Sequoyah County Iron Ore Railroad Grade Heritage Trail

The rusted rails are long gone, but the railroad grades carved into Sequoyah County’s Cookson Hills tell the story of Oklahoma’s forgotten iron boom. This 18-mile route follows the old Missouri Pacific spur that hauled red ore from mines near Marble City to the Arkansas River loading docks. You’ll cross Sallisaw Creek on the original stone bridge abutments and wind through second-growth oak where mine shafts once dotted the ridges.

Moderate difficulty with a few technical creek crossings and one steep climb over Sugarloaf Mountain. Stock 4WD handles it fine, but low-range helps on the loose shale grades. Spring and fall offer the best conditions—summer gets muggy in the bottomland, winter turns the clay slick as snot. No permits needed on this mix of county roads and old railroad right-of-way. You’ll find decent camping spots near the old Marble City depot site, plus a real education in how mining shaped eastern Oklahoma before oil took over.