Get ready for the perfect day in Pawhuska, Oklahoma — here’s your itinerary
Bison roam freely at Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
If you’ve found your way to Pawhuska, Oklahoma, it’s likely for one of two reasons — maybe both.
The small town in northeast Oklahoma (population 2,926) is both the epicenter of Ree Drummond’s Pioneer Woman empire and the 2023 film Killers of the Flower Moon.
Ree and her husband, Ladd, own and operate a cattle ranch northwest of town. All in all, they count 433,000 acres of the state as their own.
The real events of the movie, however, took place southwest of town in nearby Fairfax, Oklahoma.
Based on David Grann’s 2017 book of the same name, Killers of the Flower Moon exposes the greed-fueled murders of Osage people in the 1920s. Pawhuska was the primary filming location.
And, while you can walk the same streets as the film’s stars, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro, you aren’t likely to see them there today.
However, you might just get a glimpse of Ree as she pops into her Pioneer Woman Mercantile for a coffee or on business.
Whatever drives you to Pawhuska, you’re sure to enjoy a full and enriching day.
1-day itinerary: Pawhuska, Oklahoma
Don’t worry if you only have a single day to spend in Pawhuska. It’s plenty of time to explore the town’s history and delights.
Just follow my itinerary to enjoy the best of Pawhuska.
Let’s get started.
Morning in Pawhuska, Oklahoma
The Pioneer Woman Mercantile in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, is 2 stories of whimsy, delight and deliciousness.
Breakfast, shopping and a photo op
How much time to spend: 2 hours
Pioneer Woman Mercantile
Start your day in Pawhuska with breakfast at the Pioneer Woman Mercantile. They open at 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Which is when we showed up since they don’t take reservations.
The best thing that landed on our table was the biscuits and gravy plate. It comes with eggs, meat and potatoes for $16, and it’s easily big enough to share.
At some point during breakfast, be sure to ask your server for a ticket and directions to Drummond Ranch Lodge. Because, spoiler alert, that’s coming up later on, in the next section of this itinerary.
If you like cute, Ree Drummond has you covered at her Pioneer Woman Mercantile store in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
Once your coffee cup is dry and your plate is clean(ish), simply stroll into the shop to marvel at the many delightful things, from stickers and children’s books to home goods, kitchenware and clothing. There’s even a huge table just for adorable salt and pepper shakers.
You’ll be ohing and ahhing for a solid 30 minutes or so.
There’s also comfy seating for the non-shoppers or non-browsers in your group. They’re probably no fun and should go sit down anyway.
And, don’t miss the upstairs. Here you’ll find coffee, artful pastries and views of the town.
Before the morning’s up, there’s one last thing to do: Take a selfie or group photo with the Drummond Ranch vintage Dodge pickup truck. It’s always parked somewhere nearby, either just outside the Mercantile or across the street.
Midday in Pawhuska, Oklahoma
More than 2,000 bison call Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, home.
Bison on the prairie, some hiking if you like and a Food Network kitchen
How much time to spend: 3 to 4 hours
On the next leg of your journey, you’ll have a chance to see bison roaming the open prairie and the kitchen where Ree films her Food Network show — all for free.
Advance warning: You’ll be driving on gravel roads and may not have a great phone signal.
Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve
The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is a must for your Pawhuska itinerary. For one, you can see thousands of bison roaming freely across the land like they once did hundreds of years ago.
For another, according to the Nature Conservancy, it’s the largest protected area of tallgrass prairie on Earth, covering 39,650 acres.
To get started, set your GPS or map app to the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve or the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Visitor Center in Pawhuska. Both entries in Google Maps take you to the visitor center.
Make sure not to select the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Strong City, Kansas, or you’ll have a much longer drive.
About 15 minutes north of town, you’ll come across a cattleguard crossing with fencing on either side. A sign on the right side of the fence reads: Entering Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.
Now’s the time to start keeping your eyes peeled for bison — and to stay safely behind the closed doors of your car.
