Little Axe — Lake Thunderbird State Park, near Norman, Oklahoma, is a fantastic spot for campers looking to enjoy the great outdoors with a touch of comfort. The campground boasts level sites, many of which offer stunning views of the lake, making it a prime location for both tent and RV camping.

You'll find clean and well-maintained facilities here, including bathrooms and showers that visitors rave about. One camper mentioned, “The bathrooms are new and showers work great and spacious,” which is always a plus after a day of outdoor activities. Plus, there’s a laundromat nearby, so you can keep your gear fresh without hassle.

For those who love to explore, the campground is close to mountain biking trails and offers easy access to water activities. Many campers appreciate the sandy beach areas and the chance to beach their boats right at their sites. As one reviewer put it, “Every spot also has its own seeming little beachfront which is really quite cool.” 

With amenities like picnic tables, fire rings, and electric hookups, Little Axe is set up for a comfortable stay. Whether you're here for a weekend or a longer retreat, this campground provides a welcoming atmosphere and plenty of opportunities for fun and relaxation.

Little Axe — Lake Thunderbird State Park

The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Norman. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Norman and user-submitted reviews.

Norman

The Best Camping Near Norman, Oklahoma

I'll be honest, this was probably my least favorite place we camped that summer. It's just not a very pretty lake, it's dirty, a lot of people just come here to party it seems like. If you're just wanting to get away somewhere and don't mind the brown color of the water then you may like it better than I did.

Not the Best

Our vacation to lake thunderbird was very nice. It had a very good recreation area and relaxing atmosphere. Lots of wild life around the camp sites was a bit surprising. But otherwise the whole lake was very clean and tranquil. 

lake thunder bird

Came with a group of four had plenty of room to for all tents and to make a fire

It was a great spot! 

Some sites are nice and spacious and others are crowded. Check the map before making online reservations. Easy access to the lake for swimming, kayaking, etc. Playground, day use pavilions and swim area on site. Bathrooms near the day use area require quarters to use. Bathrooms away from the day use area don’t require payment, but aren’t as nice. They are passable though. This campground stays full. I highly suggest making online reservations well in advance if you want to camp there.

Great campground close to town

There is a designated swimming area in the campgrounds.  Beautiful, wooded park with large lake that has a section for watersports and fishing.  I wish we had stayed here for more than one night. Definitely a place to return for a visit.  It is a little remote, but there was cell phone reception. Perfect for biking/scooters/walking/swimming.

I will try to stay on the outer rim the next time we go, so that we can enjoy meals by the water.

Beautiful views of the lake from almost every site

I liked this one the best if all the Dirtybird campgrounds. best position on the lake. Less of a party crowd over here.

This is the nicer campground of all thunderbird

This was a back in site right on the water. We looked at some other areas where you were so far from the water you wouldn’t even know you were at a lake. The site was level and had a nice picnic table out near the water. 

Beautiful site

This campground rocks. It is camping made easy. The views are the best I have seen around the lake and this park area is much cleaner than others. The fire ring is awesome as it is waist-level and has a grill. Definitely worth the 21 bucks. The best tent campsites are 17-20

Best campground on Thunderbird

Stayed here for a couple nights, few other campers. Site was straight across from the lake. Got some good hiking in.

On the lake

I stayed for two nights in Site 3 which is a walk-in site on the inside of the little bay and on the opposite side of most of the other sites. All the spaces on this sites are not only spaced apart, but are also staggered so you're never right up against another group.

A couple of things to know though. In the fall, the burrs are bad. All the poor puppies were hobbling around :(  I ended up bringing some home with me, too. Second, I only went into the nearest bathroom - the picnic area bathrooms and if these are cleaner than the others, that's a problem. They were in definitely in need of maintenance - running toilets, rusty, dirty spigots and floors. There's also highway noise at night if you're a light sleeper.

Overall, I really enjoyed camping here and will definitely will be back.

Beautiful lake views

I love this spot. It was my first time camping in my rv and I was super lucky to find this place.

We really enjoyed the Little Axe campground. Nice playground for kids and lots of places to for kids to ride bikes &amp; scooters. Very clean campground. Nice scenery as well and a few smalls stores close by if you do forget something at home. 

Great for families with young kids 

We had a great stay in Lake Thunderbird State Park near Norman Oklahoma. The park has 11 campground areas situated around the 6000 acre centerpiece lake with many tent, RV sites and some of those have full hook up; our choice was the Little Ax campground on the southern end just off Oklahoma 9. In addition to water activities the park offers hunting, horse rental and boarding, equestrian trails, hiking, mountain biking, nature trails, a nature center, and an archery range. Our lakefront site#37 was nice and shaded with a gentle lake breeze offering a concrete pad, water, 30/15 amp electric, concrete table, lantern holder, fire ring and grill at site. The campground has an entry station, camp host, picnic shelters, playground, bathhouse and laundry, beach area, common fire pit, Verizon 4 bars, dump station, trash receptacles, interior roads are paved, with many sites waterfront. RV sites are close quarters. Tent sites are amazing...pads, concrete table, fire ring, grill, water spigot dispersed, waterfront sites. The town of Norman has all the amenities: shopping, dining, groceries, fuel and yes, Walmart. The area is home to local wineries and breweries and also the hometown to actor James Garner. WARNING: Oklahoma State Parks charge a daily parking fee per vehicle of$10 in addition to the camping fee and they enforce it...just saying from experience...read the information carefully! 13101 Alameda Dr, Norman, OK 73026 GPS- 35.234940,-97.219224 for the Little Ax Campground.

Great State Park in Oklahoma

This is our "go to" campground, if we are just going for a weekend we will drive to Lake Thunderbird.  We normally stay at Little Axe on the Outer loop next to the water if we can.  This trip was on the inner loop, $33 a night for electricity and water. Site 30 is really close to other campers, but, gives you a chance to meet others.  Camp Hosts are real nice but they do not like trash being left at the sites.

A little more than $14 dollars a night.

The camp hosts were very nice and so were our camping neighbors. Our site was clean with a good view of the water. Lots of beautiful waterfront spots and we saw people who brought boats to the shore next to their site. We would definitely come back!

Cozy & Beautiful 

Nice showers and beaches

Went from Thursday to Sunday! Thursday camp was very chilly rest of the time wasn’t to bad, but kinda windy! Nice views of lake &amp; dam. Sandy beach area,sandy &amp; walkable around lakes edge. Bathrooms &amp; showers were like new &amp; very clean. Camp host nice. Little axe area

Camping spots

Little Axe Campground is a great Campground.  Bathrooms are new and showers work great and spacious.  Lot of campsites on the water so you can beach your boat.  

Great Campground

Nice campspots as we are passing through Oklahoma, near Norman and restaurants/grocery stores. Quiet with decent shower and bathrooms.

The spot we found was level, but has pulled into the spot next door first and it was not very level. You can't beat the price for $26 a spot for electric. They also don't tack on non-resident fees like some states wish is appreciated. Tourism brings additional money into the state. Thank you!

Quiet spot near the lake

The spots are nice and level in the bathrooms are well maintained. From here you can hop over to some mountain bike trails which will explore tomorrow. There is excellent cell service if you have Verizon so I get to work from here for a few days. Pretty much every spot has a great view of the lake. 
Every spot also has its own seeming little beachfront which is really quite cool. And I have to mention there's a laundromat that's very reasonably priced which I tried to see it earlier if it was here and that wasn't listed.

Traditional lake campground 

Nice little peninsula, watched the sun come up over the water. Quiet and flat camp spot.

Photos of Little Axe — Lake Thunderbird State Park

Real photos from real campers