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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
Just outside the Wichita Mountain National Wildlife Refugee, the glamp offers outdoor camping with civilized conveniences and touches for your stay.
Enjoy:
$300 - $450 / night
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
TravelerFirewood is available. Clean campsites.
TravelerNice campground. Good shade, large lots with cement picnic table, fire pit, and charcoal grill. We did not have electric or water at our unit but we were near the bathrooms/showers. Great to be right in the heart of the wildlife refuge. Easy access to all of the trailheads by car. Saw a ton of wildlife including all of the big game. The maps of the refuge aren’t all that great they could definitely be updated. Would definitely stay here again.
GuideWe had a great couple of days camping here. Campground was quiet and shaded, sites were decently spread out each with table and fire ring, bathroom/shower house could use some TLC - locks on stalls were broken, floor pooled with shower water, showers good enough but no temp control - one was scalding hot, 2 were cool (which was nice in near 100 degree heat), toilets worked. The area is gorgeous with plenty of trails to explore, vistas to enjoy and waters to fish.
GuideThe area is quite pretty, but the campground is worn down and needs maintenance. Our picnic table and bench were both cracked and crumbling. The fire pit in 19 needed replacing. The pit toilets near loop C did not have doors and were totally filled up. The showers were hot and there was always toilet paper. We arrived Saturday afternoon and left Tuesday and the bathroom was never cleaned...not the floor, toilets, sink or showers. Best to bring shower shoes.
Some ran their generators all night. Never saw the camp host.
Nothing marked in bathroom if that water was safe or not. The outside faucets were marked as boil notice.
I would not return to this campground.
LegendLake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area, Fort Sill, OK
Cabin 3 (both late June and mid-October)
Lake Elmer Thomas(LETRA) is a 334 acre lake located on Fort Sill in Comanche County, Oklahoma. LETRA offers a pretty nice location for recreating. Offering quite a bit for families in a limited space. •A nice beach and cordoned swim area, complete with restrooms and shower house(11a-7p)…lifeguards •Sand volleyball court •Watersport rentals: paddle boards, canoes, kayaks, pontoon boat •Mini golf course •Disc golf course •RV/Camper area •Rustic rental cabins •Random primitive tent camping •Fishing •Nearby off-base hiking(Mount Scott and the Medicine Park Wildlife Refuge) •Bicycling-ample quiet, paved road opportunities but surprisingly limited off road options
Tent Camping: there are no specifically designated loop or numbered site tent areas. Tenters are permitted to camp all along the lake’s edge in the grassy area. There are a few picnic tables and elevated charcoal grills(no ground fires permitted), so you may have to do without. There are also a few picnic tables under shelters, but half are in a state of disrepair and caution-taped off. Tenters cannot set up tents within the cabin rental inner circle.
The modern facility restrooms are across from the playground as you enter the cabin rental peninsula. Tent campers are able to utilize the shower house/restrooms in the RV/Camper section, as well as the beach areas during open hours. There is no ground cover to separate one tent from the next…all can be seen and heard.
RV/Camper Sites: big rigs are lined up side by side in a separate gravel loop immediately to the left of the entrance. Sites have water and electric hookups. The nicest shower house/restroom is located there. There is a small patch of grass between sites, picnic table and elevated charcoal grill. These sites are closest to the entrance, beach area, watersport rental and campground activities.
Cabin Rentals: log home rentals are on a small peninsula with great views of Mount Scott and Lake Elmer Thomas. At the time of this review, you must bring your own bedding linens/blankets, towels, etc. I would also recommend packing extra eating utensils, condiments and any other items that you would take camping. We rented Cabin 3, which the website says will sleep 4…inaccurate. One full size bed and a small futon will sleep two average-sized adults and one small child in marginal comfort. The table only provides two chairs, not four for two not four. I would subtract 1-2 persons on the cabins unless you count floor space. Cabin 3 was$80 nightly.
Painted turtles are in abundance around the lake, as are smallish ‘fist-sized’ tarantulas. Bicycling the Artillary Range perimeter roadways on base, coyote dash across in early morning hours. Note: you are on a military base, so there are a number of restrictions that you need to be aware of and abide by.
Additionally, the campground is positioned along the northern side of the Artillery range. Yes, you will see and hear C-Ram’s lighting up the sky randomly during the day and night hours, as well as other ordinance. I enjoyed the display and out-of-the-ordinary disruption. Think unanticipated fireworks.
LegendDoris Campground, Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, OK
Site 26
Only a random artillery boom was heard in the distance.
Prairie dog villages are a great way to spend some time enjoying their comedic antics and tight family structure.
Trails abound, both from within the campground and nearby. We walked a few in late afternoon and the bull elk bugled relentlessly…obvious signs of rut. We did not realize how close to a lone bison we passed until we heard a noise and looked back. How a large beast could go unnoticed in the low scrub was amazing.
We were fortunate to secure a midweek campsite but the weekend was sold out.
Temps were in the high 40’s overnight but climbed during the day to 70’s with a beautiful breeze.
The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center was still closed. Both in June and October it was closed with varying explanations why. If you go onto FWS.gov it still has it closed from November 2015-January 2016…so that certainly isn’t current.
Would I camp here again? Yes, However, I will research when school kids have Fall Break and avoid that weekend because it does sell completely out.
GuideElectric sites with some shade. There is plenty of wildlife. We saw Turkeys, deer, longhorn in the campground loop. Just outside the loop we saw Buffalo. Only down side was the trash around the site.
GuideIncredible scenery and wildlife.
