Searching for a place to camp with your dog near Elgin? Finding a place to camp in Oklahoma with your dog is easier than ever. You're sure to find the perfect pet-friendly campsite for your Oklahoma camping excursion.
Located just 25 miles northeast of Lawton, the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge was established in 1901 to help preserve and provide habitat for native bison, Rocky Mountain elk, white-tailed deer, and wild turkeys. It is one of the oldest wildlife refuges in the United States, and consists of nearly 60,000 acres of natural grasslands, small lakes and river bottoms. Today, it is home to more than 50 species of mammals, 240 varieties of birds, 100 reptiles, amphibians and fish, and more than 800 types of plants. Visitors are invited to discover and observe many of these unique species by exploring the refuge’s Visitor Center and 15 miles of nature walks and hiking trails. There are also interpretive programs and guided tours available for learning about everything from the refuge’s wildflowers to its seasonal eagle population.
Visitors to the refuge are invited to stay in the Doris Campground, located near Quanah Parker Lake. This year-round campground offers a total of 90 campsites, ranging from drive-in tent and RV sites with electrical hookups, to more primitive, walk-in tent sites. There are also two group campsites, and a few ADA accessible sites. Sites are mostly wooded, and equipped with picnic tables, fire pits and cooking grills. Amenities include both flush and vault toilets, a shower building, water faucets, and waste receptacles; a dump station is available near the campground entrance. Backcountry camping is available in the Charons Garden Wilderness Area. Dogs are welcome on the refuge, but must remain leashed. Campsites are available first-come, first-serve only; rates are $8–$20/night.
Worn by time and nature, the Wichita Mountains loom large above the prairie in southwest Oklahoma___a lasting refuge for wildlife. Situated just outside the Lawton/Ft. Sill area, Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge preserves approximately 60,000 acres of mixed grass prairie, ancient granite mountains, and fresh water lakes and streams for the benefit of wildlife and the American people. Best known for its roaming herds of bison, longhorn, and Rocky Mountain elk, Wichita Mountains also offers quality opportunities for wildlife dependent recreation including fishing, bird watching, wildlife photography, hiking, camping, and kayaking. __
Doris Campground is a recreational hub for visitors to the Wichita Mountains. Situated along the shoreline of Quanah Parker Lake, it___s a stone___s throw away from quality fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and hiking. Campers can toss a line in the water or start up the Little Baldly trail for a picturesque hike. The Visitor Center, additional trails, and notable features like Mt. Scott are just a few miles down the road.__
Doris Campground is a recreational hub for visitors to the Wichita Mountains. Situated along the shoreline of Quanah Parker Lake, it___s a stone___s throw away from quality fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and hiking. Campers can toss a line in the water or start up the Little Baldly trail for a picturesque hike. The Visitor Center, additional trails, and notable features like Mt. Scott are just a few miles down the road.__
Explore ancient granite mountains. Find yourself in a cedar forest. Dare to discover wide open spaces and fresh water lakes meant to support wildlife like the American bison and Rocky Mountain elk. Fish. Hike. Photograph. Immerse yourself in the wild.
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge encompasses roughly 60,000 acres. Doris Campground is centrally located allowing visitors opportunities to explore all areas of the refuge with a short drive. Head up Mount Scott or hang out at Prairie Dog Town. Bring your fishing pole, a set of binoculars, or your camera. The possibilities are endless.
This location has limited staffing. Please call (580) 429-3222 for general information.
$40 / night
Lake Lawtonka has two campgrounds. East Campground and Robinson's Landing
No Reservations
Lake Ellsworth has 5 campgrounds. Edgewater Park, Chandler Creek, Ralph's Resort, East side of the Lake Ellsworth Dam, Colliers Landing
No Reservations
$10 - $30 / night
Formerly Red Rock Canyon State Park, this park is now privately owned Red Rock Canyon Adventure Park, as of November 2018.
$12 - $38 / night
Ten campgrounds with RV and tent sites are spread out over a large area of Fort Cobb Lake. There are 34 full-hookup sites with water, sewer and electric (modern), 245 sites with water and electric (semi-modern) and 99 tent (primitive) sites. Comfort stations with toilet facilities and showers are nearby.
