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Best Tent Camping near Arcadia, OK

317 Reviews
CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

Tent camping options near Arcadia, Oklahoma include several lakeside campgrounds with minimal amenities. Liberty Lake in Guthrie offers secluded tent sites with lake views, fire rings, picnic tables, and vault toilets. Shawnee Twin Lakes provides spacious tent sites with fire pits and concrete picnic tables about 30 miles southeast of Arcadia.

Most tent campsites in the Arcadia area feature packed dirt or grass surfaces with limited development. Liberty Lake campsites provide parking areas adjacent to tent sites but no hookups or running water. Vault toilets or port-a-potties are the standard bathroom facilities, and campers should bring their own drinking water. The Whitetail Trail tent site at North Fork offers lakeside access with more primitive conditions. During severe weather, which is common in this region, tent campers should monitor forecasts carefully as storms can develop quickly.

Tent campers at Liberty Lake enjoy relatively quiet settings with direct lake access. A camper wrote: "The campsites were minimal but had lots of space and were right on the lake." The sites provide good fishing access for bass, catfish and crappie at several locations. Lazy H Alpaca Ranch offers a unique tent camping experience where visitors can set up camp on a working alpaca farm with more privacy than typical public campgrounds. While many sites lack designated swimming areas, the lake access provides cooling opportunities during hot Oklahoma summers. Fall and spring camping offers the most moderate temperatures for tent campers in this region.

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Best Tent Sites Near Arcadia, Oklahoma (9)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Arcadia, OK

317 Reviews of 9 Arcadia Campgrounds

  • William A.
    Dec. 16, 2019

    Lake Stanley Draper

    Primitive but cheap

    the Campground at Lake Stanley Draper is Primitive.  There are no Electric or water at the campground and no dump stations.  They have started to clean the campground up by removing old brush and adding new tent pads, The only restrooms are 2 Porta-Potties at the campground so be prepared for no showers or running water.  Also there are no campfire rings provided and if you want a fire you must bring your own and it must be atleast 4 inches off the ground.  If you visit you must get a permit from the Marina office and call ahead to make sure they are open.  Because this is not on the water of the lake, you will need to drive to fish or boat.  there is alot of road noise so if you are looking for a quite place this may no fit your needs.

  • M
    May. 18, 2025

    Critter Alley — Lake Thunderbird State Park

    Good spot!

    Good little areas. A good amount of space. Not enough if you’re wanting privacy as other camp set ups are close. Some tent sites are handicapped accessible. However some are a steep walk to get down to. Not all, but some have a rocky steep path. Every tent area has a fire pit or some kind and a picnic table which is neat.

  • Melanie W.
    Sep. 30, 2020

    Stroud Municipal Lake

    Small and quite

    It is a nice little campground that has R.V. camping and tent camping. We like camping here because the campsite is next to the shore. There are some nice camping spots under shade trees. When you want to cool off you can just walk from your campsite to the water and get in and cool off. However don't wear white when you go swimming because after you go swimming white cloths turn orange. It does have a swim beach but we like to swim privately at camp. The fishing is pretty good. There is a playground and restrooms with showers. They only have about 25 campsites that are 1st come 1st serve. Getting a campsite near holidays like the 4th of July is almost impossible unless you go days early to get a spot. The campsites have picnic tables, grills and a fire ring. They also have trails for riding horses. Camping with electric is $18.00 Senior citizens (55 and up) and disabled citizens is $15.00 Primitive camping is$8.00

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 28, 2019

    Guthrie Lake

    Tents Only

    In a pleasant change of pace for camping I pulled into this location to check out the options which exist in this region for camping in a tent. Wow was a pleased when I discovered that this location was designed for tents only!!

    The pros were great water access, flush toilets, great parking and access to a self pay station. The cons, completely primitive and the roadway is pretty close to the camping area.

    This location is maintained by the City of Guthrie. They have nice parking lot and boat ramp at this location in addition to a fishing pier. A lot of people choose to pull off into the zone deemed camping however for a more shaded coverage when fishing. With that being said there is still plenty of room to have you own little piece of comfort.

    You are supposed to park and walk in the 100 yards to the campsites however I did notice that locals drive into this area. It is pretty open and the main concern is that you pay for day use or overnight uses.

    There are some scattered picnic tables and trash cans however only one are which has bbq grills and this are is pretty removed from the designated camping zone.

    I noticed when I was visiting a lot of traffic down the access road which wasn’t loud really but could be distracting if trying to relax. The traffic was mainly from the residential area which also surrounds the lake.

    Overall I really liked this area for day use but am not completely sold on it as a camping area.

