Grab the dog, lace up your shoes (or air up those bike tires) and come play in the woods with us. Some of our favorite days around here don’t need much of a plan: a little dirt, a little shade, and a trail that starts just outside Tahlequah.
That trail is Welling Ridge Trails, and it’s only about 12 minutes from downtown. Jessica made a short video about it. Watch it for the fun part, then scroll down for the useful stuff.
Welling Ridge Trails: the quick version
| Where | 19679 S. 550 Road, Tahlequah, OK 74464, about 12 minutes from downtown |
| Trail miles | Just over 8.75 miles of singletrack: about 2.7 miles green (easiest), nearly 6 miles blue (more difficult) |
| Good for | Hiking, mountain biking, trail running |
| Dogs | Welcome on a leash |
| E-bikes | Class 1 only |
| Not allowed | Class 2 and 3 e-bikes, horses, motorized vehicles |
| Hours | Sunup to sundown |
| At the trailhead | Parking, restroom, picnic tables, bike skills track |
| Managed by | Tahlequah Trails Association, a volunteer nonprofit |
Why we love it out here
Welling Ridge is the new kid in the woods. The trail system opened in May 2022 on about 200 acres east of town. Since then, volunteers with the Tahlequah Trails Association have kept building. It started with a couple of miles of beginner trail. Now there’s more than 8.75 miles.
The best part? You don’t have to clear your whole calendar. It’s close enough for an evening walk, a quick ride after work, or a Saturday morning run with the dog. The green trails are rated easiest, so beginners have a friendly place to start.
And when folks thinking about moving to Cherokee County ask us, “So what do you do for fun out there?”, this is one of our favorite answers.
Pick your trail
Every trail is rated green (easiest) or blue (more difficult). Think of it as “coffee stroll” and “OK, now we’re working.”
Green trails: easy does it
- Little Brother: a 1.80-mile loop. It’s the main beginner loop and the natural place to start if you’re new to the trails.
- Big Brother: a 0.75-mile loop off Little Brother. It’s a little more distance on easy terrain. (Yes, Big Brother is the shorter one. We don’t make the names.)
Blue trails: when you’re ready for more
- Wildfire: about 1.50 miles, branching off the green trails into the blue network.
- Rocky Rogue: a blue trail out on the western side of the system.
- Hathaway Hollow: a blue trail that ties in with Wildfire and Rocky Rogue.
Together, the blue trails add up to nearly 6 miles. The association’s printable map shows how it all connects, and there’s a map at the kiosk in the parking lot too. Rather follow a blue dot on your phone? Trailforks and AllTrails have interactive versions.
How to find it (no wrong turns required)
The trailhead is at 19679 S. 550 Road, Tahlequah, OK 74464. Here are the directions from TravelOK:
- From Tahlequah, drive east on Hwy 62/51 and cross the Illinois River.
- Turn right at Speedies convenience store onto Welling Road.
- Go about two miles and turn right on 550 Road. You’ll see a Welling Ridge Trails sign.
- The entrance is about one mile down on the right, at the rock and metal entryway.
The bike skills track, picnic tables and restroom are right there at the parking lot. Yes, there’s a real restroom. You’re welcome.
The house rules
These come straight from the Tahlequah Trails Association and its trail map:
- Open sunup to sundown.
- Dogs are welcome on a leash.
- E-bikes: Class 1 only. No Class 2 or 3 e-bikes.
- No horses and no motorized vehicles of any kind.
- No hunting, and the park is tobacco-free.
- Trails can be traveled in either direction, so share the trail and keep an eye out for other folks.
- Ride and hike within your ability, and pack out whatever you pack in.
Trails sometimes close for weather, maintenance or events. Before you head out, check the Tahlequah Trails Association’s website and its trail-conditions Facebook group for closures and current conditions.
Living near the trails
This is one of the quiet perks of Cherokee County. A lot of the people we work with here want some room: a few acres for a house, a place with woods and a creek, or bigger land for cattle or hunting. They also want something to do on the weekend. Between the Illinois River, Lake Tenkiller and spots like Welling Ridge, the fun is close to home.
Looking at land around Tahlequah, Hulbert or Cookson? Our Tahlequah & Cherokee County land guide covers what acreage has been selling for and the questions we’d ask before buying. Planning to build? Water matters too, and our article on what it costs to drill a well in Northeast Oklahoma walks through it.
Come see for yourself
Visiting Tahlequah to get a feel for the area? Put Welling Ridge on the list. And if you catch yourself daydreaming about a place of your own out here, we’d love to help you look. Reach out anytime. No pressure, just a couple of locals who really like it here.
Jessica and Adam Greene work with land, acreage, farms and rural homes throughout Northeast Oklahoma and Northwest Arkansas.