About two and a half hours southwest of Oklahoma City, Quartz Mountain Nature Park is home to the Quartz Mountain Arts and Conference Center. The center hosts arts students and teachers throughout the year along with conferences and retreats for businesses and governmental organizations. The modern lodge is also open to the public. If you're seeking a more rustic stay at Quartz Mountain and in the surrounding area, take advantage of guest cabins offering peace, quiet and privacy among one of the most beautiful areas of the state.
Quartz Mountain Nature Park’s Cabins
- Inside the Quartz Mountain park itself, there are 10 cabins clustered in the center of the park near Lake Altus and the swimming beaches. They range from one-bed, one-bath cabins to a three-bed, two-bath cabin. Most cabins feature two beds and one bathroom, according to the Quartz Mountain Resort. You'll enjoy electricity, running water and kitchenettes, but no phones or TVs, making them appealing if you want to unplug and relax away from the distractions of the outside world.
Relaxing Isn't Mandatory
- When not admiring the Lake Altus or Quartz Mountain views, indulge your inner adventurer or take on more traditional family vacation activities. Hit the hiking trails or rock climbing routes. Take a dip in the lake or in the Quartz Mountain Lodge pool. Rent a paddle boat to explore Lake Altus, or try your luck angling for fish. Join a naturalist-led bald eagle watch during the winter nesting season on the shores of the lake, or take advantage of Quartz Mountain's 18-hole golf course or mini-golf course. If your children are in tow and find none of this appealing, visit the amusement park.
Medicine Park Cabins
- Oklahoma’s quirky Medicine Park town, about 70 miles to the east of Quartz Mountain, was founded as a resort and health spa for the state’s rich and famous -- and infamous -- in the early 1900s. Vacationers can rent one of dozens of cabins or cottages. Many of the cabins available are built from local cobblestone that gives the town its nickname: “America’s Cobblestone Community.” Cabins range from small and sparse to cozy bed and breakfasts.
A Good Dose of Medicine
- Medicine Park remains a vacation destination for the Sooner State to this day, welcoming guests who visit Medicine Creek for its supposed healing powers. Unique shops, boutiques and restaurants will keep you busy, while a winery sells bottles of locally-produced libations. The community is next to the expansive Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, where you can drive to the top of Mount Scott and watch bison herds, a living symbol of the old west, grazing on the prairie. The refuge has miles of hiking trails, scenic vistas, an interpretive visitor’s center and lakes for fishing.
