't fall down."
I had no idea!
There are even more I didn't mention. It is an interesting state.
DON'T GO UP TO THE MOUNTAIN TOP WITHOUT ME (c)2006
Nice video, minus the geologic evolution theories to explain the geology. Much of the features can occur quickly, as in years vs millions of years. The Mt St Helen eruption's aftermath created a damn across the river feeding Spirit Lake, which backed up until the damn broke months later and the resulting erosion downstream created a mini Grand Canyon, complete with layers of strata giving the appearance of "millions of years of alluvial deposits." All in a timespan of months. Providence Canyon in Georgia, nicknamed the "Little Grand Canyon," is a similar story. A one sq mile area of deep eroded cliffs that look more like Bryce Canyon that the Grand Canyon, it was carved out in only 70 yrs by rain, after a farmer began to till the ground on his homestead in the 19th century. If it were not witnessed in real time, modern evolutionary "scientists" would have come along and claimed this feature was eroded over "millions of years." Just throwing this out. Observable incidents that demonstrated some geologic features may not have taken long "geologic" time periods to form. If noone was present to witness it, we dont know.
Oklahoma kicks ass!!!
There are some cool places.
Some of those pictures of the mountains look more like the ozarks.
The Ozarks have a similar geography and vegetation. Both areas are beautiful.
Ummm just a quick correction. When you think the Appalachian mountains Vermont is not what comes to mind. Tennessee west VA and VA the Carolinas. Only Yankees think of Northern states in the Appalachians
I must be part Yankee :)
The Appalachian mountains run all the way through the east coast. Might not have the same culture of West Virginia but it’s definitely the same mountains.
wow
Refreshing to hear proper pronunciation.
No AI.
I live n Oklahoma and proud of it it is a truly amazing state we take for sometimes take for granted amazing wildlife so proud of Oklahoma best way to see it by foot a lot of hiking trails through out the state yes there are bigfoot rumors in the southeastern mountains look out❤😂😂 most natives are friendly LoL the white people u gotta look out 4 just kidding 😊😊❤
It is a surprisingly geographically diverse and beautiful state. Thanks for your comments!
What gets me is, how can people say what is out of place and they didn't create it? God does things his way, and that's why he is mysterious. He does it how He wants to, and laughs when y'all try to figure it out.
Cali native + M.A. Geography. Spoiled nat. beauty + know scape. Each St. has some special terrain to offer- gotta look for it.
Very True. California is spectacular - but you have CROWDS! I'm sure there are out of the way places with few visitors, but it can be hard to be alone in the national parks like Yosemite. Thanks your comments.
All this doesn't pay the bills and builds wealth.
?
Please stop telling people we're cool. lol
I don't think you have to worry about an influx of people :)
@@planetbell1Yes we do..
Oklahoma IS cool
10-12 billion a year in tourism revenue with 20-25 million people visiting yearly. Oklahoma has views that will challenge even the most spectacular view from any other state in the union.
Of interest: Oklahoma’s East and Southeast Ouachita Mountains are lower in elevation than Oklahoma’s rather flat panhandle. i.e. Oklahoma’s highest point is not in its mountains.
Great point. The slope of the continent plays a big factor in elevation.
very nice vid
The dispensary thing is actually out of control. But all the other states will find out soon enough. Politicians want that tax revenue.
Most states have put limits on the number of dispos. The number has already started declining in Oklahoma and will soon find a balance.
Yeah, it's weird. Don't know why more movies aren,'t made here. Spend my time in the se mountains that stretch into Arkansas.
I feel like there are more movies made in Oklahoma than most states of similar size. I should make this a research project.
@@planetbell1 Not really major ones. Twister is the famous one in OK. More recent is Killers of the Flower Moon and Nefarious. That does sound like a good research topic. I wonder of they take advantage of the different regions or just focus on low costs in the metropolitan areas. I did NOT like that Tulsa Kings series at all. I don't think Taylor Sheridan is an Oklahoma fan. He filmed the Bass Reeves series in Texas!!!
When you come back to Oklahoma, ask your uncle chappy to be your guide.
Ok Uncle Chappy. Where are you going to show me?
@@planetbell1 between referee high school basketball games when I was young, working in the oil field, and driving a grocery delivery truck… And also a socially unacceptable amount of booze cruising, I can take you all over Northwest Oklahoma.
18000 tons of dinosaur bones??? lol....man they sure tamper with history
The photo in your thumbnail wasn't shot by you. It's a copyrighted photo I took in 2012 at Flatside Pinnacle. It is in the Ouachita Mountains, but it's in Arkansas not Oklahoma. It's available to be licensed for a nominal fee. Otherwise I'd appreciate it if you'd take it down.
Done. Sorry about that.
ACCIDENTALLY
Ouachita is pronounced "Wash-it-aw", not "Watch-it-aw".
Thanks for the help. I'm from western Oklahoma so I that word is tricky for me :)
@@planetbell1 Well, at least you didn't say "Oo-uh-CHEE-tuh".
I first read that as Uh-oh-Cheeto and it made me laugh. @@number4cat1
Yes, Jehovah God certainly created all things beautiful and saw that it was good :)
I was told it was pronounced waa chee ta. ouachita
I'm sure I pronounced it wrong but I'm not from that part of the state :)
Okalahoma is really minecraft
very good video! buut Ouachita is pronounced Washita like Wash-i-taw
Thank you. I'm from western Oklahoma so I wasn't sure :)
@@planetbell1 haha makes sense. Great editing and quality
Sign: Roamed the earth 5,000 years ago??? Make that about 250,000,000 years ago. Whoever wrote that must believe in the Creation Myth.
It is in the creation park in Woodward. There is a statue of Jesus on a Stegosaurus. It is kind of amazing.
Noah's Flood
Salt Plains is a no drone zone
Correct
How can you say out of place? The Wichitas are the oldest mountains in the USA.
They don't fit with the rest of the plains in the area.
WhEn GoD MaDe De EaRtH
Putting this on my must see list, love the Trump flags 😉
This k Noah's flood wasn't violent?
I'm not sure I understand?