Wrapping Up 13 Incredible Days at Black Mesa State Park

This morning (September 8, 2024), I’m packing up and leaving Black Mesa State Park in the Oklahoma panhandle. Next stop is the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge for a couple of weeks of camping and photography.

Yesterday I took one last loop around the park. I ended up with a couple of photos that feel like the right way to close this chapter.

One Last Loop Around Black Mesa

Thirteen days out here went fast. The scenery stayed rugged, and the wildlife stayed unpredictable in the best way. The highlight for me was finally photographing bighorn sheep in Oklahoma. I’d been hoping for that encounter the whole trip, and a local tip made it happen.

If you missed that story, it’s here: Day 7: A Remarkable Encounter with Bighorn Sheep at Black Mesa

Wildlife Notes

I wrapped up the trip with two moments that stuck with me.

First, I got an ibis in flight near Lake Carl Etling. The light and angle came together just right, and it felt like a “final day” kind of frame.

Second, I came across a mule deer fawn that had died near the lake. I believe it was the same fawn I photographed a few days earlier with its mother. I reported it to park staff, but it was still hard to see.

Camp Life Notes

My 13′ Scamp Lite did exactly what I hoped it would on a long run like this. It’s comfortable, simple, and easy to manage, which matters when I’m moving around for photography.

The only real downside was insects around camp. The houseflies were relentless. The grasshoppers were on another level. Every step on the trails kicked up a swarm.

I also worried Labor Day weekend would be packed, but it never got too crazy. After the holiday crowd left, I had a couple of quiet days that felt almost private. The park staff kept the campground and bathrooms impressively clean, and the showers were better than I expected.

One thing that really helped me stay caught up was free Wi-Fi in the park. Verizon had no cell service where I was camped, so that Wi-Fi was the only reason I could post in near real time.

Photography Notes

On this trip I put new gear to work: a Canon R5 Mark II paired with the Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM. That combo performed brilliantly for the kind of wildlife I ran into here, especially when I needed reach without changing lenses all day.

Most of these last-day frames came from working slow and watching patterns. I stayed ready for quick action, like the ibis lifting off and the fawn bounding. I also tried to keep my shooting angles clean by moving my feet instead of “fixing it later.”

If you want to follow along as I roll into the next location, this is the start of the Wichita Mountains series: Wichita Mountains Camping Wildlife | Day 1 Field Notes

Closing

Thanks for following along on my Black Mesa State Park stretch. It was one of those trips that delivered surprises almost every day. Now it’s time to point the Scamp toward the Wichita Mountains and see what shows up next.