Location

Approximately 25 miles northwest of Lawton, Oklahoma.

Useful Phone Numbers

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge - (580) 429-3222

Getting There

From Dallas, take I-35 north to US Highway 380, just north of Denton. Turn west and follow 380 to Decatur. At Decatur, turn north on US Highway 287. Follow 287 through Wichita Falls, where it intersects I-44, and take I-44 north to Lawton. From Lawton, there are two ways to get to the refuge.

The first way is to take US Highway 62 west through Lawton to State Highway 115. Turn north (right) on 115 at the Cache exit and follow it into the refuge. Approximately 5 miles from the intersection of 62 and 115, 115 is joined on the right by State Highway 49. Continue straight ahead; do not turn right onto 49 east. Approximately 2 miles past the junction with highway 49 (approximately 7 miles from the intersection of 62 and 115) is the entrance to Doris campground.

The second way is to continue north on I-44, past Lawton and the Ft. Sill army base, to State Highway 49. Turn west (left) on 49 and follow it into the refuge. Approximately 14.5 miles from the intersection of I-44 and State Highway 49 (8 miles inside the refuge), 49 joins State Highway 115 at a "T" junction. Turn right at the junction. Approximately 2 miles past the junction with State Highway 115) is the entrance to Doris campground.

The Doris campground is marked by a very small, low, wooden sign on the right side of the road. The campground entrance road is on the left.

The Lake Lawtonka campground is located on State Highway 58 approximately 2 miles north of the intersection of 58 and State Highway 49. The intersection of highways 49 and 58 is approximately 4 miles west of I-44 and approximately 11 miles east of the junction with highway 115. (It is approximately 13 miles from Doris campground to highway 58 on highway 49.)

To get to Lake Lawtonka, turn north off highway 49 onto highway 58. The Lake Lawtonka campground is on the left (west) side of highway 58 just past a cafe, gas station, and carryout called "Bubba's." The campground entrance is an unmarked road on the west side of the highway approximately 1 mile north of the camping area (which is visible from the road). To find the entrance, once past the campground, drive slowly until you see a paved road on the left. It's the first road that is not someone's driveway or barred by a gate. After you've made the turn, follow the paved road back (to the left) to the main camping area. (Yes, it is very confusing the first time.) Directions Map | Refuge Map | Doris Campground Map

Getting Around

To get to the Narrows from Doris campground, leave the campground and turn left on State Highway 49 (the main road). Follow 49 to the Lost Lake turn-off. Turn left onto the Lost Lake road, pass Lost Lake, and follow this until the paved road ends. On the left, there is a gravel parking lot and a picnic area. At the back left side of the picnic area (southeast corner, past the stone cabin) is the trailhead for the Narrows. The main Narrows climbing areas begin about 1/2 mile from the trailhead.

To get to upper Mount Scott from Doris campground, leave the campground and turn right on State Highway 49 (the main road). Follow 49 to the junction with State Highway 115 and turn left (east) at that junction, staying on 49. Continue east on 49 to the Mt. Scott turn-off, approximately 7 miles past the junction with 115. Turn left onto the Mt. Scott road and follow it to the summit parking lot. The trail to the upper Mt. Scott climbing area begins approximately 100 yards back down the entrance road from the northeast end of the parking lot.

To get to Charon's Gardens/Elk Slabs from Doris campground, leave the campground and turn left on State Highway 49 (the main road). Follow 49 to the Sunset Trail parking lot turn-off. Turn left and follow this road to the parking lot at the end. To get to the trailhead for Charon's Gardens and Elk Slabs, walk to the end of the parking lot closest to the restrooms, and continue on this path past the restrooms to the bridge. Cross the bridge and take the path to the right. The sign for the trailhead is approximately 150 yards up this trail, near a rocky creek crossing.

Club Trips

Most of the club trips to the Wichitas are the bi-annual beginner and intermediate classes in the spring and fall (see class schedule).

Types of Climbing

Toproping, lead climbing, and rappelling. With somewhere between 200 and 300 established climbs, the Wichitas offer everything from balancey, friction face climbs to classic cracks. The majority of the climbs fall into the 5.6 to 5.10c range, but there are also plenty of 5.4s and 5.5s for warming up and a good selection of solid 5.11s designed to keep you humble. (Beware, the ratings for some routes in the Wichitas can be pretty uneven. In addition to some fine climbing, you also may be introduced to the fine art of "sandbagging," refuge-style.)

The Wichitas do not provide much in the way of bouldering opportunities, with most bouldering being informal warm-ups around the bases of the climbs. The refuge does, surprisingly enough, have a few aid lines. These rare routes are primarily found near the Apple and the Pear (the Apple and the Pear are shown in the banner at the top of this page).

Rock

The rock in the Wichitas is a porphyritic granite (a type of granite containing feldspar crystals) very similar to that found at Enchanted Rock near Austin. Most of the rock is solid, and there is relatively little "rotten" rock in the developed areas of the refuge; however, hollow, brittle plates or sheets can be found. When in doubt, knock on the rock to see if it sounds solid before trusting it to hold your weight.

Climbing Season

The best times to climb in the refuge are in the spring and the fall. The winter months, especially December and January, are sometimes too cold, and July and August are generally too hot. There are, of course, exceptions, and occasionally an unseasonable cool front will allow a few pleasant days of climbing even in the dog-days of summer.

Accomodations

Doris campground is the only camping area in the refuge. There are 70 individual campsites, 20 primitive walk-in sites, and 3 group sites. Each camping area has a set of pit, chemical toilets and shares the main restroom/shower complex that features hot water, showers, and electrical outlets for razors and hair dryers.

Call the refuge headquarters to reserve group campsites only. Individual sites are on a first-come first-served basis and cannot be reserved.

Group sites A and B each have a group shelter that has a concrete floor, electric lights, and picnic tables. Each group site also has a water pump for drinking water. The club usually gets group site A for the beginner and intermediate classes.

The refuge runs on a strict set of rules, and this includes camping policies. No after hours camping is permitted. If some member of your party does not claim a campsite before the gate closes, do not attempt to camp at Doris. You will be lectured, fined, and maybe thrown out of the refuge. Better to drive the 15 or so miles back out to Lake Lawtonka than to spend $50.00 on a run-in with the refuge rangers.

When arriving late, always park in the overflow parking area. The entrance is on the right approximately 100 feet before the gate as you are driving in. It is a good 100 yard walk from the overflow parking area to group site A, so always try to plan ways to carry your food and gear from the parking area to the campsite in case you arrive late.

The alternative to camping at Doris campground is the Lake Lawtonka campground. Lawtonka does not offer the scenic, woodsy camping experience that can be had at Doris, but you can drop in and set up your tent in the wee hours of the morning without worrying about incurring the wrath of the rangers. The main camping area at Lake Lawtonka has a central bathroom with hot water, showers, and electrical outlets for razors and hair dryers. The sites in the main camping area feature covered picnic tables, cooking benches, and charcoal grills.

Expenses

Campsites in Doris campground with electrical hook-ups cost $10.00 per night. Sites without electrical hook-ups cost $6.00 per night.

There are currently no day use or climbing fees in the refuge.

Guidebooks

Oklahoma on the Rocks II, second edition, by Jon Frank, copyright 1989 (out of print). The Oklahoma Climber's Guide, first edition, by Chuck Lohn, copyright 1999, is available from local outdoor retailers.

A number of Texas Mountaineers have also created some new routes in a new area. Jean Wilks has written a climbing description to West Horizon Pass.