Best Glamping near Checotah, OK

called on June 27th to reserve a cabin for 6, Saturday the 2nd- 4th, At first was told they had no cabins available about 15 min after I made the call John the owner calls me back to tell me they had a cabin that was a 2 room available for theses dates and it was 100 per night and would sleep 6. I said we would like to reserve it. After hanging up called to inform my husband that we got a cabin then remember that I forgot to see if dogs were allowed, so I had to call back to make sure cause I can’t leave my fur babies. When I called it was a young girl that answered and said yes dogs were allowed and proceeded to talk about her 2 little puppies that were in the office with her. When packing and getting everything we needed together on Friday the day before we left we called to make sure the cabin had bedding and towels etc.. the young girl said yes. We get to sparrow resort on Saturday afternoon 2 young girls checked us in gave me a key pointed us in the direction of the cabin we pulled up to a cabin unloading all our stuff and unpacked was at this 2 bedroom cabin for approximately 2hours when John the owner came to this cabin told us we was at the wrong cabin I told them the key unlocked it. They said this was not cabin 2 and the people that reserved it would be up later so we gathered our things and moved to the cabin they said was ours that was next door. OH MY WAS WE LET DOWN. Mind you we have 2adult children myself and husband and 2 teenagers and 4 dogs they put us in a concrete prison that had missing curtains holes around the air conditioning window unit It was dirty holes in the walls. One king size bed a chair and a futon couch one room box. Bedding on bed only with a dirty comforter. For$100 a night not including the float trip. We were let down but determined to make the best of this we went to the store and bought bedding and towels and cleaning wipes. The next morning get up and noticed no one was in the 1st cabin still. So my daughter and I go to the office to get out float paid for and ask if we could get the bigger cabin since no one was in it told them I would pay more for it the little brown haired girl said yes then the other girl with a nose piercing said no it was booked and we should have had to pay a pet deposit of 15 a dog and we needed to pay this fee and was nasty with me. I said I wanted to by one raft and 2 tube rentals she keep saying and 60 pet deposit the brown haired girl rung up the float while the nasty teenager kept repeating and pet deposit the other girl stated stop worrying about the deposit and she kept saying it! The sign read tube float for 4 hours was only$20 and the raft was 25 per person for 4hours she charged us 30 x 6 people to float the 4 mile I said the 20 tube for 4 hours she nasty teen says that for just playing in the water😡 really the sign clearly says 4hour float only$20 and 25 for rafting over 4 people. I ask again about the other cabin the nasty girl said Chelsea and her 2 daughters were staying in it. Really because Chelsea and John the owner were the ones that came to the cabin the day before and Chelsea said she was the cleaning lady and John was the owner. Always we paid our pet deposit and float trip and tried to make the best of this regardless i a grown woman not to be argumentative with a child. This morning comes and we can’t wait to leave we cleaned the crap out of our concrete box prison and went to to office to return our key and get my 60 dollar pet deposit back and the nasty little teen was by herself while we started recording the whole encounter since day prior I ask for my pet deposit she said it don’t work like that I said excuse me you say deposit that means I get my deposit back if no damage was done. John came in and said what do we want he said you want your deposit here thank for staying and goodbye🤯wow what service. The best part the large cabin stayed vacant the entire time. The teenager that was running John’s business will be his downfall she don’t know how to treat people VERY DISRESPECTFUL!!!  Will never be back!!

I don’t normally leave reviews, but my experience at the facility needs to be shared.

I called the number provided and was able to find out info on cabin rentals .  I asked what I would need to bring and a young girl explained just cooking pot and pans.  I asked about a fire pit  since I wanted to have a fire for hot dogs and marshmallows.   Yes there are large pits  was the answer.    Thank goodness I camp on the regular, I’ll explain soon.   She did warn me there are chickens near the cabin I wanted.  Well good, I thought, I wouldn’t miss my  own flock so bad.

Upon arrival, before noon, the office was closed.  I walked back to my truck to get the phone number and saw a truck with a camp logo on it driving by, leaving….   Same young girl answers and says she is heading back to check me in.  I get the key and drive over , get parked, and see the chicken coop, it’s pretty close to the cabin.   The next thing I see is a big fire pit; full of trash!  Flies everywhere!  Well that can be cleaned up, right?   There was chicken poo all over the steps and deck.  That can be cleaned up , right?  So I opened the door, flies and a dank smell hit me hard.  . Nice.    It appeared that the inside had not been cleaned either, sticky stuff on the stove, sink and fridge.  The shower was a joke. There were extension cords running through a sliding window which left a half inch gap just open to the outside…. I plugged that with paper towels I had brought.  There was a king size bed , but the pillows and sheets were stained.   I found dead flies in the fridge as well.          Before I brought anything in, I wiped down all of the surfaces. I spread my sleeping bag out on top of the provided bedding and covered up with a couple of blankets.   I always bring towels as well, I’m glad I did, those are not provided either.    I had also brought T - paper as a precaution,  so glad I did…..       

