McCurtain County Wilderness Area explained

McCurtain County Wilderness Area
Map:	USA Oklahoma
Location:	McCurtain County, Oklahoma
Nearest City:	Broken Bow
Coordinates:	34.2958°N -94.6408°W
Area:	14087acres
Governing Body:	Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
Url:	http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/facts_maps/wma/mccurtain.htm

The McCurtain County Wilderness Area is a 14087acres wilderness nature preserve north of Broken Bow, Oklahoma. It has been owned by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.^[1] It was designated a National Natural Landmark in December 1974 for its excellent example of a xeric upland oak-pine forest.^[2]

Description

The Area is in the southern section of the Ouachita Uplift and ranged from 575feet to 1363feet in elevation. It receives 47.5inches of rain annually, the highest amount in the state.

Wildlife

There are over 110 bird species in the area, including the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker^[3] and bald eagle. It was nominated as an Important Bird Area in 2008 by the Audubon Society.^[4]

There are over 359 species of plants in the area.^[5]

Visiting

There is a short nature trail, but further exploration of the east side of the reservoir requires advance permission.^[6]

External links

• Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation: McCurtain County Wilderness Area
• Official Brochure and Map (PDF)

Notes and References

1. Web site: McCurtain County Wilderness Area. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. 26 March 2019.
2. Web site: National Natural Landmarks - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service). www.nps.gov. en. 2019-03-26. "There are three National Natural Landmark sites located within the state of Oklahoma.".
3. http://www.tulsaaudubon.org/guides/mccurtain-county-wilderness-area.htm Tulsa Audubon Society
4. http://iba.audubon.org/iba/viewSiteProfile.do?siteId=2638&navSite=state IBA description of site
5. Web site: Floristic Inventory of the McCurtain County Wilderness Area, Oklahoma. Bruce A. Smith . Ronald J. Tyrl . Ronald E. Masters . amp . Herbarium, Department of Botany, and Department of Forestry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078. 2008-12-15.
6. http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/facts_maps/wma/mccurtain.htm Official Site and Visitor Instructions