The greatest attraction for early settlers to the area that is now Roman Nose State Park were springs that provided a continuous supply of fresh water.

Any trip to the park would not be complete without visiting the original three springs.

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At 2/10 of a mile, the Three Springs Trail is a very short walk. The trail is really just a circular path connecting the three springs.

I think Middle Spring with its large pool is the most attractive and interesting.

Nearby the springs area are picnic grounds and a swimming pool facility, much of which was built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Click here for gpx file download.

Last revised: 9-21-2019.

The post Roman Nose: Three Springs Trail               appeared first on Arklahoma Hiker.

The two trails I like best at Roman Nose State Park are the Mesa Loop Trail and the Switchback Trail. This 6.8-mile loop hike includes both of those trails and more.

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As I said in this post, navigating the trails at Roman Nose can be a challenge. There are no blazes, there is only limited (and sometimes inaccurate) signage, and in many areas there are (unhelpful) connecting spurs galore. Despite that, you are not likely to get lost since there is so much visibility in these areas.

This hike covers the Lake Loop Trail, most of the Mesa Loop Trail, most of the Lakeshore Loop Trail, the Switchback Trail, and then finishes with a short road walk from the 2 Lakes Trail Entrance back to the start.

Begin at the Lake Loop trailhead. (The Lake Loop Trail actually forms an upside down horseshoe rather than a full loop.) This trail will take you across the Watonga Lake earthen dam and then toward the Mesa Loop Trail. After the dam, take a right at the first fork. Then turn left when you reach the Mesa Loop Trail.

The Mesa Loop Trail goes south along the east side of the mesa, and then starts heading north as it climbs up to the big mesa. At Inspiration Point, the trail turns and heads south again, this time along the western part of the mesa. Eventually, the trail climbs down the south end of the mesa.

When you reach the “I” directional sign, turn right. As you are heading northward again, you are on the western part of the Mesa Loop (which is also the eastern side of the Lakeshore Loop).

Take a left at the next directional sign (to stay on the Lakeshore Loop Trail). The Lakeshore Loop will curve and begin heading southward near the shore of Watonga Lake.

Eventually, the trail ends up back at the “H” sign (just a little bit south of the “I” sign). Here the trail turns south and heads into a wooded area.

At “F”, you continue straight (southward) entering the aptly-named Switchback Trail. For about the next two miles you will do a lot of zig-zagging as you work your way through another semi-arid area with some very nice overlooks.

The Switchback Trail ends at “E”. From here, you head in a generally northwesterly direction back up toward the 2 Rivers Trail Entrance by the park store. You will pass “D” and then “C” (the end points of the Canyon Spur).

Stay left at “B” and also at “A” to avoid entering the nature trail.

Then you will shortly come up to the Two Lakes Trail Entrance. To complete the loop, walk up to the main park road (just past the store) and take a right. Stay on the left when you come up on the Canyon Vista campground. Eventually, you will be back by the Lake Loop trailhead where you began.

The entire loop is about 6.8 miles (including the .4 mile walk along the road back to the beginning). None of it is very difficult. There is only about a 150-foot elevation difference between the highest and lowest areas along this loop.

Although the forested areas near the lake shores are nice, I most like the Mesa Loop Trail and the Switchback Trail because of the scenic overlooks and the interesting semi-arid landscape. Be sure to exercise caution with children due to some of the drop-offs on the mesa.

All of the trails in the park are open to mountain bikes. Most are also open to horses. (The Lake Loop Trail and Switchback Trail are not.)

Map

Lake Loop, Mesa Loop, Lakeshore Loop, and Switchback Trails - Roman Nose State Park
Location	Roman Nose State Park, Blaine County, Oklahoma (near Watonga)
Hike Length/Type	6.8 mile loop (including the .4-mile walk back on the road)
Difficulty	Moderate (3 of 5).
Other Permitted Usage	Mountain Biking (all), Horses (all but Lake Loop and Switchback)
Gpx file by Mike	Link
Date Hiked	10-09-2010
Directions	Google Maps Directions to Lake Loop Trailhead
Official Info	(580) 623-7281 Website Official Park Map (pdf)

Last revised: 9-21-2019.

The post Roman Nose: Mesa + Lake + Switchback Loops (7 mi) appeared first on Arklahoma Hiker.

I recently visited Roman Nose State Park, near Watonga, Oklahoma. The brownish-red canyons and mesas in this semi-arid region of west Oklahoma are very different from the scenery of east Oklahoma or that of west Arkansas.

It was a pretty cool trip.

Roman Nose State Park was originally built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It is named for Henry Roman Nose, a Southern Cheyenne Chief.

There are a lot of hiking trails in the park. Unfortunately, it can be rather difficult to tell where one trail ends and another begins since there are no blazes and only limited signage. What signs there are  often are out-of-date.

I definitely recommend the Mesa Loop Trail. It is a 1.8-mile loop trail that makes a shape somewhat like two long Christmas stockings. At the center is the trail’s literal highpoint – Inspiration Point. Inspiration Point provides a wonderful view of the most of the park as well as the Bitter Creek/Roman Nose Canyon area to the north.

You will have to walk another trail in order to reach the Mesa Loop Trail. I suggest walking the Lake Loop Trail to get there. (Unlike the similarly named Lakeshore Loop Trail, the Lake Loop Trail is actually not a loop.)

Begin at the Lake Loop trailhead near the park’s Canyon Vista camping area. (Parking is nearby.) This trail is an easy walk as much of it is a former road.

Eventually, you will reach and walk across the earthen dam for Lake Watonga. After the dam, take a right at the first fork to proceed toward the Mesa Loop Trail. (You will probably be able to see the large mesa at this point.)

Shortly after that, you will reach the Mesa Loop Trail. (You have walked .8 miles at this point.) Turn left.

From here the trail proceeds south along the east side of the mesa. Then it works its way up to the top of the mesa.

After Inspiration Point, the trail heads southward along the west side of the mesa, and then it goes back down to ground level.

At the southernmost tip of the loop is a direction sign with the letter “I”. Stay to the right. Later, you will see a few other signs which permit you to continue along the Lakeshore Loop Trail. Continue to stay right to stay on the Mesa Loop.

After you have walked about 2.6 miles, you will be back at the point where you began the Mesa Loop. Here, turn left to head back to the Lake Loop trailhead where you began. The entire hike is about 3.4 miles.

Among the cool things to see along the trail are the plentiful cactus plants along the top of the mesa and the white gypsum rock that is almost everywhere in the park. (You can read an interesting (1959) summary of the geography and ecology of the park at this pdf link.)

This is not a difficult trail to walk. The elevation change to the top of the mesa is only about 100 feet. You should exercise caution with children due to some of the drop-offs on the mesa.

All the trails in the park are open to mountain bikes. Many are open to horses as well. (The Mesa Loop Trail is, but the Lake Loop Trail is not.)

It appears that much of the work of constructing and maintaining the park trails has been done by the Oklahoma Earthbike Fellowship. If you have a chance, thank them for their work.

Map

Last revised: 9-21-2019.

The post Roman Nose: Lake Loop/Mesa Loop Trails (3 mi) appeared first on Arklahoma Hiker.