Red Rock Canyon

I have been longing for a fall camping trip, but since the boys are still a little young and Casey isn't the camping type we opted for a day trip. I used to camp at Red Rock Canyon State Park when I was a kid so I was excited to take the boys. We cooked out over a campfire, hiked a bit, explored, and generally enjoyed the great outdoors. Red Rock is about an hour's drive west of the city so it's perfect for a short excursion. The leaves were just starting to turn and I'm sure it will be full of fall color in a couple of weeks.

I never bothered to read the history of the canyon when I was a kid, but that canyon has had a fascinating life. The canyons are reported to be over 260 million years old formed by sediment runoff from the neighboring Ouachita and Ozark Mountains. The canyons made a nice winter shelter for the Plains Indians and also served as hunting grounds. One of the marked hiking trails, the California Road Trail, was part of an actual westward expansion trail which passed through Oklahoma as 49ers journeyed to California in search of gold. The canyon made for a distinct landmark and the spring fed creek made a popular water stop. You can still see wagon ruts on the trail today which I never bothered to notice as a kid.

It's easy to forget that we have local treasures so nearby. I see more state park trips in our future.