Look. I’m a mom now, and that means I leave my house for shit I never used to leave the house for before. Stuff like going to a park so I can make a toddler so exhausted that he’ll pass out halfway through his first pre-naptime board book.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not still the same ol’ Marisa I once was. I realize that sentence reads like “I’m not a regular mom, I’m a cool mom!”
(It should be noted that no one has told me I’m a cool mom, but my sister-in-law did get me a mug with that on it.)
The 6 Best OKC Metro Walking Trails
Oh, have I come a long way since the days of writing about the Wolf Trap. Even so, I like to have a good time while my toddler screams in joy while running in circles before faceplanting in the dirt when chasing a squirrel. So, I pick up a friend for me to chat with (and to help me keep an eye on my kid because holy shit 19-month-olds are fast and put weird things in their mouths), we grab some coffee, and we go for a leisurely stroll around a park.
(Chasing a toddler who found some broken glass next to a trash can is totally optional. Well, like, it’s not if you’re in charge of that toddler. Definitely get that glass out of the kid’s hand. But you don’t have to bring a toddler to enjoy these walking trails, is what I’m saying. In fact, I would argue you’d probably have a lot more fun and actually enjoy chatting with a friend more if you don’t have a toddler with you.)
Here’s the criteria I use to judge a walking trail:
- Length of trail
- Proximity to a coffee shop
- Parking situation
- The overall vibe
And with that, here’s the six best OKC Metro walking trails.
I love that Martin Nature Park exists. But do I love going there? No. I wish I did.
Look. Nature is great. But I hate experiencing it because then I spend the rest of the day worried there may be a tick on me. The gentle caress of a light breeze, a loose hair falling from my ponytail, or the hem of my shirt hitting my skin the wrong way can send me into an absolute fit. I will spend the next ten hours naked in front of a mirror inspecting every inch of my flesh to ensure I don’t have one of those ticks that gives you the disease that makes you allergic to red meat and dairy.
That being said, the parking at Martin Nature Park is great, and the vibe is very serene and chill. You’re basically a Disney princess surrounded by deer and birds, and regardless of the direction you come from, there are coffee shops aplenty to stop at on the way.
-
Listen. I want to like this park. In theory, it should be a great place to walk with a friend. But damn. Every time I go to this little walking trail, I’m reminded that some folks don’t understand that we live in a society.
Here’s the thing, gang. If you have a dog and you walk that dog, you have to scoop the poop. I know it sucks. No one wants to do it. But you know what folks don’t want even more? To tip toe around your dog’s mess in the middle of the walking trail. Please know that I am addressing this to every single dog owner who walks their canine companion at this park, BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU SEEM TO NOT BE AWARE OF THIS.
And if you happen to be a mountain biker riding through those trails, DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN’T JUST RIDE YOUR BIKE THROUGH PEOPLE WHO ARE WALKING THERE, YOU ABSOLUTE NUMPTY?!
Anyway, you can write this one off as another good thing ruined by your fellow humans.
-
If you happen to find yourself in the far northern reaches of the metro, you can’t go wrong with Mitch Park. The trail is long and pretty. It’s paved, and disc golfers are the only real wildlife you have to worry about. You can enter the trail from a million different points, and there is ample parking wherever you happen to be. Plus, around the holidays, you can walk through some pretty fun light displays.
Where Mitch Park fails is the lack of nearby coffee options. I know there is a Starbucks at Danforth and Kelly, but if you’ve been anywhere near that construction lately, you know you can’t simply pop into that Starbucks real quick.
Also, it’s bonkers there’s no coffee shop in that shopping center on Covell and Kelly. Yes, I know there’s an Organic Squeeze there. But do you think I want to go into a place that’s sure to be crawling with Lululemon-wearing Edmond ladies grabbing a chlorophyll shot on their way to Pilates? No. This no-name yoga pants-wearing bitch is a ho for seed oils and artificial sweeteners. I do not belong in Organic Squeeze.
-
Walking around Lake Hefner is one of the few things that can make you feel like maybe you’re not in Oklahoma for a minute. The air blowing off the lake is always a bit cooler, kind of like nature’s AC unit. There are plenty of places to park all around the lake, so you can choose the best place to meet up before you start your walk. And no matter which direction you’re coming from, there is some place to grab a coffee on your way.
There are two reasons why I don’t rank Lake Hefner higher.
- Some places smell like dead fish. This is probably because dead fish wash up on the shore occasionally. I get it. Nature exists in places like lakes. That doesn’t mean I like it.
- Have you ever tried to keep a toddler from running into any type of water? It sucks. You can’t distract them either because the trail is pretty much just going around the lake, so the whole walk is you playing defense.
Oh, and this is also a place where folks on bikes don’t understand that you aren’t supposed to run into people.
-
I love a good friend meetup at Scissortail Park. If you park on Robinson just south of Oklahoma City Boulevard, you can pop into the Omni coffee shop and get a drink, and then walk around the park, weaving your way through the flowers. (This is the only amount of nature I am capable of enjoying.)
Unfortunately, Scissortail Park is really only accessible if nothing is happening downtown. So, it’s great during the work day when folks who make their living talking shit on the internet are out and about having fun. But if there’s a Thunder game or a festival of some kind at the Myriad Gardens? Not going to happen.
And, it’s worth noting that Scissortail Park unlocked a fear I didn’t know I had. Because when you walk over Scissortail Bridge and the traffic is too loud to hear your own inner monolog, it’s not hard to imagine what would happen if you fell off that bridge. And that’s when the intrusive thoughts really get to churning. I can medicate my anxiety so much and still participate in society and capitalism, gang. So, I don’t cross that terrifying-ass bridge anymore.
-
How is it that Bethany sneaks in here with the best park walking trail? Well, I’ll tell you. Walking at a park with a friend is a very old person sort of activity, and Bethany has truly cornered the market on olds. The trail is a nice sidewalk winding around various playgrounds, ball fields, and picnic areas. It’s clean and quiet, and the few people you see there are polite and content to walk along without starting unnecessary conversation.
My kid found a baseball there, and that was the happiest I’d ever seen him until the cashier at Aldi gave him a sticker.
The parking lots are small, but that’s okay since not many people are there. And if you stop at Aloha Shave Ice and Coffee Shoppe at 39th and Council on your way, you can get a really cheap yet absolutely massive beverage.
And bonus: There’s a tiny cemetery on the southwest side of the park where orphans were buried. Which, honestly, is the most Bethany thing about this park.
-
What walking trail did I miss?
I know this is divisive and highly subjective. But please keep in mind that I’m right and most everyone else is wrong.
If you have a better walking trail to share, I’m all ears. And don’t be surprised when you see me there someday, coffee in hand, chasing a small boy shrieking gleefully because he’s picked up a dead bird.