 I really just wanted to make the best of this and I know it’s hard to keep these river cabins clean so I decided to tough it out.  The next morning, I paid for my float and asked if I could have bags to clean out the fire pit… but then asked if THEY could clean it while I floated, the young girl handed me three trash bags and said “some one was supposed to get that”. I laid the trash bags on a log near the pit so they could be used.     

My float went well and was great fun.  Upon my return to the cabin, the fire pit trash had been burned and a plastic bag was still smoldering!  There were still tin cans and other debris in there, and it stunk!   So , I could not / would not use it for cooking or just lounging around!  Later, I was hungry and decided to use the oven.  When I opened it, there was a skillet with old moldy food in it!   It smelled horrible and I gagged!   I took a pic of the offending skillet and showed it to the other office worker; a lady and her little girl.

She said that she usually is the one that cleans , but she didn’t do this cabin this time.  

She closed the office, called the owner, and removed the offending skillet.  She stated there would be something done….  There was never an offer of compensation of any kind.   My recommendation is don’t stay in the cabins.

The campground as a whole was just worn down and trashy.  The staff were nice but didn’t really seem to want to be there.

Peak Season April 01, 2021- September 30, 2021

First-come, First-served October 01, 2021- November 30, 2021  

All campsites are equipped with electric hookups, and the group shelters have electricity, too. 

flush toilets, hot showers, water hydrants, a swim beach, playground, dump station and a boat ramp complex playground

Lake Tenkiller is an amazing location to scuba dive.  It's waters are clear and cool from a distance of 8 to 28 feet.  A diver will have the opportunity to investigate a sunken airplane fuselage, school bus, helicopter and two boats.  In some areas of the lake divers can see the remains of homesteads.  The underwater terrain ranges from gently sloping hills to rocky cliffs.  The water ranges in depth up to 165 feet.

Tenkiller Ferry Lake is often referred to as "Oklahoma's clear water paradise." The 12,500 acre lake is fed by the Illinois River and the Baron Fork . It is nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in the northeastern part of the state. This area, known as Green Country, is surrounded by dense oak-hickory forests, tall bluffs, and rolling hills. The lake has 130 miles of shoreline with plenty of wildlife such as deer and turkey. It serves as one of the flyways of migratory birds, including bald eagles, common loons, and white pelicans.

Water skiing, boating, fishing, hiking, and swimming and even sailing.  Scuba divers enjoy the lake's high visibility and the beautiful clear waters.  Fish for black bass, white bass, striped bass, crappie and catfish. The trout stream below the dam is one of only two year-round trout fisheries in Oklahoma, and is regularly stocked with rainbow trout. Hunting is also permitted in parts of the lake area, in accordance with federal and state laws. 

Latitude 35° 40' 54.0001" N Longitude 94° 57' 46.0001" W 

Directions:  From Gore, Oklahoma, go 17.5 miles northeast on Highway 100, take the turn left and go 1.5 miles northwest on the paved access road. Follow signs into the campground.

Check-out time: 3:00 pm. Check-in time: 6:00 pm. Quiet hours: 10:00 pm- 6:00 am.

Entrance gate will be closed during this time. 

Grey water and sewage must be properly disposed of in the provided dump station receptacle. 

Don't Move Firewood: Protect your forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. 

Group shelters are for day use only. Fireworks are prohibited. Fishing and hunting are regulated by federal and state laws.

The Trailhead camping area is so-so. You can access the camping areas at the back by driving across the lawn. The spots are quite narrow, so your neighbors are right on top of you. There was a water spigot available but in a neighboring campsite maybe 10 ft from the fire ring, so I had to disturb them to get water, it's just a poor setup.

The bathroom was fine, but the shower was in poor repair, with wood rot and an uneven floor. The cover on the drain was loose and moved if you stepped on it. The showerhead could not be adjusted so it sprayed outside the shower area into the rest of the stall where you would keep your clothing. There was no curtain between the shower and the rest of the stall, either, and combined with the short stall door it was not very private at all. No clothing/towel hooks, the only place to set anything was a narrow window ledge. And it wasn't very clean, either. I got out my camp shower and set it up in my campsite because the provided shower was in such bad shape.

We had several people walk through our campsite during the weekend and plenty of noisy neighbors and barking dogs, so it seemed like people camping here in general are either inexperienced or rude. I've never had those problems so frequently while camping as I had here. If you're looking for a quiet campground to relax in, this isn't it.

The water was lukewarm in the lake, but the weather was hot so it felt ok. That's just Oklahoma in June, for you.

The staff were friendly and helpful, so that was a positive point. My overall impression is that this park is in need of funding for upgrades and maintenance, but the staff is doing their best.

Overall, I probably won't camp here again, there are tons of parks in this area and they are in better shape, with better camping areas.

