J T Nickel Family Nature And Wildlife Preserve

Jonathan Edwards

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

I grew up in tahlequah and to say I never heard of this place, I feel disappointed. The preserve building itself is a cabin style building with very informative signs all around. The trails, except one, are all non gravel so be prepared for ticks (we had a good amount before we even finished) But the scenery on the trails is great. There's an overlook on one of the trails that is very nice. It also has informative signs along the trail. Over all a great trail and it took us almost an hour or more to get done but we didn't do the full trail.

Desma Hunnicutt

4 out of 5 stars★★★★☆

This was a hidden gem and we will definitely be back. The Savannah and Wetlands trails were both well kept and we could follow the trail easily. The Pine Ridge Trail path was not labeled well and overgrown.

Brandon Cravens

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

Grateful to have free unrestricted access to this property. It is a great place to see the Oklahoma variety of the Ozark Mountains. They truly are different than any other place in the Ozarks. We spent several hours driving around, searching for the elk herd with no luck. We were rewarded with beautiful views and early spring Dogwood flowers. Thanks to the Nickel family for sharing this place with us all and showcasing the beauty of the Illinois River and the surrounding mountains.

Julie Buker

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

Beautifully kept trails. Great explanations of the forest on the well-marked trail brochure. So quiet and peaceful. We were there in January with no other people, just a dozen deer or so. haha Buildings looked nice, but were closed. They did have a porta-potty in the parking lot. Gravel road to get there was recently scraped, so in good shape. We want to go back.

Norma Arnold

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

This place is a hidden gem! So many trails and the road through offers some pretty nice views of the Oklahoma hills. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll run across the heard of elk that call the area home. The winter months host eagles, as well. A great place to get lost for the day!