McCurtain County Wilderness Area

The McCurtain County Wilderness Area is a 14,087 acres (5,701 ha) wilderness nature preserve 25 miles (40 km) north of Broken Bow, Oklahoma. It has been owned by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.[1] It was designated a National Natural Landmark in December 1974 for its excellent example of a xeric upland oak-pine forest.[2]

McCurtain County Wilderness Area
Map showing the location of McCurtain County Wilderness Area
Map showing the location of McCurtain County Wilderness Area
Map of Oklahoma
LocationMcCurtain County, Oklahoma
Nearest cityBroken Bow
Coordinates34°17′45″N 94°38′27″W
Area14,087 acres (5,701 ha)
Governing bodyOklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
www.wildlifedepartment.com/facts_maps/wma/mccurtain.htm
Designated1974

Description

The Area is in the southern section of the Ouachita Uplift and ranged from 575 feet (175 m) to 1,363 feet (415 m) in elevation. It receives 47.5 inches (121 cm) of rain annually, the highest amount in the state.

Wildlife

There are over 110 bird species in the area, including the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker[3] and bald eagle. It was nominated as an Important Bird Area in 2008 by the Audubon Society.[4]

There are over 359 species of plants in the area.[5]

Visiting

There is a short 1 mile (1.6 km) nature trail, but further exploration of the east side of the reservoir requires advance permission.[6]

References
  1. "McCurtain County Wilderness Area". Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  2. "National Natural Landmarks - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2019-03-26. There are three National Natural Landmark sites located within the state of Oklahoma.
  3. Tulsa Audubon Society
  4. IBA description of site Archived 2012-02-04 at the Library of Congress Web Archives
  5. Bruce A. Smith; Ronald J. Tyrl & Ronald E. Masters. "Floristic Inventory of the McCurtain County Wilderness Area, Oklahoma" (PDF). Herbarium, Department of Botany, and Department of Forestry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
  6. Official Site and Visitor Instructions
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