Explore Oklahoma’s pet-friendly hiking trails with your dog this fall
by Sharon Bishop-Baldwin
Fall in Oklahoma means (slightly) cooler weather and a chance to get back outdoors again. What’s more fun than soaking in Oklahoma’s natural beauty? Sharing it with your four-legged best friend, of course.
The Tulsa and Oklahoma City metro areas have dozens and dozens of miles of trails with some that welcome pets anytime and some on select days.
Tulsa’s Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area “is kind of an outdoor oasis right there in the middle of town,” said Jeff Edwards, executive director and CEO of Tulsa’s River Parks Authority, which oversees not only the roughly 740-acre Turkey Mountain area but also 26 miles of paved River Parks trails that weave among playgrounds, fountains and sculptures along the banks of the Arkansas River. “It gets you more into nature and out of the heat island.”
But knowing where to go is only part of the equation, the experts say.
“It’s important to know your dog’s limitations,” Edwards said, suggesting that hiking enthusiasts who want to take their dogs along start with a few short, easy hikes and pay attention to how their dogs recover afterward.
Even if the dog is tired, as long as the recovery is quick and easy, that’s usually a green light for longer or more challenging hikes.
“Ramp up their activity the same way you would your own activity,” Edwards said.
And just as trail etiquette is important for human users, it is for canine visitors as well. Edwards points out that River Parks and even Turkey Mountain, despite its wilderness feel, are both in the city limits.
“Lots of folks don’t follow the leash law, but off-leash dogs and bikes don’t mix,” he said.
Rocky Kelley, the program coordinator for the Keystone Ancient Forest, a 1,400-acre nature preserve about 15 miles west of Tulsa that offers pet-friendly hours on some weekends and holidays, concurs.
A leash law is also in effect at the preserve, which is owned and operated by the city of Sand Springs, but its heavily forested grounds often tempt dog owners to let their pups go commando.
“Dog weekends are pretty popular when the weather’s nice. We get a lot of people that hike with their pets,” he said.
But Kelley said the remote nature of the preserve is exactly why dogs are required to be on a 6-foot leash while there.
“There are a thousand smells out there that are going to be new to a dog — armadillos, deer, raccoons, opossums,” he said. Those unfamiliar scents are exactly what curious dogs want to investigate.
And although the animals themselves — including larger predators such as bobcats and coyotes — are more often smelled than seen, encounters can still happen.
Plus, Kelley said, poison ivy is frequently found near the trails at the Keystone Ancient Forest, and some dogs could simply get lost or run away if not on a leash.
“We haven’t had any incidents in at least several years, but there are leash laws for a reason,” he said, adding that electronic collars are not sufficient, no matter how well-behaved a dog might be in familiar surroundings.
Kelley and Edwards stress the importance of preparing for and cleaning up after your pet when it takes care of business.
Edwards said visitors to Turkey Mountain are asked to use poop bags and dispose of them in trash cans in the parking lot.
“We don’t have the manpower to regularly hike nearly 50 miles of trails to go empty trash cans,” he said.
Kelley said Keystone Ancient Forest offers poop-bag stations and does place waste receptacles on the trails during pet-friendly weekends but that pet owners should still be prepared to pack out the waste when necessary.
Even though fall hiking typically offers better weather, Edwards and Kelley emphasize that hikers should take water not only for themselves but for any dogs they bring along.
“Pack extra of whatever you think you need,” Edwards said, and don’t forget a water bowl or other receptacle for your dog.
Kelley said the Keystone Ancient Forest has refill stations for canteens at the visitor’s center and near the butterfly garden out on the trails. The visitor’s center also has large water bowls for dogs and even provides bottled water to hikers.
“It’s just really important to stay hydrated,” Kelley said.
As the weather cools and the leaves begin to change, there’s no better time to explore Oklahoma’s trails with your favorite hiking companion.
Trail Time
6 Oklahoma trails to explore with your pup
Chandler Park
6500 W. 21st St., Tulsa
Hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily
Pet policy: Leashed pets allowed on trails and throughout park with exception of splash pad.
George M. Sutton Wilderness Park
1920 12th Ave. N.E., Norman
Hours: 6 a.m.-10 p.m. daily
Pet policy: Leashed pets welcome.
Keystone Ancient Forest
Take U.S. 412 west from Sand Springs and exit at 209th West Ave. The preserve is about two miles north of the highway.
Hours: 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursdays; 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Sunday
Pet policy: Leashed pets welcome the first full weekend and third weekend of each month as well as any holiday the preserve is open. (Check the Keystone Ancient Forest’s social media accounts for exact dates.)
Ray Harral Nature Center and Park
7101 S. Third St., Broken Arrow
Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily except Sunday
Pet policy: Leashed pets available on all trails but not in nature center.
Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge
Northwest 51st St. and Stinchcomb Avenue, Oklahoma City
Hours: 5 a.m.-11 p.m. daily
Pet policy: Leashed pets welcome on hiking trails and in the park area.
Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area
6850 S. Elwood Ave., Tulsa
Hours: 5 a.m.-11 p.m. daily
Pet policy: Leashed pets welcome anytime except on bike trails.
