Best Glamping near Chickasaw National Recreation Area

This was the first time we camped in Loop C, which is reserve only. It was in January, so the Loop was about 1/3rd full with mostly RVs. Loop D, first come, first serve, had less campers. RV sites have water & electric & tent sites have shared water. The restrooms were very nice, clean and heated. We stayed at site 81C, which was a challenge to back into because of trees that were close to drive. The pad was fairly level & the picnic table/fire pit pad was separated from the RV pad. I could only imagine how secluded this site would feel with vegetation on the trees. This loop also had many tent sites and all the tent & RV sites are well sized & spaced. Some RV sites closer to the water look like they would be a challenge to level, but most sites have fairly level pads & all sites have very level picnic/fire pit pads for an area that has some generally steep slopes. There was only one lake view RV site in Loop C, 56C, that had the hookups on the side that pointed the front door towards the lake, but all had a gorgeous view from the picnic/fire pit pads. Absolutely love the Chickasaw National Recreational Area because of the many activities this park offers & its history.

I really liked the Point Campground in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. There are great walk-in campsites. They are not far from the parking lot but they have great shade and nice level platforms for your tent. If you have a hammock there are great trees for hanging out.

There are great camper and RV sites with electricity. The bathrooms are modern but could be kept a little cleaner. That is why I didn't give it 5 stars.

The lake is beautiful and there are several campsites along the lake with awesome views. The scenery and hiking trails make this a great stop.

This was our first time staying at the Chickasaw National Recreation Area and we loved it! Our site was wonderful and about 50ft from the water. The site itself was well shaded throughout the day and was fairly surrounded by trees. We noticed nearby campsites were more open and not as shady throughout the day. There were no signs indicating swimming rules but we did swim at this location, as did a few surrounding campers.

We did not fish but heard quite a few fish jumping around in the early morning so there’s no doubt this is a great area for fishermen.

The bathrooms and showers were very clean, which was a really nice surprise!

We hiked the Bromide Hill and Bison Overlook trails for some really nice views. Nearby swimming areas at Little Niagara and Travertine Creek were very packed during the day, so we only visited during the early morning when the water was very cold.

Beautiful area, just be sure to bring water shoes!

 We've never been to Chickasaw National Recreation Area so I tried to reserve a site online but they were ALL booked (Memorial Day Weekend). We drove down Thursday night to try to snag a FCFS site. We drove first to Buckhorn but almost every site was full. This seems like the popular grounds for campers with kids. A bit active for our taste so we made the 30 minute drive over to The Point expecting the same. We found all of the tent sites at The Point were empty. I don't know why, the energy was much calmer and quieter. We walked around to found the best site for us. By Friday night the RV sites were all full but there were only a few other tent campers. On the topic of RV’s… The generator hours are 7AM-9AM, 7PM-9PM. We didn’t hear a single generator over our 4 days there. 

The tent sites are walk-in, not too far from the parking spots. Each are pretty secluded and quiet until Saturday when one of the tent sites decided to play their music loud enough for half of the grounds to hear all day long. There is NO cell or internet signal other than one sweet spot by the bathrooms, so you may get a surge of texts and missed call notifications while you're doing your business. 

The grounds are very well kept, bathrooms clean, roads clear, and minimal trash at the sites. The timed showers are solar heated and the water temp was pleasant. 

When the sun starts setting the wildlife start to appear. 3 deer passed right by our campsite with no fear. And I watched a family of squirrels having a good day in a tree we had our tarp tied to. We’ll be going back to experience all of the touristy stuff that we missed due to last minute planning.

I spent a very relaxing week at The Point Upper Campground at the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. Because my reservation was for seven days, I didn't have a very good choice of sites, but mine was clean, level and had good utilities.  The dump station was easily accessible. Only one complaint is that the wash out hose did not have a threaded hoses connection to attach to my tank flush on my trailer. No big deal, but it would have helped. The Park Service personnel kept the area clean and mowed and had a very good presence in the campground. I checked in on a Sunday and was pretty much alone except for one other site near me until Friday evening when the place filled up QUICK. I'm glad that I checked out the next morning because it was really busy with traffic, kids in the road having fun, and lots of background noise. The Main area of the Rec Area is right off of the main thoroughfare in Sulphur OK where there is a nature center, trails, waterfalls and great swimming holes on the creeks. The Bison herd was in the East pasture and was easily accessible from the Veterans Trail. The herd is small now, but they were expecting some "red dogs" and mamas in the next few days when I was there. Glad to have a new bison herd in Oklahoma. 

