USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Oklahoma

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, located in southwestern Oklahoma near Lawton, has protected unique wildlife habitats since 1901 and is the oldest managed wildlife facility in the United States Fish and Wildlife Service system. The refuge's location in the geologically unique Wichita Mountains and its areas of undisturbed mixed grass prairie make it an important conservation area. The Wichita Mountains are approximately 500 million years old. Measuring about 59,020 acres (238.8 km2), the refuge hosts a great diversity of species: 806 plant species, 240 species of birds, 36 fish, and 64 reptiles and amphibians are present.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge59,030 acresUSFWSOK2 campgrounds within 10 mi
Search U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
4fires
active
Meers · 6 mi from the center · 914 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateOklahoma
Size59,030 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 2
Center point34.7520, -98.6870
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 16)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

2 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 0 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FWS · Inside
Doris Campground
Reservable93 sites
FWS · Inside
Fawn Creek Youth Campground
Reservable4 sites

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Meers

    6 mi from the center point · 914 acres · 95% contained

  • Wildfire
    Kimble

    6 mi from the center point · 66 acres

  • Wildfire
    Farris

    6 mi from the center point · 47 acres

  • Wildfire
    Neugebauer

    9 mi from the center point · 11 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 30 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge?

59,030 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in?

Oklahoma.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge?

2 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Doris Campground and Fawn Creek Youth Campground. 2 in all are within ten miles. Most refuges do not allow camping inside the refuge, so the campgrounds listed are outside it.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 34.752, -98.687. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge right now?

4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Meers at 6 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 16 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge?

30 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Boulder Cabin and Buffalo Lodge.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.