Top Places To Visit In Oklahoma In The Fall
Oklahoma is one of the most underrated states in the US. But not many know that this state is home to some of the most diverse landscapes and natural attractions in the country. In the fall, the entire state becomes incredibly beautiful as it gets overwhelmed with picturesque fall foliage. In addition to the incredible transformation, the weather also becomes so conducive, and being one of the least visited states in the country also means the destinations will be less crowded. This amazing combination makes fall arguably the best time to visit Oklahoma, and to get the best out of the state during this season, here are the top places to visit.
Bricktown
Bricktown is located in the heart of Oklahoma City, and it is a popular entertainment district with many shops, restaurants, galleries, and bars. This area is incredibly beautiful and vibrant in the fall, as it comes alive with outdoor activities. But the highlight of the district is around the Bricktown Canal, a navigable waterway flanked by trees on its pavements. Leaves of these trees glisten in picturesque colors when autumn arrives and make the scene a perfect backdrop to take some of the finest fall pictures. Visitors can enjoy a sailboat ride on the canal to soak in the gorgeous scenery and experience a unique feeling of fall. The Bricktown Canal is an ideal place to blend city life and vibes with the beauty of falls in Oklahoma City.
Grand Lake
Grand Lake is one of the most beautiful destinations in Oklahoma, with a surface area of 46,500 acres, making it one of the largest in the state. The lake is set on the foothills of the Ozark Mountain range in Northeast Oklahoma, serving as a recreational destination for Grove and neighboring settlements. In the fall, foliage colors are seen around the lake and high up the mountains. Visitors can stroll on its long shoreline to capture this incredible beauty. For more memorable experiences here, one can bask in the sun, ride a boat, go fishing, hike the trails around, and capture scenic beauty with a camera. Plus, wildlife sightings are common here, which makes the fall experience even better.
Medicine Park
Medicine Park is a small scenic town in Comanche County, sandwiched in the Wichita Mountains. While the town is renowned for its cobblestoned structures, it is also famous for its enchanting natural endowments. Medicine Park is bordered by the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge and three water bodies, which include a picturesque lake. Along these waters are colorful foliage blooming in pristine splendor, setting the stage for photography and sightseeing. Picnics are enjoyable here, and there are also opportunities for watersports like boating and kayaking. For nature lovers and hikers, there are several trails around the town that offer views of wildlife and majestic fall colors.
Myriad Botanical Gardens
The Myriad Botanical Gardens is a slice of natural beauty located in downtown Oklahoma City. This garden is the answer for nature lovers seeking fall foliage in the city. The garden is a sanctuary for nature's best leaves, and in the fall, they are majestic and inviting. Over 700 varieties of plants can be seen in this garden, and there's even a cascading waterfall to make the sight more glorious. Outside, visitors will be met with a combination of landscaped gardens, beautiful ponds, and tranquil pathways lined with colorful foliage.
Lake Murray State Park
Lake Murray State Park is the largest and oldest state park in Oklahoma, but that's not even what makes it an amazing fall destination. The park is centered around Lake Murray, a beautiful and massive lake featuring lush greenery on its banks. In fall, this lake boasts a picturesque scene as colors of changing leaves cast their reflections on the waters. Watersports like boating, kayaking, canoeing, and paddle boating are some of the ways to enjoy the lake and fall's beauty here. Beyond the lake, the park is a massive landscape of natural beauty, featuring rolling hills and lush forests that showcase gorgeous scenery in fall. Visitors can easily explore the park by biking, hiking, or riding ATVs, and even camping, as several campgrounds offer extended stays.
Talimena State Park
Talimena State Park is an incredible destination in Oklahoma to visit year-round, but fall is the most exciting. During this season, visitors will be met with jaw-dropping beauty at every turn, and the conducive weather also makes it a great time to engage in the park's long list of activities. Visitors can begin a memorable fall experience here by strolling around the park to capture scenic foliage views and take great pictures with backdrops of elegant trees and shrubs. Fishing, hiking, biking, riding ATVs, camping, picnics, and wildlife spotting are the other activities in the park to maximize the experience.
Talimena State Park is also at the entrance of the iconic Talimena Scenic Drive, where the interrupted fall scenery can be seen for miles. For more adventures, visitors can also head over to the Ouachita National Recreation Trail for a trek through the Ouachita Mountains.