The Point Campground is close (5 miles) to fuel, groceries, beer, ice and of course a Wal-Mart. I would recommend this campground. There are several others in CNRA too, and the whole experience is worth the cost of the campsite. Be sure to visit the Nature Center Area, it is located near the waterfalls and creeks. A good side trip, along with the Bison Herd nearby.

Chickasaw National Recreation Area- Buckhorn Area Oklahoma. 

Site 36 Loop B 

Continuing our late spring journey west…we ventured to Chickasaw NRA. 

Stopping in at the beautiful Visitor’s Center at the edge of town, those that assisted us at the information were extremely gracious and helpful, having never visited before. Taking their advice we travelled 7.5 miles south on Rt 177 and turned west on Buckhorn until arriving at the Buckhorn Area campground loops off to the south. 

Anxious to get out of the car, we settled too quickly on Site 36 Loop B before surveying the three other Loops. There are some really nice and spacious sites out there…especially on C and D. Site 36 Loop B is located amidst six other sites in an open area on Lake of the Arbuckles. Upon setting up camp, we were the solitary campers in Loop B(Tuesday night mid-June) other than the host. 

Later, another family arrived choosing a nearby lakefront site. It should be noted that this is a busy lake. Powerboats raced from end to end like today was their last day on earth and their choice of blaring music may not be to your liking. So it is not always quiet and tranquil. Pretty popular with the fishermen as well. I witnessed a lot of fishing but not a lot of catching. Once the power boaters, personal watercraft and tubers call it a night, lake of the Arbuckles is supremely tranquil. 

The lake was as warm as bath water on June 15th, which was surprising…days were 90’s with nights in the 70’s and cloudless skies. 

Personally, I would choose a more shaded site if we were to spend more than one night. Each Loop B site had a level gravel horseshoe shaped pad. Tents must be within that area. 

• Each site has a grated fire ring, a lantern pole and a movable picnic table. Tent sites were clearly marked. 

• Numerous lakefront sites are in a cleared area below the shower house/restrooms and Check-In kiosk…each are visible from the other we no understory or foliage to provide privacy. Those nestled in the woods along the outside perimeter offer much more privacy.

• Water spigots are sporadically spaced for easy access in the“primitive” loops.

• Electric/water sites obviously offer those amenities are a bit deeper, more spacious and some have two parking spots. Most of those on Loop D were taken.

• The loops are separated substantially so that other campers are not seen nor heard from loop to loop. Surprisingly, I could not even locate trails that led from loop to loop.

• Shower-house/restrooms were very clean and well stocked. Loop B had one shower for the entire loop in both men’s and women’s restrooms…as well as one family shower between the two. On our visit the electrical outlets were not working in the restrooms. Facilities are modern and showers are warm and on a push button timer to conserve water.(men’s-2 sinks/2-stalls, 1-standup, 1-shower)

• Milton, Our Loop B host, was a pleasant gentleman that was a full time RVer and very knowledgeable of the area.

• The Check-In Kiosk(located in each loop) was an easy, painless affair IF you have a credit card.

• Multi-use trails are aplenty in various parts of the NRA. Some lead you by bison, others to waterfalls, and some simply through serene forest. The terrain is undulating so be prepared…especially by bicycle.

• Traveling north on 177 there is a Bison Viewpoint trail, and if the bison cooperate you’ll be rewarded.

• Several springs and 1930’s CCC built dams exist creating small waterfalls and refreshing swimming holes on many. There are some springs that are posted“no swimming.” The Travertine Nature Center is also worth a visit providing numerous wildlife dioramas and several live exhibits. NP Rangers possess great knowledge and eager to answer any park questions.

• Dump station turnoff is 9/10 and 7/10 of a mile from thr campground entrances Primitive campgrounds also exist near the numerous falls and Travertine River closer to the city of Sulphur. Campsites appeared close to the park roadway as we traveled toward the Nature Center.

• All in all, a wonderful park that needs several days to fully explore.