Last Minute Oklahoma Trip

[nczoofan]

Hey y'all. Due to travel logistics and such I have had to postpone a trip I hoped to make this month and therefore am doing a short road trip of Oklahoma instead. I plan on visiting the Oklahoma City Zoo and the Tulsa Zoo on my trip. I also hope to hit up other cultural institutions and wildlife sites across the state (especially for birds).

Does anyone have any tips for any of the two zoos I hope to visit?
Also does anyone have any other recommended places to see or birding hotspots?

 

[Aardwolf]

Hey y'all. Due to travel logistics and such I have had to postpone a trip I hoped to make this month and therefore am doing a short road trip of Oklahoma instead. I plan on visiting the Oklahoma City Zoo and the Tulsa Zoo on my trip. I also hope to hit up other cultural institutions and wildlife sites across the state (especially for birds).

Does anyone have any tips for any of the two zoos I hope to visit?
Also does anyone have any other recommended places to see or birding hotspots?

I’m planning a trip to Tulsa soon, and was going to stop at the Tall Grass Prairie Reserve in Pawhuska (about an hour away) to do some birding and herping

 

[Okie]

In Tulsa, there’s decent birding near the zoo at the Oxley Nature Center and on to the north woods.

The OKC Zoo currently has a ton on construction in the heart of the zoo. In terms of open exhibits, head to the left upon entering. (If you go right, you’ll mainly be trekking through construction zone.) You’ll first encounter the Galapagos tortoises and end up at the zoo plaza connected to Cat Forest, Great EscApe and my favorite, the Oklahoma Trails. Make sure you make it back Sanctuary Asia to see the tanuki. There’s been a baby boom recently, and you may see young lions, tigers, chimpanzee, and Asian elephant.

I know you enjoy seeing birds, so I’ll mention that Raptor Ridge and the Dan Moran Aviary are both easy to miss if you just take the main loop around. They’re both clearly marked on the map, however. Have a great time!

 

[Coelacanth18]

I went birding/wildlife watching at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge a few years ago when I was in Oklahoma; it has a bison herd and is a pretty good birding spot as well. If you like art museums, the Philbrook in Tulsa is well-regarded and a nice place to spend a couple hours.

Oklahoma City Zoo: with the African exhibit not being open yet, you may not need a whole day for the zoo - maybe 4 to 5 hours. My best advice is try to be in the Reptile House whenever it is least crowded; it is difficult to walk in those hallways with even mild crowds. The rest of the zoo is much more spread out and roomy so should be fine.

Tulsa Zoo is a bit smaller but has a lot of smaller species and buildings, so I'd budget 3 to 4 hours for that one. They have a great collection of less frequently seen species spread throughout the zoo, but if you're into birds definitely check out the Conservation Center in particular.

Both lists are from 2021:
Species List for Oklahoma City Zoo: Oklahoma City Zoo Species List - Nov 2021 [Oklahoma City Zoo]
Species List for Tulsa Zoo: Tulsa Zoo Species List - Dec 2021 [Tulsa Zoo]

If you're looking for other places to visit, the Oklahoma Aquarium just outside Tulsa has the country's only Bull Sharks; you could probably fit that and the zoo into one day pretty easily.

 

[nczoofan]

In Tulsa, there’s decent birding near the zoo at the Oxley Nature Center and on to the north woods.

The OKC Zoo currently has a ton on construction in the heart of the zoo. In terms of open exhibits, head to the left upon entering. (If you go right, you’ll mainly be trekking through construction zone.) You’ll first encounter the Galapagos tortoises and end up at the zoo plaza connected to Cat Forest, Great EscApe and my favorite, the Oklahoma Trails. Make sure you make it back Sanctuary Asia to see the tanuki. There’s been a baby boom recently, and you may see young lions, tigers, chimpanzee, and Asian elephant.

I know you enjoy seeing birds, so I’ll mention that Raptor Ridge and the Dan Moran Aviary are both easy to miss if you just take the main loop around. They’re both clearly marked on the map, however. Have a great time!

Thanks for the tips. I don't wanna miss anything especially birds. Also never seen tanuki's so that'll be exciting.

 

[nczoofan]

I went birding/wildlife watching at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge a few years ago when I was in Oklahoma; it has a bison herd and is a pretty good birding spot as well. If you like art museums, the Philbrook in Tulsa is well-regarded and a nice place to spend a couple hours.

Oklahoma City Zoo: with the African exhibit not being open yet, you may not need a whole day for the zoo - maybe 4 to 5 hours. My best advice is try to be in the Reptile House whenever it is least crowded; it is difficult to walk in those hallways with even mild crowds. The rest of the zoo is much more spread out and roomy so should be fine.

Tulsa Zoo is a bit smaller but has a lot of smaller species and buildings, so I'd budget 3 to 4 hours for that one. They have a great collection of less frequently seen species spread throughout the zoo, but if you're into birds definitely check out the Conservation Center in particular.

Both lists are from 2021:
Species List for Oklahoma City Zoo: Oklahoma City Zoo Species List - Nov 2021 [Oklahoma City Zoo]
Species List for Tulsa Zoo: Tulsa Zoo Species List - Dec 2021 [Tulsa Zoo]

If you're looking for other places to visit, the Oklahoma Aquarium just outside Tulsa has the country's only Bull Sharks; you could probably fit that and the zoo into one day pretty easily.

Wichita Mountains looked amazing so I think I penciled it in for my last day of travel. Any recommendations on trails or drive there would be great. The Philbrook also looks cool and is definitely an option if I get zoo'd out.

Sadly missing that new exhibit, but then again I can get a bit tired of African savannah exhibits. I have heard the reptile house is a nightmare so will have to figure out when to hit that up.

Tulsa seems to have an interesting collection and a great focus on smaller species. I'm iffy on the Oklahoma Aquarium and I'm not much of aquarium fan, but I'll have to see how it fits into my schedule.

Thanks for the species lists. They are greatly appreciated.

 

[pokefan11]

Lots of great tips on here for your visit. I live in Tulsa and you’ll find several great wildlife sites across the state. In addition to some of the suggestions above, I would also recommend a visit to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve or you might want to check out Woolaroc Wildlife Preserve and Museum with its large herds of Bison and Elk. It’s a not as well known, but a beautiful and truly Oklahoma experience.