9 Most Welcoming Towns In Oklahoma's Countryside

Oklahoma's countryside rewards travelers willing to take a detour. You might leave with cobblestone dust on your boots from Medicine Park, the sound of Rocklahoma still ringing in your ears from Pryor, or a deeper understanding of Chickasaw history at Tishomingo. These nine countryside towns deliver real variety across the state. History meets music meets wilderness across places most travelers drive past. That's exactly why they are worth stopping for.

Talihina

A town with rich history and deep roots, Talihina sits on the Choctaw Reservation. Since the 1920s, the town's economy has grown through tourism and recreation. A weekend there takes you along the 54-mile Talimena National Scenic Byway with panoramic views of the Ouachita Mountains. Lovers of hiking trails can enjoy the forest views of Winding Stair Mountain National Recreation Area. These recreational areas also offer campsites for RVs and tents, picnic facilities, and a playground. Visitors also experience guided horseback rides and a relaxing float on the Kiamichi River using the K River Campground in Moyers.

Learn more about the people of the Choctaw Nation when you visit the Choctaw Capitol Building located in Tuskahoma, a 20-minute drive from Talihina. Downtown Talihina is packed with Native American art galleries and historic gift shops for a variety of mementos.

Pauls Valley

An excellent town for a quick weekend getaway, Pauls Valley sits right off I-35 and is packed with activities for the best American experience, complete with indoor and outdoor pastimes. This town is famed for The Toy & Action Figure Museum, the first museum dedicated to the art and sculpting of action figures. Displaying over 13,000 figures and a hands-on play area, it claims to be the right visit for both nostalgic adults and boisterous kids.

In a beautifully restored 1905 train depot is The Santa Fe Depot Museum, which holds the rich pioneer and railroad history of the town. Take a tour of retro photographs, local memorabilia, and a historic steam locomotive.

In the mood for pie? Take a detour into Field's Pecan Pie Factory, where visitors can stop to pick up pies from their retail/thrift shop. While famous for their pecan pie, they also serve German Chocolate and Lemon pies. Cool off in the summer at the nearby water park in Wacker Park, where there are also basketball courts, baseball fields, picnic areas, and walking and jogging tracks.

Poteau

Welcome to the friendly town of Poteau in LeFlore County, Oklahoma. The town boasts a rich history, adventure, and scenic sights for all visitors who are looking to explore Oklahoma's countryside. At exactly 1,999 feet above its base stands Cavanal Hill, the self-proclaimed World's Highest Hill. Enjoy panoramic views of the Poteau River Valley and the surrounding areas when you hike or drive to the hill. The LeFlore County Museum, housed in a beautifully restored 1922 hotel, is a great stop for history enthusiasts; its three floors hold Spiro Mound artifacts, rune stones, and a trove of railroad and coal mining relics. Lake Wister State Park is an expansive park that covers a 7,000-acre lake with water-based recreation activities like boating, water skiing, and fishing. The park also offers hiking trails, cycling, and serene camping grounds.

After the day's activities, Warehouse Willy's is the right place to wind down. It is a Golden Fork Award-winning steakhouse serving up ribeye, Cajun-influenced sides, and their signature mudbugs, also known as fried crawfish.

Pawhuska

In Osage County, the welcoming town of Pawhuska sits, packed with contemporary and historic attractions, which makes it a fine choice for your next trip. History buffs can visit the Osage Nation Museum, the oldest tribally owned museum still operating today, preserving the culture, life, and history of the Osage Nation.

The Pioneer Woman Mercantile, owned by Ree Drummond and her husband, Ladd, draws in a large number of guests to Pawhuska with delicious meals and a retail space for shopping home goods and clothing. Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is the largest protected piece of tallgrass prairie left on earth, covering nearly 40,000 acres, with a working ecosystem. The preserve is home to thousands of free-roaming bison, with access to hiking and driving trails to view wildlife.

Meeker

Your next visit away from the city should be Meeker, with its quiet small-town pace and lineup of activities to get you relaxed. Start off your visit with a fishing expedition at Meeker Lake for Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Blue Catfish, and Sunfish. The facility also offers trails for both hikers and horseback rides with picnic and camping areas.

Right beside City Hall on 421 W. Carl Hubbell Blvd is the Meeker Historical Museum, which honors the town's local pioneer heritage and is also home to exhibits on Carl Hubbell, a Baseball Hall of Famer and one of Meeker's most famous sons. The Meeker Trading Company is an antique store where visitors can purchase items as souvenirs and memorabilia.