Sunset Bay Marina on the East side of the lake features a gas dock, a small convenience store with drinks and snacks, boat slips and watercraft rentals. Fort Cobb Lake Store on the West side offers RV storage and a convenience store with groceries, snow cones, and a wide selection of bait.
Three group picnic pavilions with grills, water and electricity as well as a community building for groups, family gatherings, or intimate weddings. The air-conditioned and heated community building is equipped with a full service kitchen, inside bathroom and seating for up to 150 guests. An enclosed shelter with a screened porch great for small groups or family gatherings with seating for up to 50 guests is located on the West side in Eagle’s Nest campground. A stove, sink, and refrigerator are provided.
The 18-hole Fort Cobb Golf Course at the park has a diverse play area and is perfect for both the beginner and the avid golfer.
$16 - $38 / night
Ranger
Spent one night here. Pretty much right on the Tom Steed reservoir so fishing and boating is an option. Space was fairly level and had both electric and water. $25 per night. They do give a small senior discount. Standard park restrooms and showers. All the sites had picnic tables and firings. Great hiking trails nearby also. We were there on a weekend and it was pretty full.
Ranger
The only reason I didn’t give this park five stars is it it’s right next to the interstate so there was quite a bit of freeway noise. Other than that the park is very well kept and maintained. The camp hosts were super nice. The bathrooms and showers were awesome. Full hook ups for a back in site for $40 per night. For being a RV park, the spaces were napart from each other. not right on top of each other like some parks are. This park also looks to have several full-time or seasonal residents.
Scout
It's a good little spot on the edge of town to go eat lunch, do some thinking, or fish for fun. Around the holidays it lights up and is just an all around good place to go for free
GuideBeautiful. Well worth it
Traveler
The roads a little rough but it’s free with great views
ScoutNot a terrible mini spots of quality and there are permits involved which prices have changed since I went the water level is not as high as it was and there is a lack of proper upkeep
Guide
Wonderful spot. We stayed for 3 nights, view of Mount Scott was amazing. Had our 2 golden retrievers with us and they loved the lake. Lots of fun! Be sure to take a drive out mount scott and check out the parallel forest!
RangerOur April stay was great, used it as a base camp for the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.
Our site was a pull thru with FHU. This time of year, the campground was maybe 33% full. Staff was great, the grounds are clean. Very windy at times, probably normal for the area. I'd stay again.
Guide
Campground is getting a upgrade with concrete pads, we were on gravel, EZ in and out pull throughs.Full hook up 30 and 50 amp, did our laundry there ,nice place ,close to the hwy.
Legend
What a cool place in the middle of a flat area of OK. The guys at the check in office were super nice. Our campsite was clean and within a reasonable walking distance to the bathroom. Showers are individual stalls, but separate from the toilet section of the bathhouse. The park is fun to explore and the camping areas are broken up so that you don’t feel crowded. Would definitely return here again if in the area.
ScoutIt's all good
TravelerClean restrooms, nice campground
Legend
Doris CG, Wichita Mnts, OK: This park was a pleasant surprise. The hiking was splendid and much better than expected. The visitor center deserves at least an hour of time. Fabulous. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(71 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)
Overall Rating: 4 for the scenery, and bathroom cleanliness. General layout of campsites is a bit of a minus.
Price 2023: $ 11 for non electric w interagency pass
Security: Not at night
Usage during visit: Full during spring break
Site Privacy: Open sites. Some back up to each other. Our site, 9 backs up to #7.
Site Spacing: varies - the map in photos is pretty representative
Pad surface: blacktop
Reservations: Yes
Campground Noise: A bit noisy during this spring break week.
Outside Road Noise: None. Some campsites back up towards the campground access road. I would rather have one of these sites than any inner loop site I saw.
Through Traffic in campground: No
Electric Hookup: E loop
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: Yes
Potable Water Available: Yes, near the pit toilets.
Generators: Allowed
Bathroom: New and clean pit toilets in most loops . Whoever cleans the pit toilets has high cleanliness standards. . . E-loop has flush toilets. The sinks and toilets were very clean .
Showers: Near E Loop. Fairly clean after a busy weekend.
Pull Throughs: I didn’t see any
Cell Service (AT&T): No bars at Campground. 2 bars outside of visitor center
Setting: In an oak Forest.