Signs throughout Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve remind visitors of the resident bison herd.
The signs telling you that bison are dangerous are no lie.
Bison might look slow and cumbersome, but they’re surprisingly fast and agile.
They can typically run faster than a horse and much faster than a human. They’re also known to jump as high as 6 feet and change direction quickly. All despite weighing between about 1,000 (female adult) and 2,000 (male adult) pounds.
We did see plenty of bison, also known as American buffalo, on our drive. Sadly, none were close to the road, and my iPhone 15 struggled to take clear photos.
Depending on how long you stop to watch the bison and read the info signs at the various pull-offs, you’ll arrive at the visitor center in anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.
We had the preserve pretty much to ourselves on a Monday in early June. It took us an hour to go the 10 miles from the cattleguard crossing to the visitor center.
Because that’s how much I like watching bison.
The visitor center at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is only open when a docent is present.
At the visitor center, it’s safe to get out of your car. Yay!
You can use the restroom, learn about the prairie and even charge your electric vehicle.
There’s no shopping here. But, you can support the preserve by dropping some cash in the donation box.
If you’d like to stretch your legs some more, hit the Tallgrass Prairie Nature Trail just west of the visitor center. The trail system here has three interconnected loops.
All three trails have gravel footing.
The shortest trail is about a half-mile long on fairly even terrain. The next is 1-mile long and fairly easy. The longest is more strenuous. It takes you through hilly terrain and possibly some mud for about 2 miles.
The visitor center at Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, is small but packed with interesting information and displays, including this bison skull.
If you hike all three trails, you’ll see:
Loamy bottomland — a low-lying area near a river or creek with rich soil that’s a mix of sand, silt and clay.
Sand Creek — this charming stream winds through the preserve and beyond. Sand Creek typically has water flow year-round, which makes it a perennial stream.
A gallery forest — a corridor of trees and undergrowth that forms along a river or creek in an otherwise sparsely vegetated landscape like the prairie.
An upland forest — this type of forest is found on higher, well-drained land that’s not prone to flooding.
You may also see various birds, including dickcissels and grasshopper sparrows, wildlife and aquatic life.
From the visitor center or the trailhead, you can continue west on the backroads to Drummond Ranch Lodge, where Ree films her Food Network cooking show and the family hosts private gatherings.
You’ll take several county roads to get there: 4201 to 4649 to 4650 to Foraker Road. There are no signs pointing you toward the lodge, as it’s not overly publicized in general.
Or, head back into Pawhuska if you want to follow the directions on the paper ticket you picked up at the Mercantile. It’s really less of a ticket and more of an info sheet.
Drummond Ranch Lodge
Fans of the Pioneer Woman show on Food Network will recognize this gorgeous kitchen at Drummond Ranch Lodge.
You don’t have to be a Pioneer Woman fan to enjoy this next stop.
If you’re a fan of cattle ranching, architecture, interior design or cooking, you’ll enjoy seeing and touring Drummond Ranch Lodge.
It’s an 18,000-square-foot midcentury marvel of stone, wood and glass.
Advance warning #1: Check the Lodge Tours page of the Pioneer Woman Mercantile website to make sure the lodge is open to visitors before you go. The staff at the Mercantile may not know when it’s open and when it’s not.
The light-filled kitchen pantry at Drummond Ranch Lodge displays Pioneer Woman kitchenware and cookware.
Advance warning #2: Parking is a little tight at Drummond Ranch Lodge. Drive slowly. As the road curves to the left and starts heading downhill, the parking area will be on your left before you get very far down the hill.
Now, here’s another chance to stretch your legs and oh and ahh all over again at the Pioneer Woman’s magic touch. But, this time, there’s nothing for sale.
Instead, you can chat with the guide, marvel at the views over the working ranch and take in the stunning guest suites and the ginormous TV show kitchen.
Be sure not to miss the huge walk-in pantry. It’s filled with Pioneer Woman cookware, appliances and more.
