Medicine Park

Medicine Park is based in the Great Plains Country region of southwest Oklahoma just north of the Fort Sill Military Reservation.

Medicine Park Halal Explorer

Medicine Park is in Comanche County, in the Wichita Mountains near the entrance to the 60,000-acre Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge. Many of the original structures are constructed out of naturally formed granite cobblestones. These red granite cobblestones are unique to the Wichita Mountains. It was established on July 4, 1908 by Oklahoma Senator Elmer Thomas, and was Oklahoma's first planned tourism resort.

Medicine Park has grown into an arts community with several artists in residence including sculptors, fine artists, graphic designers, musicians including street theater actors. There are outdoor concerts at the Park Tavern throughout the summer. The population was 373 at the 2020 census.

History

The community has a rich and colorful history. It was established by Elmer Thomas, a young lawyer who had just become the first Senator of Oklahoma.

In the spring of 1906, five years after the establishment of the Wichita Mountains National Forest, Thomas envisioned the need for a recreational area and for a permanent water source for the budding and newly founded City of Lawton. Over a period of a few years, he and a partner, Hal Lloyd from Altus, quietly purchased roughly 900 acres of what is now the cobblestone community of Medicine Park.

When the resort opened, it consisted of a large surplus Army tent with a wooden floor where hot meals were served. Two dams were constructed on Medicine Creek to form Bath Lake Swimming Hole and a few campsites were built. Over a period of roughly 4 years, numerous improvements were added, and the area began to take on the look and feel of a bona fide resort.

About this same time, numerous such resorts were opening near the entries of other newly founded National Parks and National Forests all across the nation. The American public held a remarkable fascination with nature. The coming of the automobile gave unprecedented access to the nation's natural wonders. Resorts began springing up nationwide to provide these new found "tourists" with food, lodging and entertainment.

Tourists flocked to the area from around the state and North Texas to enjoy the mountains, wildlife, swimming, good food and lodging. Soon and there were two inns -- the Outside Inn and the Apache Inn (which was formerly the Press Association Clubhouse) -- Baird's Health Sanitarium (which featured clay tennis courts and a spa) -- a dance hall and the Medicine Park Lodge (atop Mount Dunbar), a canteen, petting zoo, bath house, general store, school, bait shop, hydro electric power plant and the infamous Dam Café. Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys (the kings of western swing) became regulars at the dance hall from 1929 through the late 1930s. Numerous other famous bands of the day made their way through Medicine Park in route to big city venues in Oklahoma City, Dallas and Fort Worth.

The entire Bath Lake Park was landscaped with beautiful gardens, large trees, foot bridges and grassy areas for visitors to lounge around, sunbathe and enjoy the natural beauty. The area flourished during the late teens to the 1940s as the "Jewel of the Southwest."

The nearby Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and Lake Lawtonka attracted thousands of people each weekend and throughout the seasons. Medicine Park became the "playground" for the State's rich, famous and notorious. Folks would come to town for the weekend and leave their "work-a-day" world, troubles and reputations behind them. Outlaws and horse thieves mixed with noted politicians and businessmen, soldiers and officers from Fort Sill, families and socialites in this new cobblestone community. The pages of the Town's colorful history are filled with the likes of Will Rogers, Wiley Post, Frank Phillips, Bob Wills, Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd, Lil Hardin, Colonel Jack Abernathy, Les Brown, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and countless others.

Travel to Medicine Park

Medicine Park is near the city of Lawton and Fort Sill. Interstate 44 runs north-south just to the west of Medicine Park. State Highway 49 runs east-west and can be visited from I44. Medicine Park is at the main entry to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and the second most visited wildlife refuge in the nation - hosting more than 1.5 million annual visitors.

Get Around

What to See

Gondola Lake and Dam
Lake Lawtonka Dam
Lake Drive
The White Deer
Spirit of Survival Marathon
Old Plantation
Veterans Monument
Sanders House
Buffalo Sculpture
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge
Lake Lawtonka
Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area
Fort Sill - ☎ +1 580-442-5541
Meers
The Tour de Meers - ☎ +1 580-429-8051 - Held here annually.

Museum of the Great Plains - Red River Trading Post, Lawton ☎ +1 580-581-3460
Fort Sill Museum - Lawton ☎ +1 590-442-5123

Top Muslim Travel Tips for Medicine Park

Bath Lake Swimming Area
Medicine Park Trail
Trout Fishing -

Shopping

Chaps My Ass - ☎ +1 580-529-2248
Cobblestone Forge - ☎ +1 580-529-3081
Cobblestone Galleries - ☎ +1 580-529-2296
Medicine Park Ice Cream & Candy Company - - ☎ +1 580-529-3340
Charley's Angel Shop - ☎ +1 580-529-3338
Rusty Buffalo - - ☎ +1 580-529-3015
The Laughing Lizard Trading Post - ☎ +1 580-574-1318
Lulabelle's Gourmet Food - ☎ +1 580-704-9557
Purple Parrot - ☎ +1 580-529-0000
Happy Hollow - Highway 49 ☎ +1 580-529-2817
Scentz - ☎ +1 580-529-2454
Uncommon Findings - ☎ +1 580-529-3103

Halal Food

Riverside Café - ☎ +1 580-529-2626
Fishermen's Cove - ☎ +1 580-529-2672
AP's Club - Hwy. 49 ☎ +1 580-529-2260
Park Tavern - ☎ +1 580-529-2555
Muslim Friendly Hotels

Medicine Park has wonderful lodging from historic cabins to Bed & Breakfasts. You will find a variety of accommodations available.

Stardust Inn - ☎ +1 580 529-3270 Check-in: 3PM / Check-out: 11AM $145/165 (Queen/King) Bed and breakfast.

Buffalo Gap - ☎ +1 580-647-9050
The Twins - Red Door & Green Door.

Cobblestone Cottage - - ☎ +1 580-704-9557
Grandma's Cabin - ☎ +1 580-529-3081
Medicine Creek Lodging - ☎ +1 580-529-2248
Medicine Park Cabin - ☎ +1 580-678-4864
Wichita Mountain Lodge - ☎ +1 580-574-8773

Medicine Park

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