You might be surprised to learn that the state of Oklahoma has several awe-inspiring entrees of its own. With the U.S.'s most diverse terrain per mile and a native ingenuity that adorned the landscape with several architectural feats, you'll find at least seven one-of-a-kind outdoor wonders spread across the state. Here are just a few of the top contenders:

The 140-acre Spiro Mounds Archaeological Park in southeast Oklahoma near Poteau holds the key to a Native American culture that inhabited the area from A.D. 600 to 1450. A mile-long trail takes visitors near 11 earthen mounds that once served as the religious center for an estimated 60 tribes. To cement the Spiro park's place as an Oklahoma wonder, the mounds are considered one of the four most important prehistoric Indian sites east of the Rocky Mountains. Constructed by the Spiro people, the mounds served as the homes and underground tombs for an elite group of priests, and also acted as a calendar to signify planting and harvesting dates based on the position of the sun.

Bartlesville's Price Tower not only changed the horizon of the Oklahoma landscape, but also the world of architecture. The building, which was completed in 1956, is the only skyscraper designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that was actually built, and is one of only two vertically-oriented Wright structures in the world. Wright called the 19-story tower the "tree that escaped the crowded forest" because of the outline it created against the Oklahoma prairie and due to the building's "tree-like" design. Today, the tower's top floors hold the high-design Inn at Price Tower which opened in 2003. With its 21 luxurious rooms and stunning two-story restaurant-bar, Copper, Inn at Price Tower has been recognized by Conde-Nast Traveler as one of the "Top 100 New Hotels."

Grand Lake, one of Oklahoma's most popular recreation and vacation destinations, owes its creation to a very ambitious engineering feat more than 65 years ago, historic Pensacola Dam. Not only does this concrete marvel hold the 60,000 surface acres of Grand Lake, but it also retains the title of "Largest Multiple Arch Dam in the World." Rising 150 feet from the river bed, the dam spans 5,145 feet with 51 arches and 21 spillways. Grand Lake was full by the end of that summer. More than 30 million pounds of steel and 535,000 cubic feet of concrete were used to build the dam which is also Oklahoma's first hydroelectric facility.

With an impressive resume that boasts "the nation's first wildlife refuge," the Wichita Mountains definitely earn a place on the list of Oklahoma's top wonders. The range, one of four in the state, extends for almost 60 miles and is 30 miles across at its widest point. The mountains were named for the Wichita Indians who believed the boulders held the spirits of their ancestors. President Teddy Roosevelt tamed the area a bit when he designated 60,000 acres as the country's first wildlife refuge in 1905. Today it is home to a herd of about 500 bison, elk, longhorn cattle, white-tailed deer and prairie dogs. The area inspired its own architecture as well with the cobblestone resort and artist community of Medicine Park and the Holy City of the Wichitas, built in the 1930s to resemble the city of Jerusalem. For one of the most awesome views in Oklahoma, drive the 3-1/2 mile road that spirals 2,364 feet to the top of Mount Scott, the second highest peak in the range.

America's most cherished road, Route 66, might have just celebrated its 80th birthday, but it still remains a timeless cultural fixture. Since 1926, Oklahoma's stretch of Route 66 has been dishing up kicks, adventure, blue-plate specials and a healthy dose of quirky to travelers who believe half the fun is getting there. With more drivable miles of the original highway than any other state, Oklahoma is a virtual time capsule of signature icons, landmarks and characters. The 426-stretch of road through Oklahoma not only shaped the towns along its path, but the famous road has also became an artery for Okie spirit and expression. You'll find historic flair like Catoosa's famous blue whale or Foyil's Totem Pole Park (billed as the Largest Cement Totem Pole Park in the world), towns steeped in Route 66 nostalgia, and even new wonders like Pops now under construction in the town of Arcadia.

When Art Deco architecture was born in the 1920s, Tulsa was a city booming with oil wealth. Art Deco became the style of choice as the city grew and began to define itself. By the end of the decade, Tulsa was known as "Terra Cotta City" for its many examples of Art Deco. As a result of this discerning taste, Tulsa is not only a beautiful city today, but it also claims the third largest collection of Art Deco buildings in the nation. The Tulsa Metro Chamber (800-558-3311) provides a walking tour of art deco landmarks, including the famous Boston Avenue Methodist Church designed by Bruce Goff with a 255-foot pleated tower embellished with terra-cotta sculptures.

The first time you set eyes on the massive salt plains in northwest Oklahoma, you get the eerie feeling that you are either seeing a mirage or entering some kind of lunar landscape. The blinding white layer of salt measures seven miles long and three miles wide and is the all that is left of an inland sea that once covered northwest Oklahoma more than 200 million years ago. Animals and humans have always been attracted to the salt plains, and today, the area is much more hospitable to both due to the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge and Great Salt Plains State Park. Every year from May to October, a portion of the salt flats are opened to allow people to dig for the hourglass selenite crystals hidden beneath the crusty surface. Oklahoma's salt plains are the only place in the world were the crystals are found.

Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department, www.travelok.com