You can even sit outside and enjoy a snack or a full-on picnic if you packed one.
Restrooms are also available.
More likely than not, you’ll wish you could stay the night here. But, unless you’re a family member or a close friend, that’s probably not going to happen.
Eventually, you’ll have to gather your things and head back to Pawhuska.
Afternoon in Pawhuska, Oklahoma
Kihekah Avenue in Pawhuska served as the bustling town center in the Killers of the Flower Moon film.
A pick-me-up, a stroll through town and a choose your own adventure
How much time to spend: 2 to 3 hours
No doubt you’ll be ready for a little pick-me-up after driving through the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve and walking through Drummond Ranch Lodge.
Coffee break in Pawhuska
The second-floor café at the Pioneer Woman Mercantile serves coffee, pastries and desserts.
Head back to town for a coffee stop at the Pioneer Woman Mercantile, Powered by Frikn or Ekowah Coffee. You can also grab a pastry snack at the first two locations.
And, you might want to buy a bag of Pioneer Woman or Ekowah coffee beans to take home.
If you like, enjoy your coffee as you stroll down Kihekah Avenue and the surrounding area.
The production crew behind the Killers of the Flower Moon film transformed Kihekah Avenue into 1920s Fairfax. To turn back time by 100 years, they covered the pavement with dirt and some of the buildings with fake storefront facades.
Today, you can shop for clothing, olive oil and more. Plus, stop in Charlie’s Sweet Shop — another Pioneer Woman joint — for ice cream.
Or, check out Buckin’ Flamingo on the main drag through town, U.S. Route 60 / Main Street, for indigenous crafts, jewelry and more.
For more native jewelry and art, check out Big Rain Gallery or Spurs & Arrows.
For the next stop on your journey through Pawhuska, you have a few options.
Swinging bridge in Pawhuska
Pawhuska’s swinging bridge was once a necessity for townsfolk to cross Bird Creek to go shopping.
We chose to walk across the swinging bridge, which dates to 1926. It’s a 120-foot-long, wooden-plank suspension bridge stretching high above Bird Creek.
While just a novelty (perhaps even a dare) today, it was once a vital way for people on the south side of town to walk to the essential shops and services on the north side.
There’s a small parking area and an info sign at the corner of Kihekah Avenue (also called Osage Avenue in this part of town) and 2nd Street. This is near the Veterans Memorial.
If your GPS or map app tries to take you to the other side of the swinging bridge on 1st Street, ignore it. This is a neighborhood, and there’s no good place to park.
It seems that the city of Pawhuska owns the swinging bridge, but there isn’t any good information about its upkeep or how safe it is.
In fact, it looked like there was once a chain-link fence blocking entry to the bridge on either side. It’s since been cut and rolled back. Whether the city or random people did that, I’m not sure.
It’s all to say: Cross the Pawhuska swinging bridge at your own risk.
Don’t worry, if a suspension bridge of unknown stability isn’t your cup of tea, you can spend the rest of the afternoon on solid ground.
Stop by the Ben Johnson Cowboy Museum, Osage Nation Museum, Osage Nation Visitors Center or Osage County Historical Society instead.
If you gamble, the Osage Casino is on the eastern end of town.
Evening / nighttime in Pawhuska, Oklahoma
Ree Drummond’s P-Town Pizza and Charlie’s Sweet Shop share a building on Kihekah Avenue.
Dinner, drinks and maybe a show
How much time to spend: 2 to 3 hours
The nightlife in Pawhuska is somewhat limited, but that’s not to say the fun has to end as the sun begins to set.
Settle around the table at P-Town Pizza for wood-fired pies and other delicious morsels. This is yet another staple of the Pioneer Woman empire.
And, like the Mercantile, it’s open Monday through Saturday.
Afterward, enjoy a nightcap at the western-themed Dry Hollow Bar or perhaps a show at Constantine Theater. The theater’s historic 1880s sandstone building is one of the oldest in town.
The casino is another option for dinner, drinks and entertainment.
