Cherokee Strip Land Rush Memorial Route

The Cherokee Strip Land Rush Memorial Route follows the historic starting line of the 1893 Land Rush, tracing section roads and original wagon routes from Arkansas City, Kansas south through Blackwell and Enid to the Cimarron River crossing. Original survey markers and monument stones mark key points along the route, including the famous Land Rush starting line at the Kansas border and the first day camp sites where 100,000 settlers waited for the noon gun. Prairie two-tracks and minimum-maintenance county roads connect historical markers and abandoned town sites like Pond Creek Station.

Easy to moderate difficulty on mostly gravel section roads, but high clearance helps on the rougher prairie tracks between historical sites. Any decent truck or SUV handles most of it, though spring mud can be substantial on the clay prairie sections. Best in late summer when wheat harvest opens up more rural roads. No permits required, but check with landowners before leaving established roads. This is living Great Plains history — you’re literally driving the path of America’s largest land rush through the heart of Oklahoma wheat country.