Charon's Garden Wilderness

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge (Cache area)

Charon’s Garden is a granite wilderness of boulder fields, slabs, and small canyons in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Oklahoma, and it’s where the refuge allows backcountry camping. The Fish and Wildlife Service allows camping by permit in a designated area, booked on Recreation.gov, for up to three days at a time.

TravelOK puts the wilderness at about 5,000 acres and notes that bison and longhorns roam freely.

The hike

Recreation.gov says the hike to the camping area is about 1.5 miles on an unmarked trail, rated moderate to strenuous, and that permit holders must park at the Sunset Parking Area (which the same page also calls the Sunset Picnic Area). Camping is limited to the designated area shown on your permit.

SummitPost says only two designated trails cross the wilderness; everything else is bushwhacking, and unofficial paths tend to appear and then fade out. The Elk Mountain Trail climbs about 590 feet in 1.1 miles from Sunset toward the 2,270-foot summit, with scrambling beyond. The Charon’s Garden Wilderness Trail runs 2.4 miles between Sunset and the trailhead near Treasure and Post Oak Lakes, gaining only about 150 feet, but its section through the Valley of Boulders involves class 3 scrambling.

SummitPost highlights Crab Eyes, at 1,920 feet in the northern part of the wilderness, described as two large boulders balanced on a thin granite column. Other summits, including Sunset Peak, Twin Rocks Mountain, Mount Lincoln, and Granite Mountain, are trailless and rugged, and the page notes steep slopes with boulder slides.

Water is the main limit. Recreation.gov tells campers to bring their own and not rely on streams or ponds. SummitPost says most streams are seasonal and may vanish after a few hundred feet, that animal waste sometimes fouls them, and that rain-filled potholes are fragile pothole ecosystems to leave alone except in an emergency. It recommends checking water conditions with refuge staff before an overnight trip, and notes that swimming is not allowed.

For a front-country base, SummitPost points to Doris Campground, a few miles away, with water, restrooms, and showers, though Recreation.gov lists a boil order west of Doris. For a longer Oklahoma backpacking trip, see the Ouachita Trail from Talimena State Park.

Tips

Book on Recreation.gov up to three months ahead; the refuge no longer issues permits on site.
Plan around the schedule. Permits cover Friday to Sunday or Monday to Wednesday; none are issued for Thursday.
Carry all your water.
Give bison and longhorns room. Don’t approach them.
Bring a stove. Campfires of any kind are prohibited.
Expect no cell service. Recreation.gov says to call 911 in an emergency.
Check for hunt and heat closures. Hunts close the area in late fall and winter, and summer heat has led to emergency hiking limits.

Camping

The Fish and Wildlife Service allows camping only by permit in designated portions of the wilderness. Permits are first come, first served on Recreation.gov, for a maximum of three days, Friday through Sunday or Monday through Wednesday. Recreation.gov says the permit holder must be at least 18, the permit can’t be transferred, and it must be displayed on your dashboard. Campfires and open fires of any kind are prohibited, and the refuge asks campers not to trench around tents or level tent sites. SummitPost adds: bury human waste at least 200 feet from water and pack out toilet paper.

Inside Intel: No camper accounts recommending a specific spot within the designated camp area were found. SummitPost notes that bison and longhorns often roam the camping area so pick your spot with that in mind, and ask the refuge about food storage when you get your permit.

Trail facts

Distance: About 1.5 miles each way to the camp area, plus optional side trips
Route type: Out and back
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Campsites: One designated camp area, shown on the permit
Water: None reliable; carry it in
Permits: Required; Recreation.gov; Friday to Sunday or Monday to Wednesday
Fires: Prohibited; stoves only
Wildlife: Bison and longhorn
Trailhead: Sunset Parking Area, Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Scrambling the Valley of Boulders:

The Charon's Garden Wilderness Trail gains only about 150 feet, but the Valley of Boulders means class 3 scrambling, and the Elk Mountain Trail climbs about 590 feet in 1.1 miles. Here's how to use poles on rock and steep pitches.

See the pole tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.