Lower Mountain Fork River
The Lower Mountain Fork River and its banks are some of the best places to experience fall in Oklahoma. This destination in the Broken Bow area is an alternate option to the Broken Bow Lake in Beavers State Park as it holds a share of incredible fall scenery. It is a small slice of paradise and home to many cypress trees, rocky gardens, small waterfalls, and rapids that present a handful of activities for visitors. One of the best things to do here is swimming in the crystal clear river, which also offers opportunities for fishing, canoeing, and boating. In addition to being thrilling, these are great ways to savor the scenery.
Osage Hills State Park
The Osage Hills State Park features a magnificent scenery of lush forests, rushing lakes and waterfalls, and rocky terrain. All of these combine with the colorful leaves of fall to make the park one of the best places in Oklahoma to visit in the fall.
Visitors to this park can indulge in various activities to have an incredible vacation, from picnicking to fishing in the Lookout Lake or in Sand Creek. Osage Hills State Park is also home to miles of rocky trails that offer great hiking opportunities, mountain biking, and wildlife watching. Several campgrounds offering sites for tents and RVs are also available at Osage Hills State Park.
Chickasaw National Recreation Area
Chickasaw National Recreation Area is an area that's home to so many incredible natural gems, from natural springs to streams and lakes, which all combine to create picturesque scenery and opportunities for exciting adventures.
In the fall, the charming scenery of these waterbodies combines with glorious foliage colors to create picturesque scenery. Visitors can enjoy a memorable experience here by hiking the over 20 miles of trails to soak in the scenery and get up close to the interesting fauna and flora. Alternatively, visitors can bathe or swim in Rock Creek, Veterans Lake, and Lake of the Arbuckles or in the clear waters of Little Niagara Falls in Travertine Creek. Other exciting activities offered in this recreational area include - biking, fishing, and wildlife watching, and visitors can also visit the nature center to learn more about the flora and fauna of the park.
Robber Caves State Park
Robbers Caves State Park is a natural landscape of endless beauty in Wilburton, Oklahoma, where fall looks and feels magical. Here, visitors will be met with stunning rock formations, dense forest areas, charming lakes, a creek, and caves. During fall, the foliage colors amplify the scenery of these natural attractions, making them even more beautiful and great for adventures. Visitors to this park can enjoy a memorable experience by hiking the miles of trails flanked by gorgeous trees overwhelmed with hues of gold, orange, red, and yellow. For spectacular and panoramic views, visitors can hike up the small hills to capture the foliage with a camera. Otherwise, they can take a stroll around the picturesque lakes or explore the caves for a memorable adventure.
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge
The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in South West Oklahoma promises a memorable fall vacation with its rich wildlife and incredible mountain scenery. Here, visitors will be met with interesting wildlife species, including Buffalo, elk, bison, deer, and Prairie dogs, all roaming in their habitat. While the refuge is centered around wildlife watching, fall makes that secondary as visitors will be captivated by the scenery of fall, especially from Wichita, Elk, and Scott mountains. For more adventures and to take in more views, visitors can engage in some of the activities offered here, like hiking, camping, kayaking, and birdwatching.
Beavers Bend State Park
The Beavers Bend State Park in Broken Bows, Southeast Oklahoma, is always set to stun visitors with amazing visual treats in the fall as it boasts a lush forest of pine and hardwood trees that get transformed into charming red, orange, amber, and yellow colors during this season. Visitors can get the best out of this magical scenery by hiking or biking on one of the trails. Alternatively, visitors can also go tout fishing, kayaking, or boating on the Fork River or Broken Bow Lake, both of which are flanked by gorgeous foliage colors. Beavers Bend State Park also has cabins, RV, and tent campsites for those who want to spend more time savoring the gorgeous scenery.
Turner Falls Park
Turner Falls Park in the Arbuckle Mountains is a fascinating place to visit in Oklahoma in the fall. This park is famous for the Turner Falls, which cascades from a towering height of 77 feet into a beautiful pool that beckons visitors to jump in and swim away. In the fall, the trees around the waterfall emit incredible colors, making the spot even more satisfying. In addition to the falls, this park also features interesting caves that look like they are filled with treasures or strange creatures and lots of green areas that get infected with the foliage syndrome in the fall. Visitors can also camp in the park to take in the views to their satisfaction.
While Oklahoma is beautiful across all seasons, fall is arguably the most beautiful time to visit this state. Thanks to its diverse landscape, the abundance of natural attractions, and vibrant cities, visitors will have no shortage of places to enjoy a memorable fall vacation here. And unlike other states in the country, visitors to these fall destinations in Oklahoma will not have to deal with too much crowd. This combination of scenery and serenity is what makes these places so fun to visit.
