Best Equestrian Camping near Chandler, OK

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.

Bell Cow Lake near Chandler. Water hook up and 30 amp. We stayed in "Area B," Campsite #4. Several shady spots. Easy water access.

This area is quieter and less popular than area "C", but it is a little bit more rustic.

The dump location is near the restrooms by the boat dock. It's a little hidden.

There is an older bathroom facility in the center of the RV camping area.

There is a picnic table and a grill at each site.

It's $15 a night for RV, $3 a day for fishing. Permit allows you access to both Bell Cow and Chandler Lake. I think the area is rather heavily fished. Restrictions on size of fish (and number) you can keep. We gave it a good try, (fishing tube, kayak and bank fishing) but we didn't catch anything.

Lake is full of stumps and trees which keeps the boats at a slower speed.

Frequent Chandler police patrols, which we really appreciated.

Area "B" also has several equine trails.

Area "C" is more popular, looks to have better facilities. It also has a fixed corral, and a nicer beach, but it more crowded. Seemed to have less shade.

Here is the TravelOK link.

Here is the Chandler City Lake Info.

Here is the wikipedia entry.

Recommended: Area B. We will be back

Campground C area offers many pull through RV sites and some back-in RV sites, all with electric & water hook ups. There is also equestrian RV sites with pens, tent camping with shared water spigots, primitive tent camping and a dump station. There are miles of equestrian trails. Hiked down one and the trail was very peaceful and beautiful. It had recently rained a lot, so I had a thick layer of red mud on my shoes from the hike, but glad I hiked it. There are bathrooms with showers, a swim beach, a volleyball court, pavilions, a boat ramp, and plenty of wildlife. Lake is calm & shallow, so it is best for small boats and kayaks. There were plenty of flies due to the time of year and the presence of horses, so a good fly swatter and a fly trap is recommended. Found a small cemetery on the drive to the campsite with some very old grave sites. In all, it was a great place to escape from the real world and relax.

Primitive - $8.00

Water & Electric - $15.00 *Senior (65 and over) - $12.00

Water, Electric & Sewer - $20.00 * Senior (65 and over) - $17.00

Pavillion (cove 3) - $25.00 ($10.00 deposit)

Coon Hunter Lodge - $50.00 ($65.00 deposit)

(enclosed pavillion with small kitchen, no bunks)

Boating - One Day/$5.00

(any type of watercraft)

Boating - Yearly/$25.00

Equestrian daily rate - $3.00

Equestrian trails yearly - $30.00 (Jan 1 - Dec 31)

Monthly Camping Fees (Nov 1 - Mar 1)

$400.00 per month (water, electric service only)

$500.00 per month (full service - water, sewer, electric)

Pavillion (cove 1) - $75.00 (6:00a.m. to 10:00p.m,)

Pavillion (Cove 1) - $25.00 (up to 3 hours)

This campground was mostly clean and pleasant for a short weekend trip. We did find a lot of cigarette butts all over our site but other than that it was pretty clean. We camped next to some friends which worked out well because our picnic table was very close to the other people camping next to us. The lake has a little swim beach and the water is a bit dirty like most lakes in Oklahoma. There were bathrooms and showers nearby and they were some of the nicer bathrooms that we have come across. There isn’t a lot of shade so be aware of that. We didn’t get a chance to kayak while we were there because it was extremely hot and then we had a storm roll in but the lake seemed pretty nice for kayaking and other small boats.

It's a small lake in Seminole County Oklahoma a couple miles from the town of Wewoka. It has a small RV campground and some primitive campsites along waters edge. It is always active with jet skiing. It has a swim beach and a few pavilions. The 4th of July festival is popular there and always a big hit. The park entrance is free. There is a small fee for launching boats kayaks are free to launch. The restroom is in the main campground which is bad if your at the swim beach or camping on a tent site because it's a long walk around the cove. The showers have only cold water. During the week there is always campsites. The lake is overcrowded on the weekends and during festivals. It's a Wednesday and not many camping today. It's also a very hot day 104 degrees.