The World’s Tallest Hill Is In Oklahoma

If you didn't already know, Oklahoma is pretty well known for a bunch of unique things. Some are touristy, some are food related, but a good number of them stem from just the natural landscapes that make this state one of one.

For instance, did you know that Oklahoma is the most ecologically diverse bordered state in the world? There are eleven uniquely different ecological areas of this state including:

1. Western High Plains
2. Southwest Tablelands
3. Central Great Plains
4. Tallgrass Prairie
5. Hilly Forest Crosstimbers
6. Caves and Prairies
7. Ozark Highlands
8. Ozark Forest
9. Hardwood Forest
10. Ouachita Mountains
11. Cyprus Swamp Land and Forests

That's just the overall simplified ecoregions of the state. It actually breaks down into 46 uniquely identified additional regions according to the federal rock-jockey's. You can see all of that unimaginable detail here.

Here in Lawton, we live within the Central Great Plains... and while we do have the Wichita Mountains, it's all a part of the Ouachita range stretching from Arkansas up the Caprock area of West Texas according to Wikipedia. Beyond all of that, here's something new I didn't know about Oklahoma...

Oklahoma is home to the tallest hill in the world.

Over in Eastern Oklahoma, you'll find the kind of rolling hills that make a motorcycle ride an amazing experience. The roads up there wind around where it was easiest to build them, so the straight shots are few and far between when you get off the main highway. As you roll through this area, eventually you'll find a sign that says "Poteau Oklahoma: Home of the Tallest Hill in the World."

As the story goes, years ago the US Geology Service had stringent classifications of what was and was not a mountain. Once officially designated, a hill became a mountain when the summit grew 2000 feet from the base. The summit of Cavanal Hill is exactly 1999 feet from the base below, making it the tallest hill in the world.

Of course, as the USGS has eased up a bit in their old age, Cavanal Hill is still called a hill, but is now designated a mountain messing up our huge claim to fame... leave it to the government to mess up a good thing, shocker... but it's still a fantastic tourist destination on the border between meth-lands Oklahoma and the much nicer serious hiking destinations in the state.

If you want to explore it, I trust you can seek out directions on the phone you're using to read this.