Shout out to Michael who greeted me outside. He provided me with information about the trails, the color coded flags on the trees, points of interest to watch for, such as the tree that grows sides ways, sandwiched between large boulders. He was super helpful! I hiked The Falls Trail, which is 3.5 miles and rated difficult, and the rating is absolutely accurate. The trails are well marked and easy to follow. All of them begin to the left of the visitor center as you walk toward the Fire Road. To reach The Falls Trail, you walk about a quarter mile on the Fire Road, and the trail is the second access point on the left. It's clearly marked with signage, so you won't miss it. Near the butterfly garden, where the trails split to take The Falls Trail or the Wilson Trail, there's a water jug with cold water available, which is a thoughtful touch. The first half of The Falls trail is fairly easy, mostly flat, and a nice warmup. Eventually the terrain shifts to rocky sections and larger boulders. You're not rock scrambling, but there are a few places where the step up or down is high enough to make you slow down and choose your footing. The second half is where the difficulty really sets in. It's mostly incline, and mile markers 118 and 119 were the toughest for me because of the steep grade. It took me three and a half hours to complete the trail, longer than I expected. I'm out of shape and still adjusting to Oklahoma humidity, so I needed several breaks on the return route. The entire trail is under a thick canopy, which keeps you shaded but also blocks most of the breeze. It's a blessing and a challenge at the same time. One thing I really appreciated was the park's safety protocols. Color‑coded flags on the trees help keep you on the correct trail, and the mile markers include location numbers. If you ever have an emergency, you can relay that number so rescuers can find you quickly. No one expects to need help, but it's reassuring to know the system is in place. There are also a couple of spots marked with blue flags that indicate the quickest way out to the Fire Road, which is helpful if you need to exit the trail fast. The visitor center is a great place to cool down after a long hike. There are misters out front, and I stood under them when I finished because I was overheated and exhausted. They felt amazing. There are also rocking chairs outside, and inside you'll find clean bathrooms and a small selection of souvenirs including magnets, pins, keychains, beanies, and T‑shirts. I picked up a sticker and a pin. They really thought of everything to make your visit a good one. From having wood hiking poles you can borrow inside the Visitor Center, to the misters and rocking chairs, the water jug, the color coded flags. Highly recommend visiting Keystone Ancient Forest. read more

There is a decent sized parking lot for free parking. There is a small welcome center with decent bathrooms before you hit the trails. There are several loop options of various lengths. For my first experience, it was really nice. It was kind of chilly but really perfect weather for a hike and to explore. It was quiet and we didn't see many people while we were out hiking. The trails are well marked as well. It's a nice location to get out and enjoy the outdoors. read more

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Beautiful walking trails. The welcome center provides free bug spray! There are different lengths to choose from. Very peaceful and I'd highly recommend! read more

Who knew there was miles of hiking so close to Tulsa? There are several trails to choose from to hike a lot or not a lot of miles. I imagine it is beautiful in the fall and I definitely plan on visiting in every season. Parking is free and there are restrooms in the visitor center at the trail head. Wear your hiking shoes and bring plenty of water for a great day spent outside! read more

Keystone Ancient Forest - Hiking Near Me - Sand Springs, Oklahoma

We've been wanting to come hike here for quite some time but they're only open sporadically so it's been tough getting out here. So happy we made it! Fall is a gorgeous time to hike out here. The trees are beautiful shades of oranges, reds and yellows and it's cool enough to get several miles in. No bathrooms except ports potties but they are working on a welcome center right now. Now sure when it'll be open though. All the trails were very well marked and lots of maps along the paths. We also saw many guides that were helpful. Very clean with little to no trash on the trails. Can't wait to go back! Only warning I have is be prepared for a lot of people, it's a busy place since they're only open a few days a month. read more

Keystone Ancient Forest - Hiking Near Me - Sand Springs, Oklahoma

Keystone ancient forest is a BEAUTIFUL hike with many trails. Just moved to Stillwater and made the drive here and it was 100% worth it. We will be coming back, the staff were super nice as well in the guest area. Plenty of trails to pick from and plenty of long hikes to do! Perfect place for the pups. read more

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We had a very fun day in this gorgeous forest on a well-maintained walking trail. I can't wait to go back.

