[[Image:arbuckle mts.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Travertine Creek, in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, located in the foothills of the Arbuckles near Sulphur.]][[Image:turner falls ok.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Turner Falls, nestled in the Arbuckle Mountains of South Central Oklahoma.]]
The '''Arbuckle Mountains''' are an ancient [[mountain range]] in south-central [[Oklahoma]] in the [[United States]]. The Arbuckles date back to 540-440 million years ago in the latest [[Precambrian]] and earliest [[Paleozoic]] era.
==Geology==
[[Image:Arbuckle fence.jpg|left|thumb|200px|a field of flowers in the Arbuckle foothills]]Geologically the Arbuckles are an elongate [[anticline]] structure with an orientation or [[Strike and dip|strike]] of west-northwest. The core of the structure consists of [[Proterozoic]] [[extrusive]] and [[intrusive]] rocks, the Colbert [[rhyolite]] porphyry and the Tishomingo [[granite]] (age dated at 1374 Ma), which are overlain and flanked by early [[Paleozoic]] [[limestone]]s and [[sandstone]]s which are very steeply [[Strike and dip|dipping]] to near vertical in orientation. [[Pennsylvanian]] to [[Permian]] [[Conglomerate (geology)|conglomerate]]s were deposited after the [[orogeny|orogenic]] buckling had uplifted and deformed the older [[stratum|strata]].
The west trending structure of the Arbuckles and the parallel trending [[Wichita Mountains]] is at almost right angle to the regional tectonic trend of the mid-Paleozoic structure from the [[Ouachita Mountains|Ouachitas]] south to the Marathon Uplift. The Arbuckles are thought to have originated along a failed [[rift]] or aulacogen in the Precambrian basement which was uplifted and folded during the [[Ouachita Orogeny]].
==Hydrology and karst features==
Underlying the Arbuckle Mountains is the Arbuckle Simpson [[aquifer]], housing some of the purest spring water in the world and providing water to the [[Blue River (Oklahoma)|Blue River]] and Honey Creek which flows over [[Turner Falls]] south of [[Davis, Oklahoma|Davis]].
As a result of the [[karst]] [[topography]], standing water is rarely found atop the Arbuckle Mountains, the water seeps through the fracture cracks creating elaborate [[limestone]] caverns throughout the Arbuckle Mountains. Today the Arbuckles have gradually eroded to their present heights of 300-500 feet above the surrounding terrain or 1300-1400 feet above sea level.
==Location and tourism==
[[Image:Fun at devils bathtub.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Visitors explore "Devil's Bathtub" at Falls Creek]] The range is approximately {{convert|35|mi|km}} east-to-west and 10-15 miles north-to-south. The main part of the range is located in northern [[Carter County, Oklahoma|Carter County]] and southern [[Murray County, Oklahoma|Murray County]], approximately {{convert|15|mi|km}} north of [[Ardmore, Oklahoma|Ardmore]] and {{convert|5|mi|km}} south of [[Davis, Oklahoma|Davis]] on [[Interstate 35]]. The eastern flank of the ridge is approximately {{convert|5|mi|km}} south of [[Sulphur, Oklahoma|Sulphur]] on [[U.S. Highway 177]].
Popular recreation areas in the Arbuckle Mountains include [[Turner Falls, Oklahoma|Turner Falls Park]], the [[Chickasaw National Recreation Area]], one of the most popular national park facilities in the United States, and Lake of the Arbuckles. Turner Falls is located {{convert|5|mi|km}} south of Davis, whereas Chickasaw NRA is located in the city of Sulphur.
The Arbuckle Mountain area is the proud host of Okla Suave, a one-of-a-kind, annual celebration where families can celebrate their rich traditions and cultures while enjoying beautiful mountain scenery.
The area is also the location of several campgrounds, including the [[YMCA]]'s Camp Classen and the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma's [[Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center]], which hosts 55,000 campers each summer.
==References==
* James S. Aber, [http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/struc_geo/ouachita/ouachita.htm#arbuckles ''Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma'']
* Robert W. Allen, 2002, [http://www.searchanddiscovery.net/documents/allen/index.htm ''Complex Structural Features of the Ardmore Basin'']
* USGS [http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/VolcanicPast/Places/volcanic_past_oklahoma.html America's Volcanic Past: Oklahoma]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Oklahoma]]
{{Oklahoma-geo-stub}}
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