• April 1 to Oct 30

• 73 sites with electric(50 avail)$20-$24

• Reservation accepted 877-444-6777 or recreation.gov

• Check In 6 pm• Check out 4 pm

 Boat ramp drinking water dump station marina playground flush toilets showers fire pit/grill picnic table pet friendly 

Brooken Cove is blessed with several beautiful water sites. Very impressed with the games that were arranged and on a beautiful well maintained grassy area. They had cornhole, volleyball, horseshoes and many more.

 There are several water sites and most all are good sites. Gates open 6 am close 10 pm Quiet time 10 pm to 6 am Stay 14 consecutive days Don’t move firewood buy locally This is an very nice COE campground and very well maintained all round. It is in a very rural setting and is an area you should plan to stay once you have arrived. Fall colors will be amazing. 

LNT

 Better than when you found it 

Stay safe Happy travels

Our first Oklahoma camping trip lead us to Robbers Cave State Park in the southeastern portion of Oklahoma. It is located on more than 8,000 acres in the San Bois Mountains. The parks claim to fame is outlaws such as Belle Starr, the Dalton Gang, and Jesse James used it as a hideout from the law. This was going to be our first full week of vacation spent in the popup, and our first camping trip outside of Missouri. We selected Robbers Cave State Park for two reasons it’s distance was a little over 4 hours away, and the number of amenities it offered for our 4 year old on our extended outing.   

 The first thing this park did was challenge my perceptions on what the Oklahoma landscape is. This is a park is located in an old growth pine forest, located in the rocky terrain of the Sans Bois Mountains. The park is split in half by Hwy 2 with the east side of the park consisting of the RV campgrounds, cabins, and Belle Starr Lodge. The west side of the park includes Lake Carlton, the equestrian camps, swimming pool, miniature golf, and nature center. This layout was negative in the fact that we could not walk between two sides with my son because of the distance and elevation change, you could rent golf carts if you would like. The positive was that it kept traffic down in the campground from the day use visitors of the park. We booked site 23 in the Old Circle Campground, when booking on the Oklahoma state park website there are no photos of the sites, only short descriptions…sometimes. I will let you know there is a youtube video that someone made driving around the old circle campground. I used this to take a look at our site after booking it.  Site 23 was a pull through site with full hookups located only about 5 feet off the main campground road. This could be a problem if the park was busy and there is a lot of traffic. Lucky for us we were camping through the week and this was not an issue. The site then on the opposite side held our own little secluded spot surrounded by pine trees down a slight slope from camper. We had a fire circle, picnic table, grill, and lantern post. We loved this site for this very reason. I will post pictures of both sides of our site below so you can get a visual. The bathroom and shower house is located in the middle of the old circle loop. The structure is very old and very dated stone structure, where you might find frogs sitting on shower curtains, spiders, and lizards (Those are just the ones that I witnessed). There is a newer shower house located outside of the Whispering Pines campground, next to the campground office and store. If you go to the newer one to take a shower make sure you have some quarters, or some dollar bills, because the showers cost money. Four quarters will get you 6 minutes worth of shower time.   

 When we were not at camp we spent most of our time exploring the west side of the park. We spent two afternoons swimming in Lake Carlton. The designated swim area has a very rocky drop-off for an entrance, but once out it was very nice swimming.  There is a concrete pier that is located along the swim ropes that you can climb up and jump off of. Besides swimming you could rent peddle boats, canoes, and paddle boards to go exploring. There was a pool with two water slides and a splash zone, it is $5 dollars to enter for the entire day. My son also got to play miniature for the first time at the course located next to the pool. One word of warning the golf course is very dated with carpet ripped or completely missing in spots. This did not slow us down at all, it just needs a little work.  They also sell shaved ice at the miniature gold building.    

The Oklahoma Park staff were very knowledgeable, friendly, and willing to answer any of my questions. Also when you get to camp they will give you a schedule of all the events that are going on throughout the week you are staying. We did a hayride that lead us through the park to the stables where there is a petting zoo, we saw the second largest pine tree in Oklahoma, and drank water from anartesian well. They also had a campfire with stories and smores one night, a cane pole fishing class, and even a tour of Lake Carlton by canoe. Just make sure you have cash because each item does cost money. 

The last thing we did before leaving Robbers Cave State Park after our three night stay was to go and search for the outlaws in the cave ourselves. I will give you a spoiler alert, the hiking trail to the cave is steep and rocky with big drop-offs, so be careful with small children. It is a ¾ of a mile trail that my son absolutely loved. He was trying to find the robber that was hiding out. The hike was worth every hair raising nervous parent moment.    

It is a consensus with my family that we will need to return to this park again. It has so much to offer, and we did not even touch on the many miles worth of trails to hike or go for a horseback ride on.  We look forward to our return to continue the exploring and searching for the elusive robbers.