Fairview, Oklahoma – May 2019 – Little Mountain on the Prairie

As you drive across the flatlands of Oklahoma one feature you do not expect is a redish mesa rising 200 feet above the prairie, but that is exactly what Gloss Mountain does.

In fact there are a few of these features in the area just outside of the small, appropriately named town of Fairview.

The hike up the mesa was on some sketchy looking stairs, but they worked – from the top you have a panoramic view of the area.

These unique features were formed long ago when the area was under a sea that left behind layers of shale and siltstone, with a top layer of gypsum. There is something known as selenite in gypsum that is glossy, hence the name.

The mesa’s were formed from erosion over thousands of years.

From here you have a seemingly endless view across the flat lands.

Once you reach the top you pass numerous fields of wild flowers.

Gloss Mountain – an unexpected and fun hike in the middle of Oklahoma.