Catoosa’s Redbud Valley is a Hidden Gem

I’ve found a magical place just a few miles outside of Tulsa: The Redbud Valley Nature Preserve in Catoosa, Oklahoma (click here for directions). The preserve is home to many interesting types of plant and wildlife and also hosts a great hiking trail. It was a great treat for me to discover such a beautiful outdoor spot right in my own backyard of Tulsa.

Redbud Valley was originally purchased by The Nature Conservancy in the late 1960’s.  Dr. Harriet Barclay was a professor at the University of Tulsa, and she spearheaded the effort to have it acquired, then worked with The Tulsa Tribune on a fund drive to raise the necessary money to repay The Nature Conservancy. TU maintained the property until the area was transferred to the City of Tulsa in 1990, and it is now managed as a part of Oxley Nature Center in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy. Under guidance from The Friends of Oxley Nature Center, the caretaker’s house was renovated and the Barclay Visitor’s Center created. (Source: http://www.oxleynaturecenter.org/redbud.htm)

Among the plant life you may see along your hike are prickly pear cactus, Yucca, Smoke Tree, and Deciduous Holly. I also saw plenty of birds and squirrels, and fortunately, no snakes, though the area is prone to reptiles.

The ecosystem at Redbud Valley is unlike anything I’ve seen in Oklahoma. The habitat was created where Bird Creek and its tributaries cut through a thick limestone layer. This has resulted in valleys edged with impressively tall limestone cliffs. The limestone has been dissolved by water to create several small caves and springs. The caves are sort of like small versions of what you might find when hiking Devil’s Den in Arkansas.

The area is open Wednesdays though Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The staff member working inside the Harriet Barclay Visitor’s Center, which is open from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., was very knowledgeable and shared all about the interesting geology and plant life in the area. She also said the best time to hike the trails is from April to June, so now is the perfect time to get out and explore some rugged Oklahoma beauty!

Here are a few recommendations for your hike at Redbud Valley:

• Wear good hiking or tennis shoes. (I’m not really sure what I was thinking wearing my pink sparkly Tom’s, but they definitely weren’t the best for the trails!)
• Bring your camera, or at least your cell phone camera!
• Give yourself plenty of time! You will probably want a couple of hours to explore the trails, so arrive no later than 3 p.m.
• Wear bug spray. Yes, this is Oklahoma, so chiggers, ticks, and other creepy crawlies are common!

Now get out and enjoy the great outdoors!

Hiking Tulsa’s Oxley Trails

Some people may not think of Tulsa as an ideal place for hiking, but despite its lack of elevation, Tulsa has a couple of great places for getting your walk on. In this first of two hiking entries, I’m dedicating this entry to the beautiful trails of Oxley Nature Center.

Oxley Nature Center is part of Mohawk Park, located just north of the Zoo. The Oxley trails include 9 miles of hiking, with trails for any level of hiker. The trails are fairly smooth, and wheelchairs and strollers can access most of them. However, pets, bicycles and other vehicles are prohibited from the trails. But if you’re looking for a nice place to cycle in Mohawk Park, just look for the Herb Beattie Bike Path just outside of the Oxley Trails.

Some of the trails are very short — as short as 1/4 mile, making them a perfect nature walk for kids. The first trail I tried was the Red Fox Trail Loop, which starts and ends just behind the Oxley Nature Center Interpretive Building. This trail is level, wooded and has a couple benches, making it a perfect spot for my lunch break. I enjoyed the serenity of the pond at the beginning of the end of the trail and was greeted by the sounds of dozens of happy birds as soon as I entered the wooded area.

Next, I headed over to the Bird Creek Trail. I really enjoyed this trail, especially the beautiful carved bench (first photo of this post) that a fellow hiker told me was crafted by the Boy Scouts. This trail leads into the Yellow Warbler Trail, where deer and frogs are sometimes found. I was really hoping to see a Bambi or two, but didn’t have any particular luck on this day. I did, however, see a ton of beautiful willdflowers.

The longest trail at Oxley is the North Woods Loop, 1.2 miles. If you are up for a longer hike than that, it’s easy to combine several trails. With 15 trails total, there’s always somewhere new to wander. I kept my print copy of the trail map, with the three trails I completed highlighted. My goal is to eventually have every trail completed and highlighted on my map!

For a full list of the Oxley Nature Center trails, visit their website, and be sure to familiarize yourself with their hours and park rules. Also, be sure to visit the Interpretive Building, which will help you better understand the plant, animals, and wildlife in the area.