Oologah Lake, Oklahoma

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Skull Hollow Nature Trail

Skull Hollow Nature Trail is located at Hawthorn Bluff Park, 1.5 miles east of Oologah on Highway 88.

Safety First!

Many of the plants and animals you might see on the the trail can be dangerous. Avoid eating any plants or fruits you cannot identify as non-poisonous. Stinging insects and poisonous snakes may also be encountered. As with all wildlife encounters, harassment of animals can have dangerous consequences! View wildlife from a safe distance. When hiking alone, be sure to tell a friend where you are and when you’ll be back.

Remember to pack out any trash you bring with you (there are no facilities along the trail). Please, take only pictures, and leave only footprints.

History of Skull Hollow

Skull Hollow Nature Trail is situated in the oak-hickory woods of Northeast Oklahoma. This region was once part of the largest district in the Cherokee Indian Territory.

The name Skull Hollow came about back when the area was still Indian Territory. It seems a Texas cowman, who had a herd of cattle at Old Alluwe, came to the McDaniel Trading Post looking for some strays. Two Cherokees, Louis McNair and “Dirt Pot” rode in from the west and also stopped at the post, which was on the north bank of the Caney River and about four miles south of Oologah. When the cowman stopped, he noticed his horse was lame and proceeded to the blacksmith’s shop to have the horse examined.

After the horse was shod, he pulled out a large roll of money, but the blacksmith could not make change and told him to drop it by later. The cowman rode off toward his home ranch. Shortly afterward, Louis McNair and “Dirt Pot” started off on their horses in the same direction. The cowman mysteriously disappeared and later a skull was found in what is now known as “Skull Hollow”.