Sulphur

Having received its name from the presence of sulfur in its waters, Sulphur sits as a Murray County draw. The town offers visitors various activities to enjoy, including rich history, beautiful sights, and thrilling adventure.

Take a dip in the cold mineral springs of Little Niagara, located in Chickasaw National Recreation Area, where visitors can also enjoy the view of Sulphur when hiking up the trail to Bromide Hill. History buffs can enjoy live demonstrations and interactive galleries that explore the rich history of the Chickasaw Nation at the Chickasaw Cultural Center.

Enjoy a classic Fat Bully's burger after the day's events. The Artesian Hotel, Casino and Spa rounds out the day in style. Soak in the Sole'renity Spa's steam rooms and soaking tubs, try your luck at the casino, then retire to one of 81 elegantly appointed rooms built on the grounds of the original 1906 hotel.

Pryor

Whether you are chasing a music festival high, a quiet round of golf, or a trail through wooded creekside scenery, Pryor, officially Pryor Creek, delivers the lot.

The town's biggest draw is its back-to-back music festivals at the Rockin' Red Dirt Ranch. Rocklahoma, the annual hard rock and metal extravaganza that drew 100,000 fans at its 2007 debut, and Born and Raised, its country and red dirt counterpart, each pull tens of thousands of visitors from across the country for multi-day camping and live music experiences. Start the morning on the Pryor Creek Nature Trail, a three-mile wooded path along the creek that welcomes walkers, runners, mountain bikers, and horseback riders, with catch-and-release fishing access along the way.

Golfers of all levels will find their game at Pryor Creek Golf Club, an 18-hole, par 72 municipal course offering PGA professional instruction, a driving range, and chipping and putting greens. Fuel up before or after at Lu's East Side Cafe, a beloved local breakfast and lunch spot open from 6 am through early afternoon, known for its home-style cooking and down-home portions.

Medicine Park

Founded on July 4th, 1908, Medicine Park holds the distinction of being Oklahoma's first resort town, and it wears that history proudly. Set in Comanche County near the entrance to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, this cobblestone village is home to just over 500 residents, and considerably more visitors year-round. Stroll downtown and take in the distinctive red granite cobblestone buildings unique to the Wichita Mountains, then cool off in Bath Lake, the creek-fed swimming hole at the heart of town that has drawn visitors since the 1920s, back when special trains ran from Oklahoma City just to get people here.

The Medicine Park Aquarium & Natural Sciences Center is a worthy stop for families, with over 90 native and non-native fish, reptile, amphibian, bird, and mammal species on exhibit, including river otters, a walk-through quail aviary, electric eel demonstrations, and the largest blue catfish in captivity. Whispering Cobblestone Cabins puts you steps from downtown in pet-friendly two-bedroom units with hot tubs, robes, and golf carts. It is the closest thing to feeling like a local.

Tishomingo

Tishomingo carries a title few Oklahoma towns can claim. It is the historic capital of the Chickasaw Nation. Serving as the Nation's seat of government from 1856 until Oklahoma statehood in 1907, the town wears its history proudly, and it shows at every turn.

Start with the Chickasaw National Capitol Building, a Victorian Gothic red granite structure dedicated in 1898 that now operates as a museum. Tours are available, and admission is free. Next door, the Chickasaw Council House and Museum traces the full arc of Chickasaw history through the Trail of Tears and into the present day, with artifacts, a genealogy research center, and the original one-room log Council House built in 1853.

For outdoor time, the Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge covers 16,464 acres of wetlands, forests, and open fields just south of town, home to 284 bird species, making it one of the better birdwatching spots in the state, alongside hiking trails and fishing access. End the evening at Ole Red, Blake Shelton's restaurant, bar, and live music venue right on Main Street, built to put Tishomingo on the map. The menu runs the spread of scratch-made comfort food and signature cocktails, and live music runs most nights on The Doghouse Stage.

Why Oklahoma's Countryside Delivers

The simplicity of life is sometimes experienced in the countryside. Oklahoma's countryside offers visitors a mix of unique experiences, whether for relocation or a quick getaway. Talimena State Park in Talihina, the annual Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Lakeview Lavender Farm in Pauls Valley, and others all make this stretch of the state worth exploring at your own pace.