Watch this 2018 feature on Gloss Mountain State Park from Discover Oklahoma
Rising starkly out of relatively flat surroundings, the multi-hued Gloss Mountains make this state park one of Oklahoma’s most treasured.
The Gloss Mountains have a high selenite content that mimics a shiny glass exterior. The layers are the result of a gigantic inland sea that once covered western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. As this sea dried up, large beds of selenite gypsum were laid across the area. Bright flashes from the buttes, which can still be seen, inspired the area’s name.
Though there is no lodging or camping in Gloss Mountain State Park, there are plenty of hiking trails and picnic areas to enjoy from sunrise to sunset. One of the mountain’s popular trails runs from the parking lot to the top of Cathedral Mountain and across the mesa, offering an unbeatable view of the valley floor and Lone Peak Mountain.
Activities: Hiking, Picnic, Self-guided Tours, Watchable Wildlife
Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma map: No. 47
Miles from Enid: 40
Directions from Enid: Travel west on Hwy. 412 (Owen K Garriott Rd.) for 40 miles. Gloss Mountain State Park is on the north side of Hwy. 412.
