The trail leads through the park and around the lake. Here is a great
spot where a nice landing shore combines with grass and park benches
for a beautiful spot for stretching muscles.
The National Crime Index ranks cities
across the country according to how safe a resident can expect to be. At 100%, such a city would be the safest
possible place to live. Oklahoma City
has an index of 7, meaning that only 7% of the cities in the country are more dangerous
than OKC. 93% of all the cities in the
country are safer. Crime rates are
higher in Oklahoma City than the national average, making almost any place else
safer. For example, the chance of being
a victim of a violent crime nationally is 3.8/1000 residents. The statistical odds in Oklahoma City are
7.7, or more than twice as likely. Then
individual posts on line, like this one from 2013, add to the negative
reputation: “Hefner is one of the most crime-ridden areas in OKC. It is the city’s number one hot spot for
theft, burglary, robbery, and prostitution.
Avoid Hefner at all cost.”
But, while the dark side of Lake
Hefner has been well publicized, is there a counterpoint? I suppose it would be the effort the city has
put into trying to create a beautiful and inviting green space with broad
appeal. There is Stars and Stripes Park
with a large children’s playground, a golf course, two marinas for recreational
boating, fishing, a nine-mile long paved jogging and biking path, an airport
for radio-controlled planes, a YMCA sailing school, a convoluted shoreline at
the south end of the lake with many forested bays that are havens for birds and
waterfowl, and upscale restaurants along the east shore that provide dining
with a view across the lake. Lake Hefner
is enjoyed and loved by thousands of local residents. In spite of all this positive development,
there are always stupid people that will seek out, or be drawn to, places where
they can display their stupidity and perverted and evil natures. Police have had to investigate assaults,
robberies, and a problem with homo-sexual prostitution. One sting alone netted 34 arrests for this
activity, and police have begun regular patrols through the area. Indeed, I saw the Oklahoma City Police
patrolling even the most isolated areas around the lake while we were
there. So, what is the take-away from
all this conflicting information? I
guess it would be that with any place, especially municipal parks where you can
encounter two-legged wildlife, commonsense and good judgment should be
practiced by the visitor. Visit with a
companion or more, utilize well-trafficked and populated areas, visit during
daylight hours, especially in the mornings, and remain aware of your
surroundings, which is really not different than warnings recommended for
visiting shopping malls or anyplace else.
Our bottom line was this. My wife
had severe misgivings about visiting Lake Hefner. She had indeed refused to go with me if I
paddled there. As I prepared for the
trip, however, she finally agreed to go with me at the last minute. In the end, we both greatly enjoyed the park
and our day there.
An egret poses nicely on a piling in a pier.
There are two things a paddler
visiting the park should know. There
have been reports of overzealous marine enforcement on the lake that borders on
harassment. A lady I spoke with at the
lake office said that has been addressed, and more efforts are being made to be
more user-friendly so as to encourage more use of the lake. One of the most unusual requirements has been
for carrying running lights for paddle craft in broad daylight. The city also requires the paddler to have a
boating permit in possession while on the lake.
These are $6.25 daily for boating, another is required for fishing, and
they are available also by the season.
The city has a number of local vendors where permits can be
obtained. See https://www.okc.gov/departments/parks-recreation/lakes-and-fishing/boating.
The lighthouse is along the east shore near several restaurants. In
the evening, it makes a nice feature in a photograph of the sunset.
With a 100-mile drive to reach Lake
Hefner, we got an early start. Including
a stop at Walmart’s sporting department for the boating permit, it was still
11:00 before we made it to the ramp.
(L35.54922N, Lo97.59534W) The
water was still cold, but it was a rare, calm day with air temperatures
reaching 74. Even though it was a
Wednesday, the shoreline was well-populated with fishermen. On the water, however, I was the only
paddler, with fewer than six fishing boats encountered during the day. I enjoyed the company of hundreds of
waterfowl including egrets, herons, grebes, pelicans, Canada geese, gulls,
Chinese geese, and osprey. The Chinese
geese are not at all sociable. I saw one
nesting on shore and wanted to take a picture, but the drakes were so noisy and
aggressive, that even though I was already a good distance away, they made it
clear that I’d better vacate the area or risk wearing a huge, violent goose as
a hat. I took the hint.
Ibi pausing for a rest in the southwest corner of the lake.
Lake Hefner was built in 1947 to
improve water supplies for Oklahoma City.
While the south end of the lake is fairly natural and attractive, the
north two-thirds of the shoreline is riprap, and the banks are high enough to provide
little view of the surroundings. The dam
is at the north end. The lake covers
2,500 acres with a 16.4 mile shoreline, and is up to 76-feet deep.
On the way home, we stopped for
dinner at the Tower Café in Okarche, OK.
This is a small town that sat on the old Chisolm Trail, and at the
eastern end of the Cheyenne and Arapaho reservation. In all, it was another day well lived.
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