Wrapping Up 13 Incredible Days at Black Mesa State Park

This morning, September 8, 2024, I’m packing up to leave Black Mesa State Park. My next destination is the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, where I’ll be spending the next couple of weeks.

Yesterday, I took my final trip around the park and managed to get a couple of photos that feel like the perfect conclusion to this adventure. These last 13 days have been nothing short of incredible. The Oklahoma panhandle, with its rugged beauty, offered me countless wildlife encounters. The highlight of my time here was finally photographing Bighorn Sheep, an animal I had been hoping to capture on camera. Thanks to a local tip, I was able to see these magnificent creatures in their Oklahoma habitat (check out my detailed post here: Bighorn Sheep Encounter

My new camper, the 13′ Scamp Lite, performed wonderfully on this long trip. It’s a great fit for my extended wildlife photography adventures, providing the comfort and convenience I needed while being light and easy to manage.

The only downside of this trip? Houseflies! They were relentless, but nothing compared to the grasshoppers. They were everywhere—honestly, someone should make a horror movie about the grasshoppers here. Every step on the trails stirred up dozens of them.

I had been dreading Labor Day weekend, thinking the park would be packed, but it wasn’t too bad. After the holiday crowd left, I practically had the place to myself for a couple of days. The park staff did an excellent job keeping everything clean, from the campsites to the bathrooms and showers, which were surprisingly nice.

There’s even a small store where you can pick up essentials and some not-so-essential items (like junk food). A real bonus here is the free Wi-Fi! I couldn’t have updated my blog posts in real time without it, since Verizon had no cell service in the park.

A sad note to end my trip on: I found a Mule Deer fawn dead by the lake. I believe it was the same one I photographed a few days ago, crossing the lake with its mother. I reported it to the park staff, but it was tough to see.

For my photographer friends, I tried out a new camera and lens on this trip: the Canon R5 Mark 2 paired with the Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM Lens. This combo worked brilliantly, and I’m really happy with the results.

Thank you to everyone who followed along with my Black Mesa State Park adventure! I hope you enjoyed the wildlife and landscape photos. Now, on to the next adventure at the Wichita Mountains!