Here in Oklahoma there are seven official scenic byways, including the most famous of all, the historic Route 66. Near the city of Lawton, just off Interstate Hwy-44, sightseers will find the Wichita Mountains Scenic Byway. The byway, following four Oklahoma state routes (see map link below), passes the Lake Lawtonka area, a land of prairie hills that roll on forever. Starting in the east, this scenic drive takes travelers into the historic town of Medicine Park. To the north of town are vast ranches covered with grassland, cottonwood, Texas longhorn and buffalo. To the west lie 59,000 preservation acres of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, a wilderness land that's littered with 250 million year old granite and gabbro boulders. One of the oldest preserves in the system, the Wichita Mountains Scenic Byway was established in 1901. At a time when bison had been hunted to extinction on the Great Plains and not seen in 30 years, the American Bison Society moved 15 bison from the Bronx Zoo to the refuge in 1907. Today the herd is kept at sustainable levels, and some are sold to maintain levels at 650 head.
   A side road winds for nearly three miles up and around Mount Scott, offering a spectacular view of the Wichita Mountains, Lake Lawtonka, Lawton, and Fort Sill Military Reservation. This bird's eye view is from a pull-off near the top of Mount Scott (elevation 2464 ft), looking out toward Mount Sheridan and Haley Peak. This popular overlook is one of the highlights found along Wichita Mountains Scenic Byway.

     Byway Map