We Hiked the Oklahoma Mountain Where Vikings Left Ancient Runestones
Oklahoma harbors the most Viking runestones in the U.S.
Picture a Viking longship slipping through the water of the Poteau River in Oklahoma, oars splashing and sails curving in the wind. Around 600 to 800 A.D., a group of Vikings—30 to 60 explorers, possibly led by one named Glome—gathered in a longhouse in Newfoundland, plotting their expedition along the eastern coast. With land in sight as they navigated around Florida, they spotted the Mississippi River in the Gulf of Mexico and ventured inland.
Many historians, including Heavener, Oklahoma local and late historian Gloria Farley, believe this scene truly occurred. It helps that the Vikings left behind evidence: runestones scattered across Oklahoma.
Now, you can trek to Heavener Runestone Park to marvel at the carvings that may have survived over a thousand years.
Nestled deep in the Ouachita Mountains, the runestone—a 12-foot tall sandstone slab—is located in a ravine surrounded by 40-foot cliffs. A series of wooden walkways and steep rough-hewn stone steps take you down into the ravine. It’s breathtaking—both from the beauty of the small waterfall crashing over the cliffs and the difficulty of the climb. Be warned: this is not accessible. At times, I found myself wishing for additional hand railings as I picked my way down the uneven steps. Several wooden benches provide resting places along the way.
At the bottom, a small wooden building protects the runestone from more weather erosion. Inside the dimly lit building, behind a sheet of glass, stands a twelve-foot tall slab of sandstone. The carved runes are distinctly visible, as are other carvings from over the years when the stone was less protected. I felt chills as I looked at the carving and pondered the mystery of who carved it so long ago.
In 1923, the Smithsonian identified them as the 24-rune FUTHARK, the oldest Viking alphabet, used between 300 and 800 A.D. Oklahoma now has found six Viking runestones, more than any other state. Some scholars suggest the carvings were made by a Swedish immigrant in the 1800s. But Farley dedicated her life to defending their Viking origins against skeptics.
These early explorers would have left their ships safely banked, then traveled on foot. There, they used tools to carve the runic markings. Scholars believe the Heavener Runestone is a boundary marker, and the inscription means, “Valley of Glome.” Whether Glome intended to settle there or merely name a piece of far flung land after himself, he left his mark in history.