  • Stephen & Theresa B.
    Jun. 21, 2021

    Little Axe — Lake Thunderbird State Park

    Great State Park in Oklahoma

    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.

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 28, 2019

    Liberty Lake

    Small campground with secluded sites

    Visiting this campground so was expecting similarities between it and the Guthrie Lake campground as they are both maintained by the City of Guthrie. But I was pleasantly surprised as the road turned to packed rock and dirt and started to get more and more remote in appearance. I noticed equestrian crossings and trails and also signs marking arc access points before entering.

    When arriving to the lake itself traffic splits off into one way lanes. You pass a house like structure which serves as a paystation for entry, though when I visited no one was there to accept my money and I didn’t see a self pay area.

    The boat ramp and fishing pier is the first thing you see when entering the park with large parking and easy water access. There are a few picnic tables at this point to enjoy the day use space. Just beyond that a swimming “beach”. This was a little perplexing to me because there was less than a foot of red dirt sand then water which was marked as appropriate. The beach itself was tiny but it was nice to see they had created a space unique to swimming in the area for safety. No also noticed an abundance of naked signs about life jacket safety which I thought was great!

    As you continue to drive away the more commercial day use area there are 7 campsites each with large parking areas, grills, fire rings, picnic tables and plenty of room to spread out in a tent or RV. These sites do not have hook ups but what they lack there they make up for in lake views. Each site had a clear view of he lake and water access only a short distance from your parking area.

    Restrooms are only port a potty units and with recent winds some of these had been knocked over or damaged by tree limbs, so that is something to consider.

    I really liked that this location by far seemed more established than the other city maintained option and also had more privacy overall.

    Tips:

    • Call ahead if you want to stay here on a weekend since there are limited sites and reserve in advance

    • Check weather before traveling, it is very common for bad weather to roll through this area and with all of the trees you want to make sure you are safe.

  • J
    Jun. 8, 2020

    Bell Cow Lake Campground C

    Nice hidden gem

    Had friends come to town with an RV and we decided to do a last minute camp out.

    After finding out all of the RV and tent camping areas around OKC were at capacity we gave Bell Cow Lake a shot and we were not disappointed. We stayed in Camp Area B, Friday night there were a handful of RV spots still available and we were the only tent campers. Saturday a few more tent campers arrived but there was still open sites between us. 

    Our friends in the RV stayed in RV site 1 and we stayed directly across from them in tent site 3. There was some small trash, cigarette butts and such around the site, cans in the fire ring adjacent to us (site 2) but over all it was a nice spot with ample room to put tents. 

    The tent area is on the water with water access through the grass along the shoreline. Swimming was great with a sand bottom once you got past the grass along the shoreline. There were tons of fish hitting the surface in the evening but I was unable to catch any. Each tent site had a table but it either had a fire ring or a grille (alternating) it would have been preferable if each site had both. 

    The bathrooms weren't the cleanest but were what I would probably expect for a camp ground owned by a smaller city. 

    Bell Cow lake may become one of our go to places as it is still within an easy drive from OKC and half the price of the next closest lake to camp at (Lake Arcadia).

    Tent camping is $10 a night, RV is $20. 

    One of the only things we did not like was with the campsite being 2 miles from I-44 you could hear the highway traffic all night and there was not fire wood available to gather or purchase (perhaps in town) so though it is generally frowned upon to bring your own you won't have a fire otherwise.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 2, 2022

    Arcadia Lake

    Very quiet!

    Edmond Park is one of three separate parks around Arcadia Lake; this one has primitive (no hookups) campsites. This park/campground was the quietest of the three we visited; in fact, we did not see any other campers when we were there on a weekday in early May. Of course, this may not be the case on a weekend in the summer! 

    The bathroom facilities are sub-par– dated and not very clean. NO showers.

    This campground would be nice for families as the playground was located centrally and is easily accessible from all sites. 

    There is also a primitive group camping area. 

    There is a swimming beach/day-use area not too far away. 

    There are no hookups in any of the sites here and many of the driveways were short so it would be better for tents or small RVs/camper vans.

  • J
    Jul. 1, 2020

    Lake McMurtry West Campground

    Primitive Camping - Whitetail North/South

    I just spent the weekend in the South camp site but ventured to the North campsite on my way out to look around for a future stay.

    There are no facilities so best to bring your own, or plan on driving out and into the main campground to use the restrooms there.

    North: Large campsite with both tree shaded and open areas, larger access to the water. Area is large enough for multiple vehicles, though only 2 vehicles are allowed to stay at the campsite it would a nice site for others together if they were camping in the nearby primitive sites. Fire ring provided. The main road in isn't bad, but the Y to the North camp site does have a bit of a rock ledge to drop off of and a bit of an off camber section. 

