The Underrated County In Oklahoma With Major Film, Wildlife, And Culinary Draws

Oklahoma is a state that might not be as easy to point out on a map as California or Florida. Additionally, the state has occasionally been stereotyped as a place of tumbleweeds, tornadoes, and little else. Thankfully, this has started to change in recent decades. Aside from big names in country music like Carrie Underwood, Toby Keith, and Reba McEntyre, big Hollywood productions have centered on Oklahoma's past and present, from its indigenous cultures to temperamental weather. Oklahoma culinary creators have forayed onto the small screen as well. Prairie space in the Sooner State is not so barren either, making it an underrated gem full of wildlife and water activities.

Osage County in northwest Oklahoma is the largest of the Sooner State's counties and has seen quite a bit of interest thanks to the aforementioned draws. There are places to eat — including a restaurant founded by a Food Network star — and plenty of places to explore. Whether you are a film buff or a wildlife lover looking for family-friendly outdoor adventures, see for yourself why Osage County is worth a bit of extra attention.

Oklahoma is the perfect place for Indigenous-led travel as handfuls of Native peoples have governing bodies in Oklahoma, including the Osage Nation. "Killers of the Flower Moon" — starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Robert DeNiro — was filmed in Osage County, particularly in the towns of Fairfax and Pawhuska. The film is based on the tragic real events of the early 20th century, wherein non-indigenous Americans killed Osage people after oil was discovered on their land. Among the buildings used as filming locations was Fairfax's early 20th-century Tall Chief Theater, built by Alex Tallchief, father of internationally renowned Osage ballerinas Marjorie and Maria Tallchief. This theater also offers a "Killers of the Flower Moon" tour that takes visitors to other locations pertaining to the actual events behind the book-turned-movie.

Drive 20 miles north of Pawhuska to find the Boulanger House, a major filming location for the film "August: Osage County," starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts. The three-story home is over 100 years old and is reminiscent of classic Southern farming architecture. Surprisingly, the house was listed in an early 20th-century Sears Roebuck catalog for just $2,065.

Around the same distance north of Pawhuska as the Boulanger House is the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. The Midwest used to be covered in prairie land and prairie wildlife. Sadly, this is no longer the case. To his credit, Williams recognized this and pledged to protect as much land as possible. At over 39,000 acres, Tallgrass Prairie is the largest swath of protected prairie in the world. Bison herds now thrive here thanks to his work and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Tallgrass Prairie is home to more than just bison, and the section that is open to the public makes the preserve a calming wildlife paradise.

Fans of the Food Network will likely recognize the face behind the Pioneer Woman Mercantile restaurant in Pawhuska. "The Pioneer Woman" on Food Network is hosted by Ree Drummond, who lives and films her show near the restaurant. Drummond's cuisine takes center stage on her television show, but the Pioneer Woman Mercantile also features a bakery and a store with home goods and gifts. Enjoy food inspired by Drummond's recipes and do some shopping as well. Even if you don't live on a country ranch like her, you can bring the prairie frontier themes of Osage County home with you.