Oklahoma

Black Mesa State Park - While I am not sure where I hiked is located in the actual park per se, I figure it is close enough to say that the trail is located at Black Mesa State Park. This area is located in the far northwestern corner of the Oklahoman panhandle and is also the highest point of Oklahoma topping out at 4,973 feet. My wife and I hiked this trail on Christmas Day and there was about 6 inches of snow on the ground which made the trek a little bit difficult. The trail is about 8.5 miles total and from the parking lot you will climb almost 600 feet to the top of the mesa. The first 2 to 3 miles of the trail winds around the desert prairie passing many yuccas, prickly pear, and teddy bear cacti. As you hike you will keep looking at the various buttes thinking this is the one you are going to climb but instead the trail just keeps going. Finally the path reaches the mesa and the climb begins. In reality, the slope is probably not that bad but in the snow it seemed to be treacherous. For a little over a half a mile the trail climbs the mesa on an old washed out road offering expansive views of western Oklahoma below. Once you reach the top, the hike continues to the far side of the mesa for about a mile until you get the granite obelisk marking the state's highest point. When we were on the mesa we happened upon a herd of Pronghorn although I wasn't close enough to get any good pictures. From the highest point you can see a couple of mountains/mesas in the distance but I have yet to figure out which ones I was looking at. When finished taking in the crisp Oklahoma air, you simply return the way you came.
Glass Mountains State Park - This park is located in west central Oklahoma and does not have any real facilities but it does have about a 1.5 mile nature hike. So if you are in the area I would recommend stopping to take a stroll. The Glass Mountains are not really mountains but in fact buttes and mesas that contain a high amount of glassy gypsum that in turn lead to sparkling name of the formation. The trail starts from the parking lot and you climb many stairs to reach the top of the butte. From there you proceed to the far side of the mesa and there are expansive views on both sides of as you hike along. When finished admiring the Oklahoman priarie below, you simply hike the way you came in.
Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge - This park is located in southwest Oklahoma near the city of Lawton. While they are called "mountains" they really are only small peaks with a relief no larger than the Ozark "mountains". However, for Oklahoma they are still really cool. Unlike the appalachians, the base rock for these mountains is a pink granite lending them a very pretty color all year round. To add to this excitement, various other things are found there that are not found elsewhere in Oklahoma; Elk, Buffalo, Longhorn Steers, and even an occasional Live Oak (although I have yet to find any there). The only bad part about this park is that there are not that many trails. There are a lot of short hikes available but there are only two longer trails (one being a very short backpacking trail). The longest trail in the park, the Dog Run Hollow Trail, is about 6 miles and is found on the west side of the park. The day we hiked this trail it was 105 and technically too hot to hike but my wife and I are too dedicated to let heat get in the way of our travels. After leaving the trailhead the trail wanders around the prarie occasionally passing barren pink rock patches. You then start your ascent up a moderate hill topping out with a view of a nearby mountain (and in our case Longhorn Cattle as well). You then descend and wander through the prarie eventually reaching a rather large creek surrounded by a mini granite canyon. Along the way we passed many patches of prickly pear cacti as well as yucca. The trail then turns back West and you follow a dry creekbed for a time before ascending into the woods. Then you come back out into the prairie before hitting the woods again. Eventually you wander your way back to the trailhead.
Another interesting part of the hike is the numerous small black jack oaks that grow in the park. These short scrubby trees create a very low ceiling when hiking in the woods. Also of interest (if time permits) is a very nice waterfall located in the east side of the park. You can acess this waterfall through a short, half mile hike. While it is usually packed with people, I still highly recommend it due to its sheer beauty.