This was a really enjoyable hike. We left the trailhead around 8:00am and arrived at the summit three hours later. The beginning of the hike is flat, and follows an old ranch road for about 2 miles. The trail then turns left toward the mesa, and continues for about a mile. The trail then ascends the mesa 500 feet along three easy-to-hike switchbacks to the top. Once on top of Black Mesa the trail continues for another mile to the granite monument. This highpoint is treated well by its caretakers:. signage is very good; an "army style canister" holds a sign-in log (and prevents critters from getting in); there were several bottles of unopened water for the hiker in need; and the monument has a number of inscriptions. We did not see any wild life, and only met up with two other groups of hikers, on our Tuesday hike.
A certificate of accomplishment can be purchased at the Kenton Merchantile, in Kenton, OK. Its worth stopping by.
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Oklahoma's highpoint is located approximately 35 miles NW of Boise City in Black Mesa Nature Preserve. |
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Black Mesa---a basalt-capped plateau---gained its name from the color of the volcanic ash found in the region. |
| 8.6 miles, round trip | 775 feet elevation gain | 3 hours round trip | USGS Benchmark on summit |
Copyright © 2002 Mel Chrestman, Jr. and Melinda K. Smith highpoints. All Rights Reserved. This page was last updated on 09/04/02.