Keystone Ancient Forest

The Keystone Ancient Forest is a great example of the Cross Timbers forest community, featuring 500 year old cedars and 300 year old post oak trees. The same rocky and rough terrain that shapes the gnarled forms of the ancient trees has protected them from logging, development, and farming. The Cross Timbers forest stretches in a band from Kansas through Oklahoma into Texas and is formed by a mosaic of rugged oaks and occasional breaks into prairies and form a geographical point at which the deciduous forests of the East transition to the Western Plains. The 1,360 acre Keystone Ancient forest is owned by the City of Sand Springs and protected through a conservation easement held by The Nature Conservancy. This protected forest provides habitat for deer, mountain lions, bobcats, eagles, migratory birds, and over 80 species of butterflies. Numerous trails take visitors through this varied landscape.

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