Gloss Mountain State Park

Gloss Mountain State Park, also known as the Glass Mountains, protects a striking group of mesas and buttes rising above the plains of northwestern Oklahoma. Thin layers of selenite gypsum on the slopes can sparkle in sunlight, giving the hills the "glass" appearance that inspired the name. A short but steep stair-and-trail climb leads to the top of Cathedral Mountain, where visitors gain expansive views across red earth, ranchland and distant mesas. The elevation change is modest by mountain standards but dramatic relative to the surrounding plains. The landscape is a textbook example of differential erosion. More resistant caprock protects softer layers beneath, leaving isolated flat-topped formations as surrounding material wears away. There is little shade on the climb, so heat and wind can be significant. Spring and fall generally provide the most comfortable conditions. Gloss Mountain is one of the best places in Oklahoma to challenge the idea that the western half of the state is visually monotonous.