First off, Welcome! Turkey Mountain is one of our biggest treasures in Tulsa and the very best example of what Tulsa was like before people were here. This year we have seen a significant upswing in visitors to our beloved Urban Wilderness Treasure! We wanted to provide you with some tips to help make your visit the best possible!
Clean Out the Car. Full parking lots with owners in the woods, this sounds like paradise to a thief! Leave nothing inside your car. This will prevent potential break ins and hopefully encourage the ne’er-do-well’s to find another parking lot to prey on.
Hydrate. When planning a visit to Turkey Mountain the first thing you need to think about is hydration. There is one water fountain at Turkey Mountain and it is in the lower parking lot. Yes, there are streams and ponds on Turkey Mountain, but trust me when I say you do not want to drink from them. Bring a hand-held water bottle or hydration pack.
Plan. It is a good idea to let someone know where you are going, what trail you plan to take and when you will be back. Even if it is a quick post on Facebook or a note on a white board at home. Turkey Mountain is a wilderness with technical trails (Technical means rocks and roots that can trip you up). Also just like any outdoor exercise the risk of being bothered is real. We are all aware of the incidents on the Katy Trail and at LaFortune in recent years. Also, should you injure yourself while on the trails it helps to let people know where to look first. I know it is a scary thought, but it’s been said that planning is the best prevention. It is always a good idea to have pepper spray or bear spray on hand when venturing outdoors for any activity, the same is true on trails. Pepper spray and bear spray will act as a deterrent on most any mammal you feel threatened by (note, this will not work on birds or reptiles, don’t try it).
Have a map. We recommend the Avenza pdf Maps app available for iPhone, Droid and Windows smartphones. We like that it saves paper, has a blue ‘you are here’ dot that follows you around, and is free. Just make sure you have your location services turned ON or the dot will not show up. Note: once you have this app installed you will need to search within the app for the “Turkey Mountain” map and install it.
Be safe. It’s not called “WILDerness” for nothing. Turkey Mountain is known to have rocky and technical terrain. In fact some lovingly refer to it as a “skull cracker”. That does not mean do not take up mountain biking. But you need to wear the proper safety gear at all times. At the top of this list is a bike helmet. Visit any of Tulsa’s local bike shops and they will be happy to help you select the perfect helmet for you.
Look before you step. In Oklahoma, reptiles (lizards and snakes) emerge from hibernation in late March. Turkey Mountain is not a sterile wilderness. Turkey Mountain is an Urban Wilderness home to hundreds of species. These include snakes, both venomous and nonvenomous varieties. The best way to say this to tell people “all sticks are snakes until proven otherwise”. Should you encounter a snake the best thing to do is to give it plenty of space. Take time to familiarize yourself with the snakes of Oklahoma. We will likely be sharing Turkey Mountain with these guys until the high temperature drops below 50ºF for several days.
Wear Bug Spray. We all know that mosquitoes and ticks are a nuisance. But tick bites can be deadly or forever life-altering. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme Disease and now Alpha Gal are all spread by ticks. These can lead to organ failure, chronic pain or even cause anaphylactic reactions to all mammal based products.
Don’t tune out. We know these days everyone has headphones and some of us even live in them. This isn’t wise on trails. Many of the trails on Turkey Mountain are single-track trails. Single-track means they are not wide enough for two people to stay side by side. This often means that people need to pass you. To let you know they are approaching you the common thing to do is shout “On Your Left”. When you hear those words the thing to do is hug the right side of the trail or if it is safe to do so step off the trail and allow them to pass. Just like on a highway the slower person always is to move to the furthest right position. While we are on the roadway comparison when on trails the flow of traffic follows the same norms as a city street. You should always stay to the right when approaching someone. If you’re on a narrow section of trail going up or down a hill and meet someone, give the person going downhill the right-of-way. They have gravity drawing them down and have less control than when going uphill. Another phase you may hear is Bike Back. This tells you that there is a bike behind you. If the cyclist is kind they may even tell you something like Three More. That indicates that there are three bikes following them so just hang out till we all pass. Another benefit to not tuning out, you may hear a woodpecker, a blue jay or another bird adding to nature’s soundtrack.
Fido is welcome. Turkey Mountain is a dog friendly park. This is not to be confused as a dog park.While on River Parks / City of Tulsa property leash laws are enforced. Tickets are issued. There is a dog watering station attached to the water fountain in the lower lot. You are encouraged to carry enough water for yourself and Fido, or ask Fido to carry it in a doggy backpack.
