We're here to help you find where to go horse camping in Fort Gibson Lake. Equestrian camping is the best way to experience nature. You're sure to find the perfect site for your Oklahoma horse camping excursion.
Head to Chicken Creek Campground for tons of fun on Tenkiller Ferry Lake. As one of the most popular campgrounds on the lake, Chicken Creek boasts modern facilities, impressive vistas, convenient access to boating and plenty of opportunities to view wildlife. It's no wonder why so many campers return each year.
Water skiing, boating, fishing, hiking, and swimming are some of the activities enjoyed by visitors. Prevailing winds and secluded coves create an ideal environment for sailing. Scuba divers enjoy the lake's clear waters and high visibility. Fishing is good 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.
Tenkiller Ferry Lake is often referred to as "Oklahoma's clear water paradise." The 12,500 acre lake is sourced by the Illinois River and the Baron Fork, which are both designated as Oklahoma Scenic Rivers. 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.
Visit the Tenkiller State Park for its nature center and scuba diving park, the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge near Vian, or the historic city of Tahlequah - the capital of the Cherokee Nation. The scenic upper Illinois River near Tahlequah is great for canoeing and rafting, and the lower Illinois near Gore offers prime trout fishing.
$50 / night
Welcome to our KOA, a green oasis only 3/4 mile off I-40, with long, level, shaded Pull-Thru RV Sites, Deluxe and Camping Cabins, a tiny house and large, grassy Tent Sites. You'll find fast, streamable, and secure free Wi-Fi and great satellite reception. Enjoy the pool, jump pad, walking trails, fishing pond, playground, gaga ball pit, box hockey, washer toss, volleyball and Kamp K9. The rec room has a kitchen, treadmill, board games, books, puzzles, and a 50-inch TV/DVD player with movies. Make this KOA your base camp while you discover all the area has to offer, including restaurants, antique stores, Native American history, casinos, farmers' markets, train rides, all while just 25 miles from Fort Smith, Arkansas. Explore the beautiful Ouachita or Boston mountains, Robert S. Kerr Reservoir or Lake Tenkiller, where hiking, biking, boating, scuba diving and fishing are plentiful. We also fill propane tanks mounted on RVs or portables from 20#-100#! Pool: May 20 - October 1. Max pull thru: 90 feet. Your hosts: the Maust family.
$42 / night
Hawthorn Bluff is located on Oologah Lake in northeastern Oklahoma, less than 30 miles from Tulsa. The lake provides an ideal getaway for fishing, boating, picnicking and camping. Prevailing winds make Oologah one of the most popular lakes in the area for sailing.
Oologah Lake is a prime location for boating, sailing, water skiing and swimming. Several recreation areas with boat ramps and docks are scattered around the lake, including at Hawthorn Bluff. Fishing is a very popular activity. Black bass, crappie, paddlefish, channel and blue catfish, walleye and hybrid striped bass are the primary sport species found in the lake. Young anglers love the Kid's Sun, Fun and Fishing Derby Day held annually in June. The forested hills of the Oologah Wildlife Management Area provide excellent hunting opportunities, with nearly 13,000 acres open to the public.
Oologah Lake sits on the Verdigris River with a surface area of nearly 30,000 acres. Over 200 miles of shoreline are dominated by old-growth post oak and blackjack oak forests, which provide habitat for a variety of wildlife and birds, including deer, turkey, rabbits, quail, squirrels, ducks, geese and doves.
Dog Iron Ranch, the birthplace of Will Rogers, is nearby. The ranch is a living history museum featuring Rogers' two-story post-Civil War birth home, educational programs, picnic areas and a 400-acre pasture on the lake shore with Texas Longhorn cattle and other livestock. The ranch is open year-round.
$10 - $50 / night
Blue Creek is located on Oologah Lake in northeast Oklahoma, about 45 miles from Tulsa. The lake provides an ideal getaway for fishing, boating, picnicking and camping. Prevailing winds make Oologah one of the most popular lakes in the area for sailing.
Oologah Lake is a prime location for boating, sailing, water skiing and swimming. Several recreation areas with boat ramps and docks are scattered around the lake. Fishing is a popular pastime. Black bass, crappie, paddlefish, channel and blue catfish, walleye and hybrid striped bass are the primary sport species found in the lake. Young anglers love the Kid's Sun, Fun and Fishing Derby Day held annually in June. The Will Rogers Country Centennial Trail stretches 18 miles from Blue Creek Park to the Spillway. This scenic path winds around the east side of the shore and is open to hikers and horseback riders. The forested hills of the Oologah Wildlife Management Area provide excellent hunting opportunities, with nearly 13,000 acres open to the public.
Oologah Lake sits on the Verdigris River with a surface area of nearly 30,000 acres. Over 200 miles of shoreline are dominated by old-growth post oak and blackjack oak forests, which provide habitat for a variety of wildlife and birds, including deer, turkey, rabbits, quail, squirrels, ducks, geese and doves.
