Journalist: Dylan Davis (OSU)
The “Oklahoma’s Great Hikes” Act is slated to be introduced by Sen. Kameron Sanders (TCC) to the OIL Senate later today. This bill would codify twelve trails in Oklahoma as the state’s “Great Hikes.” These trails include, but are not limited to, notable trails in areas such as the Wichita Mountain National Wildlife Refuge, Black Mesa Nature Preserve, and Beavers Bend State Park. The Act, if passed, would also allot for concessionist at on-site gift shops and markets.
This piece of the act has drawn concern from environmentalists around the state. These approved
concessionists would be able to brand and sell merchandise, and a portion of their profits would
be used to raise funds for the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department.
One environmentalist and student at Oklahoma State University named Liam Addler says
that this bill threatens to “ruin the natural beauty” of the Elk Mountain Trail’s trailhead in
Charon’s Garden Wilderness. He also says that in his own experience, there is “already quite a
lot of traffic in this area” and believes that a storefront on the premises would only exacerbate
this issue.
Similar sentiments are shared by Myles Gunsolley, another environmentalist and traveler
from Texas. Gunsolley documents his experiences hiking across the United States online. He
says that this act, if passed, would specifically “negatively impact the natural beauty” of Black
Mesa Nature Preserve, a preserve home to Oklahoma’s highest point. Black Mesa was also
recently designated as an International Dark Sky Park, the first of its kind in Oklahoma.
The implementation of a potentially lighted vendor on the state park’s grounds, combined
with potentially increased traffic in the area, could increase development, possibly threatening
this new Dark Sky title that the Oklahoma State Parks Director, Richard Keithley said is one of
the department’s “biggest achievements.”
This bill also has many supporters who say that the revenue from these vendors would
help fund the very trails that they would be placed on. For the 2025-2026 state budget, the
Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department was allotted $114 million by the state of
Oklahoma.
Increased revenue would likely increase investments in parks across the state. Sen. Cesily
Covey (OSU) says that “the state parks are one of the most underfunded aspects of Oklahoma”
and believes that this may outweigh the potential problems that some have with the bill.
The bill is slated to be read in front of the Senate this morning. If passed, the act will then
go to the House for another vote. Environmentalists across the country and Oklahomans alike
will be watching the bill intently as the chambers look to strike a balance between natural beauty
and potential revenue.