Geographic RegionsGeographic Regions
1. High Plains2. Gypsum Hills3. Red Bed Plains4. Wichita Mountains5. Sandstone Hills6. Arbuckle Mountains 7. Prairie Plains8. Ozark Plateau9. Ouachita Mountains10. Red River Plains
High PlainsHigh Plains
• Panhandle and western border; easily noticed from space
• Black Mesa (4,973 feet) in Cimarron County was formed by prehistoric volcano eruption in southeastern Colorado
• Wildlife: quail, dove, duck, wild turkey, pheasant, deer, elk, antelope, and prairie dog
• Lake Optima and Beaver Dunes State Park: great recreational opportunities
• Guymon: largest city in the region
• Major economic producers: cattle, hogs, farming, ranching, petroleum & natural gas
Gypsum HillsGypsum Hills
• Kansas border to the far southwestern corner
• Left when ancient seas evaporated
• Named for the white gypsum buttes
• Springs and caves found in the region – includes: the Alabaster Caverns & the Selman Bat Cave
• Rich soils produce winter wheat, hay, alfalfa, soybeans, & cotton
• Cattle: the primary livestock
• Oil & natural gas in many areas
Red Bed PlainsRed Bed Plains• Red-orange shale and clay soil partly formed from ancient shallow seas;
salt deposits left when the seas evaporated• State rock: the rose rock found near Noble: formed when barium sulfate
combines with quartz sand• The Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge: only place in the world
one can dig for hourglass selenite crystals• The Great Salt Plains area: a major resting site for thousands of
migratory birds• Roman Nose State Park: once a Cheyenne campground• Little Sahara State Park: over 1,600 acres of sand dunes ranging from 25
– 75 ft.• Cross Timbers area: blackjack and post oak trees • Fertile soil ideal for growing wheat, hay, peanuts, and cotton – plus
grasslands for cattle and horses• Oil and natural gas wells dot the countryside• Oklahoma City: state’s largest city (532,517)• Earthquakes: occur in many parts of Oklahoma
Wichita MountainsWichita Mountains• 500 million years ago mountains began to form from ancient lava flows• Huge granite boulders popular for rock climbing • 59,000-acre Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge set aside from the Comanche-
Kiowa-Apache Reservation in 1901• Area around the base of the mountains a mixed grass prairie• Buffalo: reintroduced to the refuge in 1907• Longhorn cattle, elk, deer, wild turkey, and numerous smaller animals and birds• Meers near Medicine Park: began as a mining camp resulting from stories of gold
which brought prospectors• Fort Sill (1869): built to stop Indian raids; changed from cavalry to artillery in early
1900s
Sandstone HillsSandstone Hills
• The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve: north of Pawhuska in the Flint Hills, one of North America’s former major ecosystems
• Sandstone and shale are main rocks• Shale erosion – result: sandstone hills up to 400 feet
• Activities include: buffalo graze on tall bluestem, Indian grass, & switchgrass
• Keystone: one of several lakes in the area
• Oilman, Frank Phillips - responsible for Woolaroc Wildlife Preserve and Museum
• Ranching, oil, and natural gas: main industries
• 1920s: the Osage Indians among the wealthiest people in the country due to the discovery of oil
• Greater Seminole Oil Field: 26 pools discovered – ignited growth of many small towns
• Coal mining: spurred growth in the McAlester area
• Tulsa metropolitan area: part of this region
Arbuckle MountainsArbuckle Mountains• West Timbered Hills: highest point – 1,415 feet southwest of Davis
• Range runs east-west
• Part of a very old mountain system
• Exposed granite in Murray County: 1.4 billion years old
• Composed of folded & faulted limestone, dolomite, sandstone, and shale
• Diverse mineral resources: limestone, dolomite, glass sand, granite, sand and gravel, shale, iron ore, lead, zinc, tar sands, oil and gas
• Initial Point Mark: established in 1870 as numbering system for dividing most of the state into townships and sections
• The Chickasaw National Recreation Area: oldest park in Oklahoma
• Turner Falls Park: two natural swimming pools & a 77-foot waterfall
Prairie PlainsPrairie Plains• Contains many hard sandstone hills and ridges• Rich soil: everything from strawberries to tomatoes grown • Water is a major feature of region (Arkansas R.) • Eufaula: state’s largest lake – plus Lake Oologah• Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks • Home to Port of Catoosa: international shipping port and the most inland,
ice-free port in the United States• McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System: covers 445 river miles• System navigable channel up the Arkansas River to Muskogee• 5 locks and dams in Oklahoma • Tulsa – state’s 2nd largest city• Major coal areas – most is surface mined
Ozark PlateauOzark Plateau• Part of the Ozark Mountain chain of Missouri and
Arkansas• Much of the region heavily wooded: oak, hickory, &
elm• Many fruits, berries, and vegetables grown in area• Contains the Boston Mountains and the Cookson Hills• Two main rivers: Illinois & Grand • The Pensacola Dam: created the Grand Lake O’ the
Cherokees
Ouachita MountainsOuachita Mountains• Region of towering pine and hardwood trees• Some of the roughest land in the state
• Ouachita-Ozark: once a part of a mighty mountain range from the Appalachian Highlands to southwest Texas
• Rich Mountain: highest peak in the region – 2,666 feet high
• East-west ridges in the region: Winding Stair, Jack Fork, Blue Bouncer, & Kiamichi
• Once provided safety for Indian people and hideouts for outlaws
• Very popular parks in the region: Beavers Bend, Robbers Cave, Spiro Mounds, Heavener Runestone, Talimena, Clayton Lake & Lake Wister
• Talimena Drive: especially known for its fall foliage
• Grazing lands, small farms, and lumbering important to the region’s economy
Red River PlainsRed River Plains• Southeastern region: lies along the low elevation
of the Red River – rich, sandy soils & a long growing season
• Ideal for melons, squash, corn, and pumpkins by early Indians
• Red River dams: provide better flood control thus more area available for farming
• Eastern part of region: includes cypress swamps & forests
• Lakes include: Texoma, Murray, and Hugo
• “Great Raft”: 150-mile jam of logs & debris along the Red River in early 1800s
• Forts Towson, Washita, & Arbuckle became a center for Choctaw & Chickasaw cotton plantations