Segment Overview
Route Creator
Miles
Days Out
Recommended Tire Size
Season
Elevation Gain
Difficulty
4/10 Technical
Primary Surface(s)
Route Map
Route Details
Oklahoma is probably the most forgotten and most subtly beautiful state in the United States. Some of the highlights of this route segment include:
- Red Rock Canyon in Hinton, OK has gorgeous camping and hiking just off route. Don’t pass it up if you have time or if you are planning on stopping there for an overnight stay on the route.
- Eischan’s Bar in Okarche, OK is Oklahoma’s oldest bar and some of the most delicious fried chicken you’ve ever had.
- The Rock-A-Way Tavern is one of OK’s oldest bars just south of Guthrie. You can still smoke cigarettes inside and get an ice-cold Miller Lite. It’s a motorcycle bar with a super rad back patio.
- Liberty Lake is just a few miles west of Rock-A-Way Tavern with fantastic camping options but beware of the sand burs (goat heads) in the grass all around the lake. A tubeless setup on your bike will protect you but they are everywhere and ready to pop your sleep pad if you’re not careful.
- Guthrie, OK is the original Capitol of Oklahoma and the route will take you straight through its completely gorgeous historic downtown. Many movies have been and are still being filmed here in downtown. Do not miss Guthrie Brewing Company and their absolutely delicious beer and pizza downtown. This is a MUST stop. When you leave downtown heading east you’ll ride down Oklahoma Ave directly toward the original capitol of OK that is now the largest Temple of the Scottish Rite of Freemasons in the world.
- The amazing red dirt Oklahoma roads that have been featured on many Mid South courses over the last decade. These red earth roads will draw you in and make you appreciate the beauty of the land for the rest of your life.
- Downtown Stillwater – head straight to District Bicycles, Bobby Wintle’s bike shop. Stonecloud Brewing, just two blocks south of District, is our living room when we’re not in our living room and has the best beer in OK. Don’t miss delicious ramen from Devoted (pro-tip, get the date night chicken wings). Aspen Coffee is directly across the street from District and is fantastic. Lastly, depending on when you arrive you could be fortunate enough to hit Good Little Eater on 10th Street, and you’ll get the best homemade lunch or brunch food you can find anywhere. Another great brunch spot is Hatch Early Mood Food at 10th and Main (good vibes, delicious pancakes and bloody marys).
- From Stillwater you head north on delicious gravel up toward the Osage Nation. Here you will find the graves of Mollie Kyle (Burkhart) and her family that were murdered in the 1920’s and 30’s during the Killer’s of Flower Moon Osage Murders. If you aren’t familiar with this story do some research, read the book, or watch the new Scorsese film with Leonardo DeCaprio. It’s an unbelievable heart wrenching story. Mollie was fortunate enough not to be murdered despite her husband’s efforts to steal her head rights and land and mineral ownership, but her sister and family were not as fortunate. You will ride right next to their graves in the Osage at Gray Horse.
- Pawhuska is a bustling tourist destination thanks to The Pioneer Woman and her restoration efforts of downtown. There is a beautiful hotel and incredible pizza shop right in the middle of downtown. Just before you get into downtown you’ll ride over a suspension bridge that is over 100 years old. It’s a little sketchy but safe!
- Lastly, keep your eyes peeled for open range buffalo in the Osage. This is their land and they are a bit aggressive and protective at times. Keep your distance and revel in their beauty and power.
- Keep your eyes peeled for Red Tail and Harrier Hawks.
Bobby hopes you will fall in love with Oklahoma as he has when you ride this route.
Welcome to The Great Plains Gravel Route, Oklahoma. This portion of the route travels from the western border with Texas through the heart of the state and then north through the Osage Nation into the Flint Hills in northern Oklahoma to the Kansas border. Oklahoma has thousands of miles red dirt, white chalky gravel, and lonely and gorgeous back roads in the state. This route hits some of the absolute best roads and views that Oklahoma has to offer.
