Red Carpet Country Region, OK Land for Sale

Red Carpet Country encompasses the northwestern corner of Oklahoma, including the Panhandle area of the state. It borders Colorado and Kansas to the north, New Mexico to the west and Texas to the south. The nickname Red Carpet Country comes from the region's red soil, and that the panhandle serves as the "red carpet" into Oklahoma. Enid is the largest city in the region, and has the region's largest commercial airport. Other large and important cities in the region include Guymon, Ponca City, Woodward and Alva.

The region is economically anchored in agriculture and oil and gas exploration. Enid's Main Street program helped to restore historic buildings, boost the local economy and initiate local events in the town square. There are a number of companies with corporate headquarters in the Enid area, primarily manufacturing, food processing, aircraft maintenance, with Vance Air Force Base nearby, and of course oil and natural gas production. Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva and Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell are higher education institutions in the region.

The landscape of Red Carpet Country varies from dry and flat to mountain ranges and mesas. Canyons and grasslands give the region a Southwest-like landscape, different than some other parts of the state. Black Mesa is the state's highest peak at 973 feet and is part of a large range of mesas in the panhandle region, and cross in to New Mexico. The Glass Mountains, another mesa range, is at the center of the region. There are a number of protected natural areas in the region, most notable are Black Mesa State Park, Beaver Dunes Park, Alabaster Caverns State Park, Boiling Springs State Park, Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, Great Salt Plains State Park, Byron State Fish Hatchery, Little Sahara State Park, featuring over 1,600 acres of sand dunes, and Ellis County State Wildlife Management Area. Other attractions in the region include Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Leonardo's Children's Museum and Adventure quest, and the Railroad Museum of Oklahoma, all located in Enid, Enid's Summer Chautauqua is one of the oldest in Oklahoma, and it is host to many other festivals and events, in addition to a vibrant nightlife and music scene. Guymon, also known as the "Saddle Bronc Capital of the World," features Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, the fifth largest outdoor rodeo in the country. Other attractions in the area are No Man's Land Museum, what the region was once known as, Guymon Game Reserve, featuring buffalo, elk and longhorn cattle, and mixed-grass prairies in Optima National Wildlife Refuge. Ponca City has roots in the oil industry, which made it into a thriving cultural center. Some attractions there include the Palace on the Prairie, the Marland Mansion, built by oil baron and governor, E.W. Marland, and Standing Bear Museum and Park, featuring Native American history, Lester and Mary Cann Memorial Botanical Gardens, Osage National Heritage Trail, Camp McFadden, located on Kaw Lake and Lake Ponca. Woodward is a popular destination for outdoor recreation, with Boiling Springs State Park and Golf Course, Hal and Fern Cooper Wildlife Management Area, featuring excellent quail, dove, pheasant, turkey and deer. The area also features the Plains Indians and Pioneers Museum, named the best local history museum in Oklahoma.

Garfield County is located in the eastern part of Red Carpet Country. It is named for President James A. Garfield. Enid is the largest city and the county seat, Garber is another city, and there are around 15 other towns and unincorporated places, and one census-designated place. Primary industries in the county include agriculture and livestock, with some crops being wheat, corn, oats, sorghum, Kaffir corn and alfalfa. Oil and gas, manufacturing and flour milling also boost the economy. Enid has the most grain storage capacity in the country and one of the largest grain elevators in the world. Vance Air Force Base is a major employer in the county. There are a number of sites on the National Register of Historic Places, with some including Enid Terminal Grain Elevators Historic District, Enid Downtown Historic District and the R.E. Hoy Number One Oil Well in Covington, showing the area's history in oil and gas. Other attractions in the county, not already listed, include NOC Mackie Planetarium and Observatory, Midgley Museum, also known as "The Rock House," features a game trophy room and an eclectic assortment of objects and artifacts, Enid Farmers Market and Government Springs Park, where the Oklahoma Land Run and Chisholm Trail meet.

Woodward County is located in the center of Oklahoma's Red Carpet Country, just east of the panhandle. Woodward is the only city and the county seat, and there are around 12 other towns and unincorporated communities. Agriculture and cattle production have always been important industry, with major crops being grains, specifically wheat. Mineral production also includes salt, bentonite, petroleum and natural gas. The Cimarron River forms part of the northern border and drains the northwestern area of the county, and the North Canadian River flows through the county. Woodward County is part of the Osage Plains and is in the Western Red Prairies physiographic region and Gypsum Hills sub-region. Protected areas in the county include Alabaster Caverns State Park, featuring a three quarter-mile cavern formed of alabaster, a rare form of gypsum, the largest natural gypsum gave open to the public, and Boiling Springs State Park, and Fort Supply Lake is also located in the county. Some other attractions in the county include Fort Supply Historic Site, a U.S. Army post established in 1868, Woodward Centennial Park and Military Road Crossing, the earliest trail from Dodge City Kansas to Fort Elliott, Texas.