Great Salt Plains | Jet, Oklahoma
With cooler weather coming and this amazing park closing in October for the season, I thought I’d share about a trip from the past. This was hard work, but we made great memories and it was very much worth it!
About two years ago I took my kids to Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge in Jet, Oklahoma. It is one of my favorite adventures that the girls and I have been on. I had asked a few friends if they wanted to go dig for selenite crystals, but no one could go. It was kind of a last minute thing for us. I was pretty nervous about heading into the unknown in such a secluded place alone with them, but I’m so glad I did! It was a day I will never forget!
If you haven’t been there and you live close enough to make a day trip of it, you should go! There is no shade there, so you either want to go on a more mild day or take something with you to provide shade.
My kids loved having the chance to dig for selenite crystals there. It was work, and it took a while before we found a good spot and got the hang of how to find them, but it was so rewarding! Finding each crystal was like finding a special treasure!
When you make this trip, you want to be prepared with certain supplies. This is what we took:
gloves Gardening gloves worked well for us. These will protect your hands from getting scratched if you do any digging with your fingers. Scratches plus salt can be pretty painful.
shovels We took kid sized metal shovels and a few smaller hand shovels. It’s really helpful to have a hefty shovel to begin digging the holes. After that you can use your hands or small shovels to dig.
1-2 gallons of water This is to help sift through the sand and salt. I think I took one or two gallons.
sifter or strainer These are to help sift through the sand to find crystals. We didn’t use them much, but they could be helpful. We bought a couple of kitchen strainers from the Dollar Tree.
buckets This is to have a place to keep your crystals. Each of my kids had their own bucket from Dollar Tree.
sunscreen
hats
sunglasses
picnic blanket or towels It’s nice to have a sand/salt free area to sit on.
lawn chairs We did not take any of these and were just fine. If you don’t want to have to sit on the ground while taking a break or watching others dig, they could be nice to have.
an umbrella or a shade tent We didn’t have one of these and were fine because it wasn’t a hot day. If you go on a hot day, shade would be very nice.
snacks and/or picnic lunch We were there for a few hours and the snacks were definitely needed!
water to drink Make sure you have plenty especially if you go on a hot day.
wagon You don’t have to have this, but it was really helpful to have it carry all of our stuff.
It’s educational. It’s fun. It’s messy. It’s an adventure. What more could you ask for?