We were in site 47-B, which is an area that is near the lake and has electrical. This particular site has the lake just a few steps from the camp. These are electrical only sites. And the water available at the campground was not potable and has been this way since 2017 per a sign. During reservation, it was noted that bathrooms were not operational, and only self contained RVs were allowed. That said, there were tent campers when we were there. Note there is no cellular service in the campground.
We found the sites to be very quiet and spread out. There are many great sites along the lake edge beyond our loop, but these offered no electrical. Longhorns were evidenced in our area. We enjoyed driving over to Prairie Dog town and spending time laughing at their antics. Since our last visit, their area has really grown and continued to spread out. We also enjoyed visiting the Environmental Education Center for its trails and pier, as the Center was closed due to COVID. I think our favorite area is around Rush Lake for its views and waterfalls. Don't miss the views from atop Mt. Scott.
LegendMust be self contained to stay right now. Campground host very helpful. One of the best I’ve ever met. Campsites are nice and spacious not a lot of campers during the week. Campsite overlooking the lake. Wildlife is everywhere. We watched turkeys, prairie dog and longhorn steers. There is so much beauty in this place. We enjoyed the hiking. Especially at Quanah Parker Dam. We loved learning about the cannonball architecture. We loved the reproduction of Jerusalem. Everything about this place is fantastic. I can’t think of one negative thing to say. I don’t know what the views from Mount Scott were like. There was a weather phenomenon that pushed the clouds down so you could barely see in front of your face. White knuckle moments for sure driving up and down in those conditions.
GuideMilitary CG on Fort Sill's base. Spent 5 weeks here. Scenery and base is beautiful. It's in the Wichita Mountains near Mt Scott and Medicine Park. Clean lake with paddle boat and kayak rentals. Mini golf, beach and water slides. Nice museum and Indian Cemetaries on base. Saw geese, fox, Coyotes, Buffalo, prairie dogs and rattle snakes.
All sites are pull through and fairly level. Full hookups with 30 & 50 amp service. Laundry room with 4 washers & dryers, $1 (when working). There is also a laundrette by the Commissary. Didn't use showers or restroom but checked them out. Ladies room was very dated and needs a really good cleaning.
There are a lot of long term rvs. Some not stayed in by the owners the entire time we were there. We didn't have any issue getting the site we reserved as someone mentioned in a previous review. The staff was nice when we asked to change our site to one with a better view.
Biggest con was absolutely no warning on their site that there is training going on all around the CG. If you have a Veteran with PTSD like I do prepare him/her that they shoot howitzer rounds at any given time. We had no clue and the 1st week there was a rough one for my DAV.
Do not use Letra Gate. It's closed. Ignore GPS and go to Apache Gate. Better yet set GPS for Apache Gate. It's the quickest route and you won't have to drive through the busy base and narrow roads.
ScoutI absolutely love going here to camp! There's like never anyone, there, so it's always quiet and we don't have to worry about people starting crap for no reason
GuideCampground was closed. Beautiful drives and hikes, we had to spend the night and explore more. Boat ramp is public, and offers a nice walk up call in the morning (by fishermen).
ScoutWe stayed there a year! These people are awesome! Glen, Gina and Grant are awesome folks who work so hard to facilitate this great campground! It truly is A+++++++
ScoutI absolutely love camping and hiking here. I prefer the semi-primitive sites as it’s a bit more private. The view is lovely and there’s a lot of trails to choose from. If backpacking is more your speed get a wilderness permit and check out some of the more remote parts of the park. If you’re looking for an easy day hike check out the Elk Trail.
RangerA truely interesting park. The Wichita mountains give you a sense that you can almost feel the native Indiaans. Mysterious & spiritual aura that surrounds you. We were in an electric loop with maybe a dozen other sites. Being from themidwest, not use to the barron granite mountains & scrubby little oaks. Deer & turkey were odten strolling thru our campsite, undaunted by our presence. No cell service. No water, as the recent freeze broke water pipes that weren't repaired yet. Covid shut down the bath houses.
Our loop had 30 amp, not sure is 50 was available else where ornot.
Very nice park with some dislikes. Tables & fire rings were to the rear of the site, not along the side. Also constantly windy. Very!
GuideWhat is there to say? Power, bathrooms, showers, and absolute beauty surrounds you. It's only a short drive from DFW. YOU WONT REGRET IT!
GuideSuper simple to make a last minute reservation and check in quickly. No hookups at my $24 site. Pricey for dry camping IMO but felt safe, which is a priority for me. Fire rings and bathrooms/dumpsters. Saw some HUGE longhorns and bison on the open range and that was great. No service whatsoever Verizon or T-Mobile.. do not recommend if you have remote workdays!
RangerAbsolutely wonderful camping and hiking!! Lots of camping spots - and most were well distanced for plenty of privacy. Due to COVID all spots require pre-registration online and only self contained vehicles are permitted (all bathrooms are closed). There is no service in the park, but about 2 bars next to the Visitor’s center (which is also closed), so be sure to reserve a spot before you get close to the park. Some sites are dry and some have electric hookups. No water available due to an ongoing E. Coli issue. The camp host was really nice and stopped by both nights we were there. There were lots of hikes and we are looking forward to coming back for an extended stay. For hiking, we loved 40 foot hole (nice waterfall) and Little Baldy for sunset. Wish we had been here a couple weeks earlier because I bet the trees would have been at peak fall foliage color. We saw long horns and bison several times, but unfortunately didn’t see any prairie dogs. We heard this park is mostly used by locals (~80 miles from Oklahoma City), and not many long distance travelers hear about it. Also heard there are great mountain biking trails.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Fort Sill, OK is Camp Doris with a 4.5-star rating from 40 reviews.
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