Springs Trail

The Springs Trail at Roman Nose State Park explores the natural springs and seeps that are the geological foundation of this remarkable canyon park in the gypsum hills of western Oklahoma. The springs emerge where permeable gypsum layers meet impermeable shale, forcing groundwater to the surface in a series of seeps and outflows that have sustained life in this canyon for thousands of years. The springs were well known to the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, for whom this canyon provided a reliable source of fresh water in an otherwise arid landscape. The trail follows a flat path along the canyon floor, passing through stands of eastern red cedar and cottonwood trees sustained by the consistent moisture from the springs. The spring-fed seeps create pockets of unusual vegetation including water-loving plants rarely found in the surrounding dry prairie landscape of Blaine County. The sound of running water and the dense cedar canopy create a microclimate noticeably cooler and more humid than the surrounding plains. The trail provides an excellent introduction to the geological forces that created this unusual spring-fed canyon in the heart of the southern Great Plains, making it a perfect first stop for visitors new to Roman Nose State Park.