Find a place to stay in Pawhuska, Oklahoma
No doubt at the end of the day, you’ll be looking forward to a comfortable place to rest. We have recommendations for that as well — whether you’re camping or want a roof over your head.
Where to set up camp in Pawhuska, Oklahoma
A glamping tent at Osage Hills State Park sits alongside a small creek.
Osage Hills State Park is a beautiful campground just east of town. They have RV and tent camping, safari glamping tents and historic cabins built by the Civilian Conversation Crops (CCC Company 895) in the 1930s.
If you have mobility issues and want to rent a cabin, call and talk to the campground staff before reserving one online. Some cabins have quite a few stairs while others don’t have any at all.
Cabin 7, which I reserved for my parents, seemed to have the most stairs, leading from the driveway down to an outdoor sitting area and then up to the cabin door.
But, you can’t tell that online.
At the park, you can also hike, mountain bike, fish and even swim in the pool if it’s open.
Top-rated vacation homes in Pawhuska, Oklahoma
Note: If you book a stay using one of our VRBO links, we may receive a very small referral commission. You won’t pay anything extra. Be sure to check the most current rating and reviews and read all policies before you book.
Bridgewater Cabin — sleeps 4
Rated 10 out of 10 on VRBO
No petsCottage — sleeps 4
Rated 9 out of 10 on VRBO
Pet-friendlyLog home — sleeps 8
Rated 9.8 out of 10 on VRBO
Pet-friendlyPrairie Rose home — sleeps 10
Rated 10 out of 10 on VRBO
No pets
Hotel rooms in Pawhuska, Oklahoma
Note: If you book a stay using one of our Expedia links, we may receive a very small referral commission. You won’t pay anything extra. Be sure to check the most current rating and reviews and read all policies before you book.
Frontier Hotel — rooms for up to 4 people
Rated 9.6 out of 10 on Expedia
Service animals onlyOsage Casino Hotel — rooms for up to 4 people
Rated 9.4 out of 10 on Expedia
Service animals onlyPioneer Woman Boarding House — rooms for up to 4 people
Rated 4.8 out of 5 on Google Maps
No pets
Or, if you don’t want to stay in Pawhuska, there are more lodging options in Tulsa (about an hour south) or Bartlesville (about 30 minutes east).
Timed itinerary for a 1-day trip to Pawhuska, Oklahoma
Stop to snap a photo of this cool sign on the northern end of Kihekah Avenue as you make your way to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.
If you’re the kind of person who prefers a timed itinerary, then this may come in handy.
8 to 10 a.m.
Pioneer Woman Mercantile
Get breakfast, go shopping and a take photo with the Drummond Ranch vintage truck. Spend less time here if you’re not much of a shopper.10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve
Drive through the preserve. Stop to view bison and explore the visitor center. Spend more time here if you’re a hiker.12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Drummond Ranch Lodge
Walk through the beautiful home and set of Ree’s Food Network show. Spend more time here if you bring a picnic.2 to 4:30 p.m.
Pawhuska
Grab a pick-me-up at the Mercantile, Powered by Frikn or Ekowah Coffee. Then, explore the town. Take in a museum or walk across the swinging bridge. Spend more time here if you want to hit multiple museums and shops, such as Buckin’ Flamingo and Osage Outfitters.5 to 7 p.m.
Pawhuska
Start or end the evening with a beer or cocktail at the Dry Hollow. Have dinner at P-Town Pizza. Check Constatine Theater or Osage Casino to see if any shows or events are going on while you’re in town.
Can you believe how much there is to do in this little town? You can, of course spend longer than a single day if you’d like to move at a slower pace, tour all of the museums or hit more of the hiking trails.
We weren’t expecting it, but we fell in love with Pawhuska — thanks, mom, for the trip idea.
We hope you enjoy it, too.
Go forth, explore and have fun (responsibly, of course — be kind and don’t litter).
Oklahoma was the 25th state we took Camper Van Beethoven.
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