Dog Iron Ranch, the birthplace of Will Rogers, is nearby. The ranch is a living history museum featuring Rogers' two-story post-Civil War birth home, educational programs, picnic areas and a 400-acre pasture on the lake shore with Texas Longhorn cattle and other livestock. The ranch is open year-round.
$50 / night
GRDA Scenic Rivers Operations maintained access areas can be used for picnicking, fishing, swimming, floating and camping: https://grda.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Illinois-River-Guide-and-Map-2022-DRAFT-5.pdf
• Camping is $14 per night. This fee is per camp site with no more than one adult tent and one child tent and two vehicles. • One site with electric (110 volt, 20 amp), at Round Hollow
Public Access Area, $28 per night. Fees are collected on site by GRDA Scenic Rivers Operations Staff and at the Scenic Rivers Office. Several access areas are alcohol-free, meaning alcohol cannot be consumed in the area. These areas are marked on the enclosed map.
$14 / night
You must fill out an online RV Registration Form to obtain permission from a Birthplace Ranch Employee or authorized Will Rogers Memorial Museums Designee for a reservation. Please allow at least 1 day notice.
Guide
Great camp ground, pleanty of shady spots. Would have given 5 stars, but they are limited on sites with 50amps. Showers were in rough shape as well
Guide
This place is a casino and a dog track. Very busy place- the office called us to get an idea on our ETA. Told us where to park to get our paperwork. It’s a bit confusing coming in but we hooked up with someone on a golf cart who took us right to our site. Nice and long for our 40’ motorhome and truck. Didn’t check out any of the amenities. Lots of restaurants close by.
Legend
This was our second stop at the KOA in Fort Smith AR. They have many improvements since out last stay. The campground is convenient to I-40. It’s far enough away to not have traffic noise. The sites are level, there is a pool, Propane, fishing pond, and camp store. Also hiking trails. Also some tent sites. There is a whole new section for Class A and large 5th wheel campers now. The are located behind a highway department facility, and last visit the smell of the treated power line poles was overwhelming. No problem this time. This is one of the few campgrounds I’ve been to that have a storm shelter!
RangerSpent one night at this campground. Grounds were clean, restrooms and showers were also clean. The check in office was inviting and pleasing. We didn’t use the laundry facility while we were there, but they are available should the need arise. Bathrooms were locked and secure and passcode was required to enter. Passcode was provided upon check in. Our site was a pull through level gravel pad with full hookups. The off leash dog park was a small fenced in area with a couple of benches. Horse track and casino were well within walking distance from the camp sites. Quiet location, just off the highway. Highway could not be heard from inside our camper.
Guide
We stayed here for two weeks we stayed on the north end which has a private shower house. We caught some catfish right off the rock peer. It is close to Hwy 51 but you really can’t tell. Gate keepers were wonderful and very helpful I saw some old oyster mushrooms all over the place possibly some lions mane 💓 I had a great time. Bait and a Dollar General were right down the road. The only thing is we were told that the lake would be low for the next two years for reconstruction of the dam. Because of the low water you can walk very far into the water from where we we’re staying. The north side we were on will close for the winter soon. I do advise having a water filter system on your rig we Will totally be returning anytime of year because this COE stays open all year. Two dump stations!
GuideWe didn't know what to expect. This place has absolutely everything you could need. Full Hookups, level sites (mostly gravel but level), shop with souvenirs and RV gadgets. The office also has a gameroom, pantry, and propane. We didn't get to use the playground area this visit as pool and hot tub were closed for the year. They also have normal cabin rental and tiny home rentals that were perfectly positioned around campground and fishing pond. My only complaint would be that the sites are really compact. Plenty of room for your RV but so close that you can hear and smell your neighbors. Nearby Walmart and restaurants were handy.
GuideI was here last week and stayed Tuesday - Friday and had a great time. I came back, this week in a better spot and here M-F. Saw some really interesting paw prints and found a bunch or fish skeletons. One was an Alligator Gar and the rest were catfish of different types. I would recommend the campsite to anyone. Is quite, nice and well kept.
GuideThe campsite itself wasn’t the best but the whole experience was amazing. The weather was beautiful, water was warm, and the sounds of the highway was soothing.
Scout
The parking lots are level and the WiFi worked well. However only one shower was working and the two toilets are not enclosed. It was okay for the one night that we stayed but we won't go back.
GuideWe stayed here for a week after we got our rv for the first time.
RangerGreat location with easy access. Sites were good size and folks were friendly.
We only stayed one night passing through OK.
We’ll stay again!
