The leaves are finally changing colors, and it’s perfect weather for a fall hike.
Just eight miles northwest of downtown, you can find nearly five miles of new paths to hike at Tulsa Botanic Garden & Nature Trail with the opening of the nonprofit’s Cross Timbers Nature Trail.
Spread over 100 acres to the west of the existing gardens, the nature trail will soon grow to eight miles of scenic pathways where visitors can take in the natural beauty of the Osage Hills and all the critters that pass through it, including migrating tarantulas and butterflies this time of year.
While free trails can be found across the metro, Tulsa Botanic Garden CEO Chuck Lamson said the trail system there is accessible only by going through the garden’s main entrance.
Admission is $10 a visit for those 16 and older and $5 for kids ages 3 to 15. The nonprofit offers annual memberships starting at $60 for an individual and $99 for families aimed at providing value for those who want to hike as much as possible and also enjoy all the other areas of the garden every day it’s open, Lamson said.
“If there is someone that is wanting that extra level of security or is concerned about someone just wandering through, it’s not likely out here because of how it is protected,” he said.
A portion of proceeds will go to creating the remaining miles of trails and maintaining the 100 acres, which now includes areas subjected to prescribed burning for the first time in decades.
The goal is to kill off some of the invasive species such as the juniper trees found throughout the nature trail.
“That is a native tree, but it’s one that likes to invade when there’s no pressure from fire,” said horticulturist Jacob Neptune.
Over time, prescribed burns will eliminate the invaders and restore the tallgrass spaces, persimmon groves and oak forests. The staff is working with partners Oklahoma Native Plant Network, Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition, Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture and Oklahoma State University to learn more about the land and its ecosystem.
“What’s special about this landscape that’s different from most hiking opportunities is it is being managed,” said horticulturist Matthew Blissit. “You’re getting to see the demonstration of what is restoring ecological coherence through time.”
Soon more Oklahoma beardtongue, a wildflower found almost nowhere outside the state, will be seen by hikers.
“Every year is going to be more and more beautiful. Every year is going to bring it back to what it used to be,” added Neptune.
The Tulsa Botanic Garden & Nature Trail is closed Nov. 16-26 to prepare for the annual Botanic Garden of Lights, which runs Nov. 27 through the rest of the year.
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