Take a New Hike in the Wichita’s, at Medicine Bluffs on Fort Sill

I believe it was a cold, brisk January morning when I first laid eyes on Fort Sill's Medicine Bluffs. Critter and I were out there for some reason I can't remember, but I remember hiking the bluffs. If you've never explored on post, some of the best views of the Wichita Mountains can only be seen from behind the fence at Fort Sill.

After we did what we went out there to do, we ended up at the Medicine Bluff area and decided to have a look. Critter has told me tons of stories from his youth running around Fort Sill, and this was the day he got to relive some of them.

I'm not 100% on this, but I'm fairly confident this is where the outdoor sports center is. Like where you get a permit to hunt and fish on post and whatnot.

There's also an animal rehabilitation area there where you can often see native Oklahoma animals recoup from whatever their ailment is. It's pretty neat.

Behind all of the fence enclosures and cages, there's a trail that leads over to the Medicine Bluffs. Easy to walk and quite the vista to see. It's also full of legend.

These bluffs are considered sacred to the indigenous peoples of this country. It's a place where the sick and weak would come to heal. It's also rumored that while Geronimo was fleeing the military, he jumped his horse off these cliffs exclaiming "Geronimo!"

Nobody can find an actual account of that happening, but history is usually written by Hollywood.

Truth be told, Medicine Bluffs is where Fort Sill was first settled. In fact, before they named it Fort Sill, they called it Camp Medicine Bluff.

During a period of unrest along the Red River in the mid-1800s, Native Americans were moved to this location, later to be renamed in honor of US General Joshua W. Sill, who was killed during a battle in the Civil War.

I cannot tell you how beautiful this area is right now. Everything is flush with green thanks to the unseasonably heavy rains. If you can bear the heat, you should go explore it just once. Stop by the visitors center (Sheridan Gate) to grab a pass and have fun.