Recent Weather: 70s downtown 30s
Solar: Yes, but when trees leaf out, the solar will still be available in most sites but not as great.
Host: Not in all loops
Rig Size: E loop has some larger rigs.
Sites: I don’t particularly like the sites on the inside of the loops. Water view sites are circled on the map. I would be happy with these. Best sites in Loop A: 1, 2, 5, 10, 11, 13, 15. E63 is the only site I liked in the electric loop. A 7&9 are not good sites as far as privacy from each other.
Legend
Great spot to see some wild life and check out the Witicha mountains.
TravelerLoved this park. Spectacular views. No neighbors this time of year. Nestled in a canyon of red, walnuts, creek, trails. Just perfect.
LegendDoris is in the middle of Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge, there is zero cell phone service but we got our Starlink to work perfectly. We stayed in 40c which had no hookups but was an enormous site with lots of privacy. Fairly level site, concrete table, huge fire pit and grill. Spots are very well maintained and this site backs up to Lake Quanah Parker. Little Baldy trail can be hiked directly from the campground. New shower and bathroom house.
100% will be back. Fantastic educational visitors center. You MUST drive up Mt Scott but it’s scary. Wonderful short hikes.
Free roaming bison, longhorns, wild Turkey, etc.
TravelerI love coming here. So beautiful. Never busy a great place to take the dog and just go for a walk or take your ATV and just go off roading or just go for a swim. Trust me you'll enjoy it
Traveler
They have really cleaned up this site. It was quite and clean. Beautiful place with great fishing.
Scout
Easy to book, camp host messaged us when the site was ready and gave us directions on how to get hooked up The host also sent us photos and info on things to do close by. very quiet campground, kid’s play area (our boys played at it as much as they could), trees helped keep us cool outside, grass was a little tall for my liking, but there has been storm, after storm, after rain in this area lately so that’s expected. Very nice fire pit, firewood was set up and ready to make campfire and more firewood was available if we needed it. Overall, perfect for our quick, weekend family getaway!
Scout
It has multiple camping sites. Camp 4 is a better camping area. It has a newer shower,more campsites,clean bathrooms,grills to cook on.
LegendCamped in site 36, loop C, mid-May. Large campsite; lots of trees. Short path behind site leafs to Quanah Parker Lake. No connections. Water pump nearby; water was good quality. Restroom/shower house located at beginning of loop. Other restrooms were closed for renovation. The restroom/shower house is old & needs updating. Campsite was clean. Firewood available near campground entrance. Excellent hiking opportunities nearby. Separation between sites in this loop is good but little privacy. Campground host was friendly & helpful. Enjoyed staying in this old campground & exploring the refuge. Little to no AT&T and T-Mobile service.
GuideMy visit to Red Rock Canyon left me awe-inspired and exhilarated! From the moment I stepped foot into the park, I was greeted by the mesmerizing beauty of the red rock formations, captivating greenery, and clean rivers.
What truly sets this park apart is the wide range of activities available for all adventure enthusiasts. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced rock climber, Red Rock Canyon offers something for everyone.
LegendStayed in April in the Otter Creek section. Almost empty. It is scenic next to a lake. Electric and water hook up. Coin showers.
GuideVery nice national park. Very clean. Lots of animals to see. Gentlemen at the gate was very knowledgeable and had all of the information about the park.
GuideThis place was such a disappointment. I don't often pay for campsites that aren't inside a National Park, but this place looked so pretty and it was in the location I needed.
I should start by saying that if you book an RV spot (I think they cost around $30) and whatever you're staying in has a toilet, your experience will probably be a lot better than mine. Although very close together, the RV sections seemed fairly nice.
My experience, however, was a little different (if you don't want to read all about my experience & just want the basics, scroll down to the section "the campground"):
I booked my tent site ($20) on their website a few hours before I arrived. I arrived well before sunset, and there was a sign up that said the office closed at sunset. No one was in the office and there was another sign that indicated they would return at 10AM. This wasn't a big deal.
