The tar pits in Lawton, Oklahoma, sit inside the Fort Sill military base, where asphalt seeps naturally out of the ground and visitors must complete a check-in process before entering.
- The Lawton tar pits are located inside the Fort Sill military base in southwestern Oklahoma.
- The tar forms when oil seeps to the surface, the lighter gases evaporate, and the thick residue stays behind.
- The site is smaller than the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles and has no mammoth or saber-toothed cat fossils.
- A hardened outer crust covers soft, slippery tar underneath, which can ruin cameras or clothing on a hot day.
- Visitors 18 and older must stop at the Visitor Control Center for a visitor pass and a background check.
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How asphalt rises out of the ground
Mention Oklahoma, and many people think of oil. Typically, oil sits deep beneath impermeable rock and has to be pumped up. Sometimes that rock has cracks, and the oil leaks out to the surface.
Once the lighter gases in the oil have evaporated, the thick residue left behind turns into asphalt. That is what you find at tar pits. Very few places in the world have them, and one is in southwestern Oklahoma, on the grounds of Fort Sill.
According to the original article, early explorers recorded the site. Native people in the region once applied the tar to sores caused by saddles rubbing against horses' backs.
Compared with the famous La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California, this spot is far more modest. Even calling it a "pit" is a stretch: it is really a pond with tar seeping up through the bottom. There are no mammoths or saber-toothed cats in it. Some of the tar flows into a nearby ditch, which also has tar seeping out on its own.
What to know before you go
The parking lot is about 15 meters (50 feet) from the pond, and the ditch runs out from that side. The ditch is hundreds of feet long. Exposed tar hardens over time, but just beneath the crust is fresh tar that is soft and slick. On a hot, sunny day, visitors should take care that cameras, clothing, and other belongings don't get stuck in the tar and ruined for good.
There are sticks and rocks lying around for poking at the tar. In some spots, tar that has seeped out at random has formed a hard shell. Break it open slowly and you'll find fresh tar inside, something like a brownie that's not quite fully baked.
Because the site is on a military base, entry comes with its own rules. The poster said the visit was approved by a brigadier general and asked to record the following conditions. Visitors 18 and older without a DoD ID card must stop at the Visitor Control Center (VCC) outside the gate to get a visitor pass before entering. All visitors undergo a standard federal background check, and people with certain criminal records or outstanding warrants will be turned away.
At the counter, visitors need to present a REAL ID-compliant state driver's license or a passport. On the base, visitors may only go to public areas and must obey signs marking restricted areas or training areas.
For Vietnamese travelers, this is a rare stop, but not a place you can simply show up and enter. The original article only lists documents for visitors from within the US, so international visitors should ask the base about any additional paperwork. The smallest step you can take today is to save the location to your wish list, then review Fort Sill's entry rules before scheduling a trip. If you do go, bring an old pair of shoes and a plastic bag for your gear, because tar is hard to remove once it sticks.
Source: Atlas Obscura
Reviewed by: Hero Association
