Greenleaf State Park: Ankle Express Trail

Greenleaf State Park and Camp Gruber (near Braggs)

Greenleaf State Park, near Braggs in eastern Oklahoma, wraps around Greenleaf Lake, and its long hiking trail, the Ankle Express, circles the lake on a loop of about 18 miles. TravelOK describes it as roughly a figure eight with a swinging bridge and steep, uneven terrain “most suited for experienced hikers,” and lists two primitive camps along the way.

Wikipedia says the park’s stone buildings were built in the 1930s by the CCC, the WPA, and German prisoners of war, and that the trail extends onto neighboring Camp Gruber land.

The hike

OuachitaMaps, whose guide was published in March 2026 from a winter 2011 hike, starts at the main trailhead inside the park, just off the road to the docks. The swinging bridge comes at about GPS mile 2.5. The Tahlequah Daily Press says the bridge connects the park to Camp Gruber, an Oklahoma Army National Guard training facility. OuachitaMaps says the forest roads on either side of the bridge aren’t open to the public, so follow the blue blazes rather than the road.

Mary’s Cove, the main backpacker camp, is at about GPS mile 5.3, with fire rings and log furniture; it is also the junction with a spur trail. Granger Meador, who day-hiked the southern loop in 2012, describes a lake inlet to ford near the cove, a bluff-top overlook near mile marker 4, and a small stream he called Barbed Wire Stream, where an old strand of barbed wire crosses the trail and is hard to see. The Tahlequah Daily Press says the trail passes the foundation of a warehouse used by the Works Progress Administration.

The second camp, which OuachitaMaps calls the Primitive Camp, is at about GPS mile 8.0, close to the lake. From there the upper return trail is the rougher half. OuachitaMaps says sections of path are gone and blazes aren’t always evident: “If you go too far without seeing a blaze, return the way you came until you find one.” Meador called the north loop “quite dim and rough.” A creek crossing near GPS mile 12.1 is usually dry or a boulder hop but can be wet after heavy rain, and the loop closes at the swinging bridge at about mile 15.5.

Meador’s other warning is ticks: in summer, he wrote, “this area is replete with ticks.” Unearth the Voyage, a travel site, suggests carrying at least two liters of water per person for any summer attempt.

For another eastern Oklahoma overnight with lake views, see the Robbers Cave backpacking loop.

Tips

Call the park first about the swinging bridge and any Camp Gruber closures.
Register at the trailhead kiosk with your departure and return times, a cell number, and an emergency contact, as TravelOK describes.
Get a parking pass before you leave your car.
Follow the blue blazes, and backtrack if you lose them. OuachitaMaps notes orange blazes between mile marker 7 and the Primitive Camp.
Check for ticks, especially in warm months.
Treat lake water, and carry plenty in summer.

Camping

TravelOK lists two camps on the trail, Mary’s Cove Campground and North Primitive Campground, and says hikers need a parking pass and must register at the trailhead kiosk with departure and return times, a cell phone number, and an emergency contact. OuachitaMaps describes Mary’s Cove as well used, with fire rings and log furniture, and the second camp as level, with a fire ring, smaller and less used. A park ranger quoted by the Tahlequah Daily Press describes Mary’s Cove as a campground on the far side of the swinging bridge, and the paper says the trail has become popular with backpackers. The paper also says pets are allowed on the trails if leashed.

Inside Intel: OuachitaMaps’ author describes the Primitive Camp at about mile 8 as smaller, flatter, and less used than Mary’s Cove, and it’s the one camp the guide lists with water nearby, from the lake. Meador saw two tents near Mary’s Cove in 2012 with food hung in the trees.

Trail facts

Distance: 18 miles (TravelOK); 17 by OuachitaMaps’ mile markers
Route type: Loop, roughly a figure eight
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Campsites: Mary’s Cove (about mile 5.3); North Primitive Campground (about mile 8)
Water: Greenleaf Lake and streams; treat; carry extra in summer
Permits: Register at the trailhead kiosk; parking pass required
Closures: Possible for hunting and military activity on Camp Gruber land
Trailhead: Greenleaf State Park, off Highway 10 near Braggs
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Pitching at Mary's Cove:

The main camp on the Ankle Express sits by a lake inlet, with log furniture and fire rings, so a quick-pitching tent fits the evening. See the tents testers like.

Read the full guide →

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.