ROAD Less traveled

OKLAHOMA’S DIRT ROADS AND BEATEN PATHS OFFER VIEWS, RIDES, AND ROAD T R I P S I N AC C E S S I B L E TO M O S T. B U T HOW TO GET STARTED OFF-ROADING? WHERE TO GO? HOW TO STAY SAFE? THIS GUIDE WILL HELP YOU HIT THE TRAILS.

- SUSAN DRAGOO

A DIRT ROAD CATCHES your eye while you’re following the asphalt on the way to somewhere else. Where does it go? What could you see if you turned around and took the time to leave the pavement and follow that tree-canopied trail? There are nearly sixty thousand miles of unpaved roads across Oklahoma—more than enough to circumnavigate the globe twice. That’s a lot of opportunity for exploring, and for the curious, there’s plenty to discover. But prepare to get a little grime on that fresh wax job in the process.

First, a tutorial in terminology. There’s a lot of four-wheeling in Oklahoma, often also referred to as offroading. That could include use of all-terrain vehicles and highly modified Jeeps, trucks, cars, or motorcycles taken to a specific location like an off-highway vehicle park for tackling challenging obstacles, deep sand, and rocky or technical terrain. Then there’s Overlanding, which also is sometimes referred to as off-roading. Overlanding celebrates the journey, may be done on four wheels or two, and usually involves nights beneath the stars. Highly modified vehicles are not required, but high clearance and four-wheel drive or dual-sport motorcycles are a good idea. You might not want to take your Miata on the K Trail.

Our focus is on overlanding, taking us away from paved roads and population centers in stock or slightly modified vehicles to explore Oklahoma’s backcountry in its scenic and historic glory. Granted, there are some nuances to such exploration—primarily involving access—but in the search for off-road Oklahoma, there’s plenty of excitement to be had.