When I booked my site online it told me to select an area (there's three different sections of the park), and then once I arrive I could choose any available campsite. I chose the Walnut Grove area. They have a map on their website showing the areas where there is tent camping. What they fail to mention on their site, is that there isn't any obvious parking for most of these sites in the Walnut Grove area. A couple of the campsites on the map were in what was signed to be a "day use only" area, a couple of the sites on the map looked like walk-in sites, but I had no clue where to park my vehicle, a couple of the sites I just couldn't find, and most of the sites were on the main road that goes through the canyon and had no obvious place to park (I looked for dead or trodden grass near the sites to give me a sign that people were just parking in the grass & didn't see any.) Also, at first it was hard to distinguish between which sites were day use picnic sites and which were campsites, because the website told me the campsite area I chose didn't have fire rings.
I finally decided to just pull onto the grass, but I noticed that multiple campsites had trash at them (most likely from guests using the park during the day). Nearby a dumpster was overflowing with trash, and I eventually saw that every section had one or two dumpsters either filled to the brim or overflowing.
I decided to stop off at the toilets in the Walnut Grove area. To get there you cross a wooden bridge that has wood planks laying over the original structure, which seems a little hazardous for navigating after dark. I could smell the bathrooms (an actual running water bathroom) from the bridge, not a great sign, but it appeared to be coming from the men's. In the women's side were two spiders the size of my palm, one in each stall. (Yes, I am afraid of spiders. In most circumstances I can get over it, but a spider of this size, that didn't seemed particularly frightened by my presence, hanging out close by while I sat on a toilet was a little too much for me in this moment.).
Between the frustration of trying to find a campsite/parking, the overflowing trash, the horrible smelling bathroom, the giant spiders, and the trash at the campsites, I finally decided to check out another area. Despite finding another overflowing dumpster, this area was a little better. The campsites were on a gravel loop, with a cleaner, but still not great bathroom at the front of the loop. At this point, I was hungry, tried, and frustrated, so I just stayed there. The office was still closed when I left in the morning.
I'm not a particularly fussy camper. I don't mind picking up a little bit of trash at a campsite. I frequently camp in areas that don't have toilets or any amenities. But when I pay $20 to camp in a tent, I do expect to have the campsites, the toilets, and the overall campground maintained and cleaned to some acceptable degree.
The campground: You drive down a short, but steep and curvy hill to get into the canyon. The red rocks of the canyon wall give off a pretty glow, especially when the sun is lower in the sky. The park is labeled into three different sections; if you are tent camping I would advise going for the first campground called Canyon Campground. Also, unless you're concerned about it filling up, I would go down and look at the areas before booking one. There are three bathrooms with running water throughout the canyon; the toilets themselves look clean, but the bathrooms as a whole don't; also lots of bugs and a couple large spiders inside. There was trash at many of the campgrounds and most of the dumpsters were overflowing with trash.
The area: If you are coming from highway 40 you'll pass through a small town that has a Sonic and a local restaurant or two. Watch your speed here, there was a police officer every time I drove by. Otherwise there's not much nearby.
Booking: You can book online, but they did have envelopes & a drop box by the front office.
Cell service: I could call out, but couldn't text or use internet.
TravelerDoris Campground is a cool little campground nestled in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. There are multiple areas to camp at Doris. The easiest way to reserve a site is to goto Recreation.gov and book online (This may be the only way, a lot about the booking process has changed in the last few years) There are two main campground areas with decently spaced but also high site density just past the information hut / entrance to the campground. A is immediately on the right after the entrance, it's a non electric loop and I believe (C?) is on the left just after the A loop with a loop of electric sites. There are also primitive campsites for tents further down the road and lake sites, as well as some more isolated sites spread throughout the campground and group camping areas. There are quite a few trees in the campground, but you can also see the sky fairly well. There are restroom buildings scattered throughout the campground and several shower areas. The campsites are almost all back in if you have a rig. There is zero cell phone reception, even with a booster. Many of the rig campsites have some sort of bench / picnic table and fire rings. There is a ton of wildlife in the area, and it is very peaceful.
Legend
Ashley here with The Dyrt. We are happy to give a warm welcome to this host and are thankful to them for opening their property up to campers! These sites offer views of wildlife and are so peaceful. Fort Cobb Lake is nearby where you can fish, swim, kayak and more! Give them a try and leave them some love!
Discover the best spots for pets-allowed camping near Elgin, Oklahoma, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Elgin, OK?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Elgin, OK is Camp Doris with a 4.5-star rating from 40 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 34 dog-friendly camping locations near Elgin, OK, with real photos and reviews from campers.
