Medicine Park Guide
Red cobblestones and creek streets in the Wichita Mountains
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Medicine Park is a small town in Comanche County, in southwest Oklahoma, United States. It lies in the Wichita Mountains just north of the Fort Sill Military Reservation and near the entrance to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. The town is known for its red cobblestone buildings and creekside streets, and it is compact and walkable, with lakeside scenery, historic architecture and seasonal community events.
Expedia named Medicine Park the fifth prettiest town in the U.S. in a report dated June 13, 2018. Medicine Park is also an arts community with resident sculptors, fine artists, graphic designers and musicians, and outdoor concerts are held at the Park Tavern throughout the summer. The Main Outdoor Soundstage on East Lake Drive hosts the town's annual festivals.
The water is the centre of town. Bath Lake is a small swimming and fishing lake in the middle of Medicine Park, formed from Medicine Creek in the 1920s. It is clear and shallow, set among cobblestone buildings and parkland, and popular for swimming, fishing and strolling downtown. Fishing and kayaking also take place on Medicine Creek itself, with Mount Scott visible in the background.
On land, the Medicine Park Aquarium and Natural Sciences Center is a listed attraction, and the shopping strip includes the biker apparel shop Chaps My Ass and The Laughing Lizard Trading Post. Discovery Outpost, a family adventure shop in a historic cobblestone cabin, offers Story Time, Invent & Create and Funventure classes.
Beyond the town, the Lake Lawtonka Trails were rated by one mountain bike enthusiast site as the best mountain bike trail area in Oklahoma, out of 62 contenders. Many visitors use Medicine Park as a base for hiking, wildlife viewing and rock climbing in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, where plains bison, elk, white-tailed deer and Texas longhorn cattle graze the prairies and black-tailed prairie dogs live too. The refuge is described as the second most visited wildlife refuge in the country, with more than 1.5 million visitors annually. The refuge preserves some of the oldest mountains in the hemisphere and undisturbed mixed grass prairie, with superb wildlife viewing including buffalo.
From an Army tent to Oklahoma's Jewel of the Southwest
Medicine Park was founded on July 4, 1908 by Oklahoma Senator Elmer Thomas and became Oklahoma's first planned tourism resort, with many original structures built of naturally formed red granite cobblestones that are unique to the Wichita Mountains. Thomas had just joined the Oklahoma State Senate, and he ended his career as a U.S. senator in 1951. The idea began in spring 1906, when Thomas envisioned a recreational area and a permanent water source for the newly founded city of Lawton. With partner Hal Lloyd of Altus he quietly bought about 900 acres of what became Medicine Park. When the resort first opened it was just a large surplus Army tent with a wooden floor serving hot meals, and two dams on Medicine Creek formed the Bath Lake Swimming Hole. Early Medicine Park had two inns, the Outside Inn and the Apache Inn, plus Baird's Health Sanitarium with clay tennis courts and a spa, a dance hall, a canteen, a petting zoo and the infamous Dam Café. Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, the kings of western swing, were regulars at the dance hall from 1929 through the late 1930s. Tourists came from around Oklahoma and North Texas, and famous bands stopped there en route to big city venues in Oklahoma City, Dallas and Fort Worth. The town flourished from the late 1910s to the 1940s as the "Jewel of the Southwest", and Bath Lake Park was landscaped with gardens, large trees, foot bridges and grassy areas for sunbathing. Famous names tied to its history include Will Rogers, Wiley Post, Frank Phillips, Bob Wills, Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Traces remain today. The Medicine Park Hotel and Annex on East Lake Drive is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the architecture reflects early 20th century resort design. Near town, the Holy City of the Wichitas Historic District is the site of North America's longest running passion play, first held in 1926, with permanent sets built from native granite.
Where to eat and drink on East Lake Drive and nearby
East Lake Drive in Medicine Park is where Cobblescones Coffee and Pastry and Mrs. Chadwick's Bakery are listed as coffee and bakery stops. Small Mountain Street Tacos, Riverside Café and Joe Mountain Breakfast Bar are listed places to eat on the same street. The Old Plantation Restaurant is famous for stories of being a speakeasy and a stopover for the likes of Bonnie and Clyde, and it is also known for its food, ambience and cobblestone construction. Cobblestone Creamery is an ice cream shop on Upper East Lake Drive, and Medicine Creek Olive Oil Company sells oils, vinegars and spices, with products also available to order online. For drinks, the Park Tavern, Up the Creek Spirits and AP's Club are the listed drinking spots. Outside the centre, Chad's El Sabores Mexican Restaurant is listed on State Highway OK-49 near Medicine Park, and Meers, a former gold-mining town, has turned into a restaurant destination.