Leave no trace. Those three words mean a lot. Leave only footprints (or tire tracks!), take only pictures. This is a wild place, and long after you’ve gone home for the day, animals that live there have to make do with how we treat it. So pack out everything you pack in. Any wrappers, cups or trash of any kinds needs to be carried out with you. There are bags at the trailhead for any droppings your dog might leave behind. Use those, and pack them out, as well. Leave the area as natural looking as you found it — no graffiti, even if it’s in chalk. And if you see any litter, pack it out with you. Try to leave Turkey Mountain better than when you found it.
We aren’t telling you any of this to scare you off, only to help you be better informed when visiting Turkey Mountain! So, lace up those shoes and we will see you on the trail!
Natural beauty
Tulsans make the case to protect Turkey Mountain
The resistance has reached a clear and eloquent critical mass, a decided ripening that’s accelerated over the past few months. Simon has twice requested additional time to prepare for its meeting with the Planning Commission, which is now expected to take place June 17.
As the past few weeks have unfolded, we’ve seen a growing number of voices who are opposing construction of an outlet mall at Turkey Mountain. Some are individuals, and some are turning into more organized groups. It points to the fact that there is a strong interest in preserving Tulsa’s biggest and best urban green space.
Noting this, there are some important distinctions to be made.
The Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition was founded on the belief that there needs to an open dialogue between the various owners of Tulsa’s wild spaces and those who visit them. The goal was that this would bring everyone closer together and foster greater care for one another and the world around us.
Yes, our formation as a coalition was prompted by a potential commercial development on an urban wilderness. But no, we are not a protest group.
• Yes, we are against the mall.
• No, we as a group are not against Simon malls or any other corporate entity.
The TUWC was formed with a long-term goal in mind. As we carefully decided what our group was to stand for, we came back with some basic fundamentals:
The first of those is respect. Respect for one another, the land and respect for those who have a different vision than we do.
The second is that in order to be users of the wilderness, we also need to be good stewards of the land. We need an active role in preservation. This is why we host cleanup days quarterly as well as other projects that help maintain and preserve the land.
The third is that facts speak louder than any rhetoric ever could, that the TUWC would become a clearing house for all facts dealing with Tulsa’s urban wilderness spaces. This is why we present all information from all sides on our website. We trust that Oklahomans want what is best for the world around them and that given the facts would arrive at the same conclusions that we do.
The fourth is to share this wonderful space with as many people as we can. To encourage them to live a more active and healthy lifestyle in whatever way they physically can. The TUWC regularly hosts guided walks of Turkey Mountain so that others may feel more at ease in the wilderness and also be taught how to respectfully use the trails and why these spaces are so important.
In short, we Celebrate Local Wilderness by standing on the basic principles above: Preserve, protect and promote the responsible use and enjoyment of Green Country’s urban wildness areas for current and future generations.
There are two meetings – one on Monday, and another on Tuesday.
The Monday meeting is at 6 p.m. at the Zarrow Library, 2224 W. 51st Street in Tulsa. This is only for residents of Tulsa’s District. 2, and people are being asked to bring utility bills and ID to show proof of residency. Representatives from Simon Property Group, the developers of the proposed outlet mall, have said they will be there.
Then at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, there will be an open meeting at the Tulsa Marriott Southern Hills, 1902 E. 71st Street. Anyone can come to this meeting.
• What plans are being made to mitigate drainage problems that are expected to arise from the proposed mall property? How will the developers solve downstream pollution issues associated with drainage from the mall? There are strong concerns about how this might affect the Mooser Creek drainage, and thus the entire wilderness area.
• What will Simon do to properly blend in with the surroundings? The mall would directly overlook the Westside YMCA kids camp, and the potential is high that its mere presence (litter, noise, light pollution, sightline issues) will have a detrimental effect on campers’ experience there.
• What is being planned to deal with the guaranteed increase in traffic in the area? Current plans include widening the 61st Street bridge and just a small part of 61st Street near the mall. But it is a sure thing that traffic will increase on all of 61st Street and Elwood Avenue, as has been the case there since the opening of Tulsa Hills and the growing popularity of the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area. Current plans seem unlikely to adequately handle that traffic.
• Why does a multi-billion-dollar corporation need taxpayer assistance to make infrastructure improvements? If this project is going to be such a great thing, shouldn’t a well-moneyed company like Simon be able to pay for the costs without giving them a tax increment finance district? Why should the city risk taxpayer funds when there is already so much retail development in that area?