    South: Nice primitive campsite with water access. Plenty of room for a couple of vehicles and tents. Mostly tree shaded with one small area open to direct sun. Fire ring provided. The water access in this site is a path through the grass that grows at the edge of the water, the bottom is sandy. Heard/saw fish hitting the water often was not able to catch any. The road all the way to this camp site isn't bad.

    Should it rain while you are staying in either spot, the roads out could change quite a bit especially due to the sandy soil. The Lake states 4wd is required to stay at the sites and while it's not necessary when dry, I can see it being needed during/after a storm.

    One thing I did not like about the primitive sites is that the hiking/biking trails come right by the campsite within a few feet, so I had people all weekend practically coming into my camp. I prefer primitive for a reason and that is to get away from people not have them coming through my campsite. There is more than enough room between the campsites and the main road to have adequate space between the trail system and the campsites as not to disturb the campers.

Guide to Arcadia

Tent campsites near Arcadia, Oklahoma offer access to multiple water recreation areas within a 30-mile radius. The region features rolling prairie terrain with elevations ranging between 900-1,100 feet, creating variable camping conditions depending on lake proximity. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 90°F from June through September, while spring camping season typically begins in April when overnight temperatures consistently remain above 50°F.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: Liberty Lake provides excellent bass fishing according to campers. One visitor noted, "Great place to take the kids, grandkids to Fish and have fun behind the boat on toys." Bass, catfish, and crappie are common catches at Liberty Lake.

Water recreation: Beyond fishing, boating activities are popular at many area lakes. At Shawnee Twin Lakes, a camper reported, "It was perfect for our boat!! The swimming areas were nice." Some visitors enjoy water skiing on the twin lakes.

Hiking options: The region offers modest trail systems around lake perimeters. A visitor to Shawnee Twin Lakes shared, "We walked and seen some trails ended up spending most of the trip on land." Most trails are unimproved and require appropriate footwear, especially after rain.

What campers like

Lake views: Many tent sites provide direct water access. At Whitetail Trail - North Fork, campers enjoy "Lakeside access, fire pit, clothes hangar, no other campsites nearby, good forest cover, it's great."

Spacious sites: Tent campers appreciate the room to spread out at many locations. A reviewer at Shawnee Twin Lakes mentioned, "Nice, spacious, clean campsites all with fire pits with attached grill! The price per site/night allows for two tents on one site!"

Quiet settings: Several campgrounds offer peaceful environments away from busier public recreation areas. Romulus Lake, approximately 35 miles southeast of Arcadia, was described by one camper simply as "Great camping, lake is great for canoeing or kayaking."

What you should know

Limited facilities: Most tent campsites in this region provide minimal amenities. At Lazy H Alpaca Ranch, visitors should prepare for rustic conditions, though one camper noted, "We camped early Jan and it was cold. Kathy was very friendly and helpful."

Payment systems: Several campgrounds have inconsistent fee collection. A Liberty Lake visitor observed, "We couldn't find a place to pay... but we will check in the morning." Always bring cash for self-pay envelopes if no attendant is present.

Site availability: During peak seasons, the limited number of sites fill quickly. A Liberty Lake review advised, "Call ahead if you want to stay here on a weekend since there are limited sites and reserve in advance."

Tips for camping with families

Playground access: Some locations offer child-friendly amenities beyond water activities. According to one camper at Shawnee Twin Lakes, "There is a playground and picnic pavilion which would be good for families."

Wildlife experiences: Sky Valley Acres provides a unique camping environment described as "Hidden gem tucked away off the main roads, well maintained and peaceful." Several campgrounds offer wildlife viewing opportunities.

Weather preparedness: Oklahoma weather can change rapidly, requiring preparation. A Liberty Lake visitor advised, "Check weather before traveling, it is very common for bad weather to roll through this area and with all of the trees you want to make sure you are safe."

Tips from RVers

Limited hookups: Most tent campsites near Arcadia lack RV amenities, though some accept small recreational vehicles without hookups. Liberty Lake has "large parking areas" at each site but no utilities.

Alternative accommodation options: For those seeking more comfort than tent camping, OK Treehouse offers a unique option. One visitor described it as "Inspiring with all the essentials and luxuries of glamping. Highly recommended!"

Parking considerations: RV access at most sites requires careful navigation. A Liberty Lake camper noted that "The parking lot is bigger than the grass areas you have to work with," highlighting the limited developed camping space compared to vehicle areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Arcadia, OK?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Arcadia, OK is Liberty Lake with a 3.8-star rating from 4 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Arcadia, OK?

TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near Arcadia, OK, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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