Back in October of 2022, we took our camper and the dogs to Texas and visited Big Bend National Park. Big Bend was a wonderful place to visit with lots of different landscapes and what might be the darkest sky in the Lower 48. The night sky was truly amazing there. On the drive out to Texas we took I-10, and absolutely hated that stretch of road. It is more boring than driving through hours of cornfields in Iowa. Then you hit that damn causeway over the swamp in Louisiana and that will make anyone seasick. To avoid that on our way back, we went north and took a right on I-40, heading East to get back to NC.

After visiting Big Bend NP, we headed north. Driving up through the oilfields of central Texas is no treat, either. It is flat and desolate with nothing on the horizon but oil equipment and smells atrocious, as oil refining always does. I can’t imagine living near that. We thought it would go on forever and figured that Oklahoma would be much of the same. We were pleasantly surprised that the terrain changed fairly soon after entering OK, with actual trees and pastures. As we headed east we even saw some fall color. Not like we’d see back home but it was a nice taste and quite a relief after the oilfields of TX.

When planning this trip we did some research as we knew we would probably be spending a week in OK, while Shawna worked, on our return trip. One of the Youtube channels we came across had some nice trips from his time in the Wichita Mountains. Yes, mountains in OK. As we did more looking we found a couple of spots that we would like to explore so we made some reservations and our first stop would be Quartz Mountain State Park.

Quartz Mountain is a very well cared for park in Wichita Mountain range. It is nestled in between the mountains and Lake Altus-Lugert. It’s not very big but it has plenty of trails and packs a lot of scenery in, especially when you didn’t expect much. In the week we were there we did hike most of the trails they have. These mountains are fairly low and are mainly rocky bumps with patches of dirt. It makes for an interesting landscape, particularly with the lake as an ever present neighbor.

Overlooking the lake on the Twin Peaks Trail.

With Shawna’s somewhat recent foot surgeries, the trails here were great for her. They are rugged enough to get you a workout and the terrain is challenging but they are not terribly long or so steep as to be a problem with some of the stiffness that she still has. We got to hike a couple of times in the evening and enjoyed more of them on the weekend.

The girls looking over the lodge and the lake.

There are several different campgrounds in the park. There are some by the lake and more along the river. By the time we made reservations we got a spot that backed up to the hills. There is a lot of wildlife in the park. There are lots of deer that are almost tame from the constant exposure to traffic and people. There were 6 that spent most of their time in our camping loop or across the street in the picnic area. This did not sit well with the girls. There was quite a bit of barking and whining going on. We saw some armadillos on the trails and even a porcupine crossing the road.

The view from the Cedar Valley Trail. The old Wallace Ranch below. You can also see the dam and river.

Us on a sunrise hike. This is our favorite time of day. The light is great for pictures and we beat the crowds, not that there were many people here.

Sunrise over the lake. It was windy most of the time while we were here. I think it kicks up dust and sand and adds to the orange glow on the horizon.

Shawna heading back down the New Horizons Trail.

The dam that creates Lake Altus-Lugert was finished in 1947 after being delayed during WW II. There was a smaller dam at the site that was built after the town of Altus was razed by a tornado in 1902.

These deer were quite happy to hang out nearby all day.

This trail is just under the Baldy Point climbing area.

I was able to catch a picture of the porcupine with my phone.

The Lodge at Quartz Mountain is very nice and reminiscent of a national park lodge. Just on a smaller scale. It has very interesting architecture and they display sculptures and art in the hallways and gathering areas. The hotel rooms have an excellent view by the edge of the lake. The original lodge was built by the CCC but it burned down in 1995. The park has art studios and offers programs and scholarships for students. There is a very cool stone amphitheater and they have a large preforming arts hall. Quite the treasure they have here.

While we were here, Comet A3 Atlas was making it’s approach, so we got another astronomical treat on this trip. I should have gotten the good camera out and set it up but the iphone took some pretty decent shots of it. It has a tail that is 80 million miles long and won’t be back again for 80,000 years.

Comet Atlas A3 over the Red River. I was hoping to get a reflection but it didn’t work out.

Quartz Mountain State Park is definitely an underrated destination. It is a wonderful park and we truly enjoyed our stay here. So far, Oklahoma showed us that there are some real treasures where you don’t expect them. Let’s wander down the road and explore these Wichita Mountains some more.

Oklahoma……………Who Knew?

The Wichitas

Northern Lights