Reaching Medicine Park from Interstate 44 and Highway 49
Medicine Park lies near Lawton and Fort Sill in southwest Oklahoma, with Interstate 44 running north-south just east of town and State Highway 49 running east-west. State Highway 49 can be reached from I-44. Medicine Park sits at the main entry to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.
Walking the creekside streets and driving Lake Drive
Medicine Park is a compact, walkable town, and Medicine Creek's Auto Bridge on East Lake Drive gives access to Lake Elmer Thomas and the Wichita Mountains. The Medicine Park Trout Area and the Bath Lake Swimming Area are both on East Lake Drive in the town centre. Lake Drive hugs the shore of Lake Lawtonka, and visitors are advised to watch for white-tailed deer along it. In the refuge, Mount Scott can be driven to the summit by a 3-mile road that offers views of the surrounding landscape.
Lodging costs and what the refuge charges
Lodging in Medicine Park comes at two price levels: the town's many Airbnb-style rentals tend to be pricey, while camping in the refuge or staying at a hotel in Lawton are the cheaper options. There is no admission charge to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, and a visitor center and bookstore show exhibits on its four major habitats.
Where to stay, the weather and refuge opening days
Planning a stay in Medicine Park comes down to lodging, climate, the refuge and local events, and each of those gets a short answer below. Where can you stay in Medicine Park? Lodging ranges from historic cabins to bed and breakfasts, including Grandma's Cabins, Medicine Creek Lodging Bed and Breakfast, The Twins (Red & Green Door Cabins) and The Plantation Inn, the 1916 Oklahoma Press Association clubhouse. Medicine Creek's Primitive Campground is listed for camping in town. What is the climate like? The refuge has a dry subtropical climate with long, hot, dry and windy summers and mild winters with minimal snowfall. It is a little more comfortable in summer than the surrounding plains. When is the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge open? The refuge is open 365 days a year. Mt. Scott Rd is closed to vehicles on Sundays until 12:00 for hikers and bikers. What can you do in the refuge? Rock climbing is hugely popular, with routes on Mt. Scott, the Narrows and the Charon's Garden Wilderness Area, alongside hiking, camping, fishing and bird watching. The refuge has about 15 miles of official trails. Which events might you catch? If your stay coincides with them, you may be able to watch the Spirit of Survival Marathon or the Tour de Meers.
FAQ
What is covered in the Medicine Park guide?
Explore Medicine Park, Oklahoma: red granite cobblestone buildings, Bath Lake, the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and a resort town founded in 1908. It includes 1 recommendations across 1 gallery.
Next →How many places are in the Medicine Park guide?
The Medicine Park guide lists 1 places: 1 gallery.
Next →Where is Medicine Park?
Medicine Park is in Medicine Park, Oklahoma, United States (34.7242, -98.4531).
Next →How do you get to Medicine Park?
Medicine Park lies near Lawton and Fort Sill in southwest Oklahoma, with Interstate 44 running north-south just east of town and State Highway 49 running east-west. State Highway 49 can be reached from I-44. Medicine Park sits at the main entry to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.
Next →What should you eat in Medicine Park?
East Lake Drive in Medicine Park is where Cobblescones Coffee and Pastry and Mrs. Chadwick's Bakery are listed as coffee and bakery stops. Small Mountain Street Tacos, Riverside Café and Joe Mountain Breakfast Bar are listed places to eat on the same street. The Old Plantation Restaurant is famous for stories of be…
Next →Is there camping in Medicine Park?
No camping listings in this pack yet — we do not invent venues. Entries will appear once verified.
Next →Can you rent a bike in Medicine Park?
No bike rental listings in this pack yet. Verified shops will be added when available.
Next →What are recommended gallery in Medicine Park?
Highlighted gallery in the Medicine Park guide: Medicine Park from above.
Next →Highlighted places
- Medicine Park from above — A view from above over Medicine Park and the hills and fields around it.
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