Heavener Runestone Park — Attraction in Oklahoma

This is a neat little piece of history... however, if u have bad knees or any difficulty walking this probably wont be as enjoyable of an experience for u. The stone is at the bottom of a ravine. They built a series of ramps & steps to get down to it but like I said if your knees are bad or u have difficulty walking these ramps & steps aren't going to be exactly easy & if your in a wheel chair, I think u probably wouldn't even want to try it. Once u make it to the stone, it's been enclosed in, what I assumed was, plexiglas. I assumed this because the 'glass' was slightly discolored & hazy looking. Also there was condensation on the glass. Between the discouloration & condensation it made it a bit difficult to see the stone perfectly clearly or to get perfectly clear photos. The ravine itself is quite lovely, if u enjoy nature, & provides loads of photo opportunities. There is a creek at the bottom as well as a small rocky cliff waterfall, but when we went it was frozen & there were huge, beautiful Icecicles. There was also a tiny cave part way down, with a sign telling about it. If u go, it's worth reading the sign, (in my opinion anyway) because their opinion about the cave is very interesting. There is a small gift shop at the top where u can buy art & or books mostly, with a couple of trinket type items. Despite the fact that I need my knees replaced, I walked down & back up, very slowly & carefully, & despite the fact that someone enclosed the stone where you can't really see it as clearly as I would've liked, I thought the trip was well worth it... but I happen to be one of those people who loves nature & being...

My wife and i were traveling on a rainy Sunday morning from Ft.Smith to Texarkana. Along the way we saw a sign for Heavener Runestone Park. We had previously visited Sweden and Norway and explored dozens of runestone sites. But here! In Oklahoma! We had to check it out. The park is a short drive off the highway. The park was empty probably from the pouring rain. We had raingear and headed for the well maintaines paved trail to the runestone. The trail is moderately steep and caution should be used for those with mobility or low vision problems when the trail is wet and has low light. The trail wanders through oak, maples and hickories and on this day the forest was heavily laden with the scent of musty leavesthat added to the experience. The trail ends in a gazebo where the runestone is encased in glass along with information about the research conducted on the runestone. The runestone is a giant slab of sandstonethat contains 8 markings believed to have been a boundary markercreated by Vikings ibetween 600 and 800 AD.The premise is that the Vikings sailed around the southern tip of Florida to the Mississippi River where they sailed up river to where the Arkansas River meets the...

Nice little park with some nice views and camping available. A small gift shop is present with T shirts and other small souveniers available. The runestone is located at the bottom of a valley (Gnome Valley is said to be a possible translation of the runes), reached by a short but fairly steep hike along a maintained path. Two streams meet beside it and the area is woodsy and tranquil. The runes are carved on a large stone that is about 10' x 15' tall. It is housed in a small building to protect it from vandals and weather, but you can see the runes clearly and up close through the glass.

The runes are of mysterious origins. From what I've researched, they likely aren't of Viking origin, but the possibility isn't completely ruled out either. They have been pretty firmly documented as being present since at least the 19th century. Many local tales and legends circulate the area about the runes' history . Either way, it is a unique and interesting location, worth a visit. Definetely piqued...