This route starting at the western border meeting TX is putting the rider into the high plains with undulating terrain that will leave you speechless. As you travel toward the middle of the state the roads will get narrower, deep red, and more rough terrain. This is the heart of roads where The Mid South out of Stillwater, OK was born in 2013. You’ll go through quintessential rural small towns all throughout the route and hit places like Eischan’s Bar that is the oldest bar in OK with some of the best fried chicken you’ve ever eaten. You’ll have the opportunity to camp at Pawnee Lake which is one of the most beautiful small lakes I’ve ever seen. As you get further north rider’s will ride straight through the heart of Osage Nation where the southernmost edge of the Flint Hills are ready to show you their beauty. Outside of Fairfax, OK you will ride right next to Gray Horse Cemetery where Mollie Kyle (Burkhart) and her family are buried from the Killer’s of Flower Moon horrendous Osage Murders in the 1920’s and 30’s. You then head north through Pawhuska, OK and straight north to meet up with the gorgeous Kansas section smack dab in the heart of the Flint Hills. You will fall in love with Oklahoma after riding these roads handpicked by Bobby Wintle born from 15 years of love and devotion to route building for The Mid South.
- Paved: 29%
- Smooth Gravel: 66%
- Rough Gravel: 5%
- 4×4 Road: 0%
- Singletrack: 0%
Any gravel bike with a minimum of 42mm tire clearance all the way up to a XC hardtail mountain bike with 2.2″ tires would be suitable for this segment of the route.
There is ample camping at state parks, lakes, and campgrounds along the way. The route passes by many gas stations, fast food restaurants, local restaurants, legendary bars, and historically relevant roads, buildings, and landmarks.
There is NO public land along this route. If you are not at a designated campground, lake, state park etc. do not camp along someone’s private land. Do NOT jump fences. EVER. People here take their land ownership and private land trespassing very very seriously. Be a good steward. Be a good human. Make good choices. Leave places better than you found them. Do not trespass. Do not disturb wildlife or livestock.
DO NOT FILTER ANY WATER as it is contaminated by agriculture and Oil and Gas production. While there are no places for a rider to filter water on the route, the distance between resupply points are generally 50 miles or less for the entire 415-mile route. Be smart and always fill up on water before you think you need to. And always buy that extra coke, extra snickers, and extra bag of Chex Mix to take with you to camp. You’ll be hungrier than you think, and you’ll thank me later.
District Bicycles is strategically placed on the route in Stillwater for any and all bike resupply or repair needs. Please stop in and say hi to the great folks there and maybe you will get lucky to catch Bobby for one of his famous hugs.
You can easily park and access the beginning of the western portion of the route from Elk City, OK. You can access the middle portion of the route from Guthrie, OK and Stillwater, OK. You can park and access the norther portion of the route from Pawhuska, OK.
Find the full route collection for the Great Plains Gravel Route in Ride with GPS here.
While there are no specific resources out there for this segment of the route yet, there are endless amounts of press, photos and videos that can be found for Mid South that can give you a taste of the gravel riding experience around Stillwater, Oklahoma as well as the special connection between cycling and the community of Stillwater.
Information on the Mega Mid South bikepacking route, a 300-mile route starting and ending at District Bicycles in Stillwater, Oklahoma can be found here. This includes a series of videos documenting the route.
Bobby Wintle created and stewards this route. Bobby is the mastermind behind Mid South Gravel which has been bringing thousands of riders (and runners) to ride Oklahoma’s red dirt since 2013. He is also the co-owner of District Bicycles in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Jack Christian, Trevor Steward, and Ray Trammel helped review Bobby’s route on the Western half of the state.
Here is a little about Bobby’s experience creating bikepacking routes in his own words:
I have created multiple overnighter routes here in OK including a 200-mile, 2-day trip from Stillwater to Winfield, KS to camp at Wheat State Winery (RIP 2024). We rode 100 miles each day, camped at the winery’s private land, went to a bluegrass show, and somehow we had a tailwind both days. It was epic. I have also finalized the Mega Mid South 300-mile bikepacking route that we debuted in Sept of 2024. The Mega Mid South is the perimeter of every 100-mile route that we’ve ever created since 2013 and hits almost every single halfway point town we’ve ever used at The Mid South. There are ample resupply’s along the route, great camping, hotels, restaurants, rowdy and gorgeous roads, and more. This route is just short enough that you can carry almost nothing and do it without sleep, or you can split it up into 3-4 days and truly immerse yourself into the Oklahoma beauty that circumnavigates Stillwater, OK and travels some of our most treasured roads we’ve ever ridden.
Bobby has offered to be available to answer questions if you are planning a trip on this route.
Please also get in touch with any updates on route conditions that may be relevant to other riders.
Please submit your questions and comments on the route via the contact form below.
This route traverses the traditional lands of the Osage, Pawnee, Iowa, Quapaw, Seminole, Cherokee, Kickapoo, Cheyenne – Arapaho, Comanche, Otoe-Missouria.
