Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area facts for kids

The Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area is a big nature park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It covers about 738 acres, which is like 560 football fields! This park is managed by the Tulsa River Parks Authority and is open for everyone to enjoy. You can find the main entrance at 67th Street and Elwood Avenue in West Tulsa.

Quick facts for kids Turkey Mountain
Highest point
Elevation	919 ft (280 m)
Geography
Turkey Mountain Location in Oklahoma

Discover Turkey Mountain's Size and Location

Turkey Mountain is a large hill on the west side of the Arkansas River in Tulsa. From its highest point, you can see amazing views of Tulsa. The top of the hill is about 300 feet (91 meters) higher than the river below.

The park stretches out between major roads. It goes from Interstate 44 down to 71st Street. It also reaches from US-75 all the way to the Arkansas River.

How the Park Grew Over Time

Turkey Mountain Park began in 1978. Back then, it was 147 acres big. This land was bought with money from Tulsa County, the government, and private donations.

By 2023, the park had grown a lot. It reached about 650 acres. In that same year, about 88 more acres were added. Most of this new land was bought by River Parks using sales tax money. Another 15 acres came from a private gift. These new 88 acres are across a street called Elwood. Plans are being made to create a safe path to connect these new parts to the main park.

Explore the Trails at Turkey Mountain

The Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area has many trails for you to explore. There are four main marked trails. These trails range from about 0.8 miles (1.3 kilometers) to 5.7 miles (9.2 kilometers) long. They are great for running, cycling, or just walking.

Besides the marked trails, there are over 25 miles (40 kilometers) of unmarked trails. These offer even more places to discover. The River Parks paved trail, which is 25 miles long, also passes through the park near the river. This trail connects Turkey Mountain to other parks along the river in Tulsa.

National Recognition for the Trails

In June 2016, something special happened. The National Park Service officially named the Turkey Mountain trails as part of the National Recreation Trail system. This means they are recognized as important trails for outdoor fun across the country.

Future Plans for More Trails

A big plan for Turkey Mountain is to have 40 miles (64 kilometers) of trails that everyone can use. By October 2023, more than 21 miles (34 kilometers) of these trails were already finished. There's also a project to link Turkey Mountain with two other parks, Bales and Lubell. These parks have another 9 miles (14.5 kilometers) of trails between them.

Park Improvements and Facilities

New buildings are being added to make the park even better. A large building for park maintenance is being built. This building will help keep the park clean and safe. It is located near 71st Street and Elwood.

There are also plans for a new Visitors Center. This center will be a great place to learn about the park. It will be built near the park's lower parking lot off Elwood. More parking spaces will also be added for visitors.

Mysterious Markings: The Claimed Petroglyphs

Close to the river, there are some interesting marks on the stone. One of these marks has been said to look like the letters "gwn." Some people thought these were ancient carvings, called petroglyphs. A writer named Barry Fell believed they were left by European travelers long before Christopher Columbus came to America.

However, the idea of Europeans visiting America before Columbus (apart from the Vikings in Newfoundland) is mostly seen as a fringe theory. This means it's not widely accepted by most scientists and historians. The park itself explains that the sandstone rock there is very soft. This means any carvings would wear away quickly due to weather. So, it's more likely that these marks were made much later, perhaps in the 1920s, by oil field workers who were looking for oil in the area.