Keystone Ancient Forest
City Of Sand Springs And Nature Conservancy Preserve Of Old Growth Cross Timbers Forest · Sand Springs, Oklahoma
A 1,380-acre preserve of old-growth forest on the sandstone ridges above Keystone Lake, west of Tulsa, holding post oaks more than 300 years old and eastern red cedars with roots about 500 years old, never logged because the ridges were too rough to clear. The City of Sand Springs and The Nature Conservancy protected it, and about ten miles of trails run along the ridge tops and down the hollows, with an interpretive centre at the trailhead and views over the lake. It is a birdwatching site of note in spring migration, and the forest floor shows cross-timbers ecology that has nearly vanished elsewhere. Access is restricted to protect the ground: the preserve opens only on scheduled hike days, Thursday 7 AM-2 PM and Friday to Sunday 7 AM-6 PM, but not every Saturday, so the hike-date calendar has to be checked; the gate is locked promptly at closing. All-terrain track chairs are loaned at the visitor centre, and dogs are allowed only on the first Saturday and third Sunday of each month.
160 Blackjack Ridge Road, Sand Springs, Oklahoma, 74063, United States
Scheduled hike days only: Thursday 7 AM-2 PM, Friday to Sunday 7 AM-6 PM, and not every Saturday — check the hike-date calendar. The gate is locked promptly at closing (check sandspringsok.gov/175/Keystone-Ancient-Forest or call 918-246-7795).
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