Legend
General: Blue Creek is one of four campgrounds operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers on Oologah Lake (the others are Spencer Creek, Red Bud, and Hawthorn Bluff). It is divided into three sections: one with electric hookups (Sites 14-35) and two without (Sites 1-11 and 36-61, with Sites 54-61 that can be used as a group area). On a weekday in early May, the section with electric was full but we had the section with sites 36-61 entirely to ourselves. Sites 1-11 are good for boaters as they are near the boat ramp, however, the sites are not as well delineated (the picnic tables have the site numbers on them and cars park wherever). Since COVID, reservations are required but as with all other CoE campgrounds, the fees are extremely reasonable ($20 for electric,$16 for non-electric and half-price for seniors).
Site Quality/Facilities: It is often impossible to determine the best site when reserving but after arriving, we discovered that Site 55 was not going to work for us. It had a very short sloping half-circle drive and after 10 minutes of maneuvering, it was obvious there was no way we were going to be level. It was also rocky so it would be challenging for tents. This site is the furthest away but near the spot where many fish so it will not be as quiet as you might expect. Fortunately, we were able to switch sites (no one else was there!) and Site 42 was much better and like many others, had a large semi-circular drive. Many sites had a covered concrete pad with a large concrete picnic table, utility table, and lantern hook. There was a dump station, but it was coned off when we were there; we did not need it so I did not ask when/if it would be available.
Bathhouse: The sections without electricity have vault toilets, which were clean, but the flush toilets/showers are within a reasonable walking distance. These were very clean. Soap but bring your towel.
Activities/Amenities: Aside from fishing and boating, there are many activities you can enjoy here including volleyball, horseshoes, bean bag toss, and basketball. When the gate attendant is there, you can check out supplies for these activities. There is also a hiking trail. We saw a few people kayaking. Horses are allowed in the group camping section (Sites 54-61).
Perhaps it is because we had an entire section to ourselves, but we had a relaxing and peaceful stay here and would definitely return.
Guide
Great location with lots of shade. Also, very close to the playground. Easy spot to back-in and is very level. Only downside is that you must be back in the park by 10:00 PM. They park managers will lock the gate and you either have to walk to your campsite or if you leave a car at the gate you can drive your secondary car while leaving your primary car outside the main gate. We were in town for a baseball tournament. Otherwise we would’ve been back in plenty of time.
TravelerWe had a great site on the bluff overlooking the lake. It was close to the restroom that was very clean and convenient.
ScoutThe campground is great except no sewer connections. The boat ramp is fantastic, great views of the lake and plenty of trees most sites are shaded.
GuideNice sites, beautiful views sites are mostly level, & friendly hosts.
Site was muddy due to rain the whole weekend.
ScoutWe’ve stayed here multiple times and love it. Beautiful place. Some sites are a little tricky backing into with 29’ trailer though.
GuideLots to do here at this conveniently located spot. Basketball hoop, pool and hot tub, pond with kayaks, and more. Laundry, showers and a decent shop too.
GuideThis definitely was not a traditional ""campsite"". There was a massive casino next door that I am assuming most campers at this KOA were visiting. Very parking lot (esk) and was not a place we would intentionally go back to. The campsite was clean, but really nothing else to write home about. The facilities were wonderful though - very clean and well maintained. It was close to Tulsa, which we needed to be in town for. Staff was super helpful and kind too!
TravelerStayed here in mid October-- RV side of campground was full but I was the only person on the tent side. Spot was nice, altho folks before me had left some trash around-- fire pit was still hot so not sure if the park caretakers had gotten a chance to run by before I got there to clean. Bathrooms were well kept and stocked, view of the lake was gorgeous. Will definitely be back! Had good signal with verizon.
TravelerNice KOA to stay. Great gravel and concrete pads. Areas for the dogs some pads and a common area for dogs. Friendly staff. Highly recommend
ScoutWe stayed here when we first bought our camper to just stretch its legs. It was rainy and cold the whole time, but in the summer it looks like this would be a great place for families with lots to do. Staff was very friendly and the campgrounds were clean.
LegendPeak 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.
GuideSuper friendly hosts, beautiful view. The water at our site was broken so we shared with another site (60’). The campground was clean. We could hear the noise from the highway across the lake.
GuideNice little campground with all the amenities. Super clean bathrooms with granite counter and tile. Pleasant hosts. Quiet, just a bit of highway noise but not much. Pool, hot tub, jump pad, pond with rental boats, lots of kids games. Nice lots with mature trees for shade. There are also cute cabins and small houses to rent.
LegendVibe: Classic quiet Army Corp park. Almost all RVs. Ours was the only tent.
Cleanliness: Above average
Facilities: Average
General spots: Good size, good spacing, not private, some back up to lake, but there is a sizable drop off to lake level.
Our site: Don’t remember the number, but it backed up to the lake.
Noise: Quiet. It was a mid-week stay during the school year.
Cell signal: Good/Verizon
Other: Close to dam and behind the dam appeared to be a popular fishing spot when water was being released.
GuideThis was a very clean, well kept campground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Fort Gibson Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Fort Gibson Lake is Taylor Ferry with a 4.4-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Fort Gibson Lake?
TheDyrt.com has all 11 equestrian camping locations near Fort Gibson Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.