A wide variety of hiking trails. I think there is even one that is wheelchair accessible. We have been going here for years. They have been improving it every year. The visitors center has nice restrooms. There are plaques on many of the trails. The most interesting is the one that explains why Washington Irving's name is used around Lake Keystone, in this park, and also down in Bixby where the Arkansas River passes close by. Washington Irving traveled up the Arkansas River with a troop of US Cavalry in the early 1830s. He wrote a very entertaining book about this tour in his book, "A Tour on the Prairies". I recommend it. Here is a review: https://www.historynet.com/washington-irving-tour-prairies/ You will get a good hike in this park. My wife and I hiked on the newest trail on the day it was opened for use. We walked it, but it was a little bit tougher than we like. We are both in our 70s and we hike a lot. Highly recommended. read more

Last time I was here was several years ago and many, many improvements since then. Last week I had some time and decided to get a little fresh air by trying out the Childers Trail (rated "easy") which is .6 miles and asphalt paved. There's a large parking lot and welcome center with volunteers. It's only open Thursday - Sunday 8am - 2pm. Certain Saturdays you can bring your dog. Today, I decided to do the Frank Trail 2.8 miles round trip and while it's not paved, it is in very good shape. It's rated "moderate" because there some uneven stretches and occasional rocks and roots in the path. At the 1.4 mile marker is the "Ghost of Washington Irving Lookout" which offers a vista of Lake Keystone. It took a little more than an hour in part because I stopped to read the information boards situated periodically. The trail is well marked and there are several places to have a sit and rest before moving on. The volunteers were very welcoming and friendly. I believe there are time they will accompany you on the trail and point out what could easily be missed. It's free and a good way to get some exercise and fresh air. read more

Keystone Ancient Forest - Washington Irving site at "Frank Trail" end. - Hiking Near Me - Sand Springs, Oklahoma

I like that this place is clean! It is only open at certain times so watch Facebook for hours. Very family friendly and safe from human animals. However, you might want to be aware of your surroundings for the wild life such as snakes. This is a conservation area, so while the hiking is for you, the areas main focus is on natural preservation. Butterflies, squirrels, coyote, raccoon, snakes, lizards and deer are just a few of the species that call the Keystone Ancient Forest home. read more

This place was great. I think since the last review was given they've done a much better job letting the public know when they are open through their Facebook page. Just 'like' their page and you will always have an idea of what events are coming up and when they'll be open. I live in Tulsa so it's about a 30 minute BEAUTIFUL drive west to get there, but I'd be disappointed if I drove all that way and then it was closed. So, just make sure you are checking their Facebook page or website (http://www.sandspringsok.org) to ensure they are open. When you do get there, you can park in a nice parking lot and you are greeted by the nicest volunteers who will explain what to look for along the trails and can give a history of the forest. We didn't see any massive old trees, but we only did one trail. I think you may see that on the more aggressive trail we opted to try another time. There are beautiful views of Keystone lake! I can't wait to come back in the Fall/Winter when you can see more through the trees. They have a children's trail that would be very easy for any kiddos and the Frank trail that we did that was 2.8 miles in total. It's an easy hike with not too many hills but lots of open areas with prairie grasses that I thought was really unique for a forest. All in all, great experience and another great option that was still close to Tulsa. You definitely feel like you've stepped away somewhere really special while you are there and it's free... I'd highly recommend this as another alternative to Turkey Mountain. read more

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I almost hate giving a relatively low rating to this place, as it is definitely an asset to the community where it's located. My husband and I caught wind of Keystone Ancient Forest online and since we make pretty regular visits to the Tulsa area we thought it would be a great place to check out. Unfortunately, it is volunteer staffed and only open for hiking on certain days. At some times of the year, it's only open one or two days per month if at all. In the Fall it seems to be open more, though only on Saturdays from 8-2 at the time of my writing (Nov 2015). When we arrived, we met friendly volunteer guides and signage indicating two trails, easy and moderate. For us, even the moderate trail was extremely easy though it was a lot of fun and a comfortable 2.6 miles long. The landscape was unremarkable to be completely honest. It's just woods and a few rocky areas overlooking Keystone Lake. We did not really know what to expect, and perhaps we were imagining some of the grandeur and wonder of National Parks we frequently visit. But that was our error. Anyway, I would not go out of my way to visit here unless I was already in the area for some other reason. The Frank Trail which is considered moderate, was well marked. They supposedly have a Wilson Trail that is more difficult, and it is described on their website but when we were actually at the park it had been scraped off a lot of the maps and we only found mentions of it "coming soon". While we would likely investigate this further and return to complete a more challenging trail, I was a little disappointed especially given the very sporadic availability of these hiking areas. We visit many superior parks and trails in this part of the country that are open dawn to dusk every day of the year, so Keystone Ancient Forest is a bit of a puzzle to us in that way. They don't have a visitor center or anything like that, and porta-potties are the only "facility" on site. It is clean and well kept, and the easiest trail is just over 1/2 mile and completely paved so it would be somewhat accessible even for small children or those with limitations in their mobility (though maybe not wheelchairs, in my opinion). read more

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