Hike Badger Creek West Loop

Just west of the Elk City Lake Dam is a small parking area. The scarcity of foot traffic is highlighted by the size of the parking lot. You'll begin your hike by crossing over a minimal footbridge that spans a small stream. Once over the stream, you begin a slightly moderate climb up the trail to the large rock wall. Once there, you can walk through the 20-30 foot tall rock structure and begin ...

Park your car at the Visitor Center and head inside to grab a copy of the trail map. If the Visitor Center is closed, you can take a picture of the map on the display outside of the building. There are several trails you can take in the preserve, and all of them are worth the time. I recommend starting at the Southwind Nature Trail that is just north of the Visitor Center. This trail takes you ...

Near the town of Pawhuska and about a 50-minute drive west of Bartlesville, is the incredibly scenic Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. The 50 mile drive through it spans to the Kansas border. Along all the way, you can see thousands of roaming buffalo, beautiful wildflowers, tallgrass, cattle, and many other kinds of wildlife.The most popular route through the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is to take th...

Only 15 minutes away from Bartlesville on SH-60 is the scenic Osage Hills State Park. It boasts lush greenery, lakes and creeks for fishing, hiking trails, and mountain biking trails to enjoy. There are 20 semi-modern sites with electricity hook-ups and 7 tent sites located in the center of Osage Hills State Park about 1 mile from the entrance off SH-60. If you head west on the short road to th...