Disclosure: We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own..
The Elk Mountain Trail in the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge is a 2.3 mile there and back trail that features wildflowers and scenic views of the refuge as you make your way to the top of the mountain. According to AllTrails, the trail is rated at moderate and is heavily trafficked.
Our Hike at Elk Mountain Trail in the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge
After our hike at the Kite Trail we had a quick lunch and headed over to the Charon’s Garden area of the refuge to do some hiking. We decided to go big since it was our last day of hiking and choose a moderate to hard trail that was short and can do in a couple of hours.
Trails at Charon’s Garden
Once again the trail head isn’t marked and there are several unmarked trail heads in the Sunset Picnic Area. We were actually looking to do Charon’s Garden Trail and all my trail information had that trail starting at the Elk Trail Head. We decided to pick a trail head and see where the trail goes.
The Hike
The Elk Mountain Trail is the first trail head off to your left as you enter the parking area. Pass the small picnic area and cross Sunset Pool via the bridge and should see the trail head sign (we didn’t see the sign, just a warning sign).
The rocky trail starts almost immediately going uphill and continues for the next mile going up the mountain. There are times it switch backs its way up but for the most part the trail is straight up following the land features. The trail is carved out of the rock, sometimes you will find rock steps, or you are scrambling over loose rocks.
The trail is mostly unmarked. There are sections where rocks and fallen trees have been laid to block some trails or to keep you on a general direction to the top. Someone blazed the trail with pink ribbon tape. We found the markings every once in a while tied to tree branches, tree trunks, and deadwood along the trail.
When you get to the top you’ve completed the trail. We found plenty of great views of the refuge and can see for miles., There are plenty of little trails that cover this area of the trail and we plan to explore the end of the trail and see where they go. We had less than hour left of sunlight left so we didn’t spend anytime exploring.
Please Note: The Alternative Route is one we haven’t done and I learned of this trail via a SummitPost.org article. The author warns this route is very difficult and may be over grown with thorn bushes and poison ivy. May even have to do some bushwacking.
For the decent you have two options. Return the way you came or go back to where the trail splits (this trail was blocked by rocks blocking the path but you could see people still using the path).
From my research this secondary trail will take to the official top of the mountain (the Summit). Then you can continue on that trail down from another path that takes you over to the Apple and Pear and down into Valley of Boulders, At some point you will find Charon’s Garden Trail and the trail will split. Take the right and it will get easier and take you back to the parking lot.
Advice for the Trail
This isn’t an easy trail I had a lot of difficulty with it. I think the trail would have been easier if I wasn’t out of shape and had more experience with uphill hiking. My wife said it was difficult but did better than I. We both agree that this trail is the hardest one we’ve been on. But worth the trip to the top. To be successful here are few things I would suggest for this trail.
-
Bring plenty of water. I was averaging about 8oz every 15 minutes or so. In the summer you will need more
-
Bring Snacks. The trail can take about two hours and you can burn a lot of calories fast.
-
Make sure to have wear sunscreen and apply more throughout the hike.
-
It can be slippery, a good pair of hiking shoes/boots are preferred,
-
Hiking poles will help with the hike
-
No cell service so print out a trail made or download the trail map from AllTrails to help you keep on the trail.
About the Images
The images were shot late afternoon and it was windy. I had some issues getting some of the images to stay in focus. I was able to fix some of the issues in post. I used my Sony a6000 using my Sony SELP18105G E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS. I then edited the images with Adobe Lightroom CC and Topaz Labs Denoise AI and Topaz Labs Sharpen AI and DXO NIK Collection.
About James
Leave a Reply