Best Cabin Camping near Heavener, OK

This was mine and my mom's favorite place to camp in Oklahoma. The campground is heavily forested with pine trees and there are some sites right off the lake. It has a very nice bathroom facility with showers. Normally when we would go (in the fall and spring) it was not very crowded. Lots of great hiking trails nearby and the scenic Talimena scenic drive is beautiful, especially in the fall.

Hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, and swimming among rolling wooded hills and rocky cliffs, plus cave tours, nature center, special events year-round (tractor show!), canoe & bike rentals, horseback tours, and lots more extras. They have rustic tent sites, full RV, and small cabins to rent. We stayed in the tent sites, which had great shade and decent privacy. Restrooms need to be updated (as of 2014), but we didn’t mind. While this is a very built-up campground with many activities and is relatively crowded, it does not feel like a theme park since all the activities are tied to nature. Great place and perfect to bring less experienced campers.

Pioneer Campgrounds has hosted 8 family reunions and 7 Boy Scout / Girl Scout Troops in 2023. Great place to camp. Clean cabins, brand new bathrooms, large dining hall and kitchen area.

Not sure about campsites but the cabins are amazing. Lots of trails but the trail markers are hard to spot...they need remarked

robbers cave itself is a fun hike

Tent camping had no facilities and is by a busy road. All camp sites were nothing but lose dirt. It didn’t help that a biker gang was staying in the cabins right next to our camp ground. Guess it was just bad timing.

Always go to the CMA rally's but have stayed offsite usually, we rented a bunk cabin for the USCA rally and I loved it price was right  accommodations perfect BUT IF YOU HAVE CEDAR OR PINE ALLERGIES be warned, my wife couldn't  as it made it most unpleasant for her.

 I LOVED IT nice quiet relaxing  as another person stated I dont know why its not packed

We camp here every October at group camp 1. It’s a big site with cabins and a great dining hall. New playground as well. The hike up and around robbers cave is fun. Very nice view at the top.

We stayed at the lodge a few years ago. I can recommend that as well.

Wilburton is about 10 minutes away. There is a great Mexican restaurant there.

I drive truck, always have a hard time getting in/out of places with a semi and usually end up not getting to camp. The main pavilion in the center of the grounds is HUGE! theres INSTANT hot water, no waiting for 10 minutes for luke warm water. About a dozen of each... toilets, showers, urinals. 2 or more great big handicap accessible showers. Quite a few cabins. The few people we encountered were super cool and eager to see if we needed help or had questions. 4 stars because there's no lake.

This is my third time to return to Robbers Cave and I believe my last. We stayed in a cabin 2 nights and The lodge one night. I have never slept on such a broken mattress. I could barely sleep it was so bad. The box spring was broken and leaning to the side. The mattress had a huge hole from wear that slopes to the right and down. I felt like I was going to fall off. Terrible. The carpet had a really nasty sticky looking spot. I felt like I couldn’t walk around with out shoes. The air unit was super loud with a humming noise. It was struggling. I think it has gone down hill. I added a photo no sure if you can see how bad it is..

Robbers Cave State Park is located in the scenic, hilly woodlands of the Sans Bois Mountains of southeast Oklahoma. It is located 5 miles north of Wilburton, Oklahoma, on State Highway 2. Park amenities include camping areas modern to primitive, beautiful lodge, cabins, swimming pool with splash pad, 4 small lakes, streams, a nature center, picnic areas and miles of hiking, cave and equestrian camping andtrails. The office is also a store that sells camping supplies, worms, beer, ice, charcoal, candy, pop, ice cream etc. You can rent kayaks, canoes, bikes and Golf carts for running around by the hour or a golf cart for a whole day for $40. They have fun things to do for all ages such as walking tours, canoe tours, making fishing poles out of cane and then fishing with it. The hay ride is fun. It stops to let you off to see the oldest living pine tree in Oklahoma and stops at artesian water free flowing spout to get a cold drink of sweet water. The hay ride cost $4. There's camping up by the office, down by the lake and stream or primitive camping off hiking trails in the mountains. It gets very hot in the day but the nights are great. So if your hiking be sure and take plenty water. There is all kinds of hiking easy to hard. The lake was not as clean as it was the last time I was there. They have a huge flock of geese that have made Lake Carlton there home this summer. I saw a pair of Bald Eagles and deer. I saw adorable twin fawns. The heat was a little too much for me this trip so I stayed in the lodge. It's is very nice with the most beautiful view of the mountains. Star gazing is awesome. The people that work at the park are very nice. The town of Wilburton is only 5 miles away.

The state park is situated on both sides of a main road and is broken down to several smaller campgrounds throughout the park. Campsites vary from primitive to water and electric, so there is something for everyone. The state park also offers cabins, yurts, and wagon sleepers if you're looking for something different. Each campsite has a fire ring, table (concrete or wooden), trash hook, grill, and a pad to set your tent on. The sites on the southwest side of the road are alongside a small river, while those on the east side of the road are on a hill.

The state park has a lot of amenities which have significantly improved over the past three years. This is not the campground for you if you're wanting to be isolated as it can be busy. Pretty cool spot to bring the family as you can explore caverns, hike, use ATV trails, fish, MTB, and swim. Some camping spots are farther from toilets and showers than others.

Given that the gorgeous Cossatot River has a State Park but its campgrounds are up a few miles of hilly gravel road and offer no plumbing or electricity, you may be searching for more comfy accommodations as a jumping off point to hike or kayak. Lake Gillham campground is unfortunately too far away to be convenient. The CRSP park rangers may mention this RV park, if you inquire, or you might find it yourself on a map. The location is convenient enough - just a few minutes' drive down the road from the Visitors Center. The owners are very friendly and helpful. The setting is adequate: it's close to the road and offers fire ring, picnic table, and a gravel pad. The thing that ruined our stay were some of the regular clientele who were downright creepy/frightening. Think, disintegrating trailers, abusive yelling late at night, unkempt heavy drinkers with leering eyes. In spite of the pluses, I would not feel comfortable staying here again. Perhaps the cabins are distanced enough from the RV part to feel safe.

We chose this campground for the Tiny House rental for our Daughter and her husband & kids. We stayed in an RV site, enjoyed the pool, bounce pad & basketball. A shuttle runs that is wheelchair accessible that will take you into town for Wal-Mart runs and more 😊

This campground is nice but not really wheelchair friendly. The road was really large rock that is very bumpy and uncomfortable to wheel over.

https://koa.com/campgrounds/sallisaw/

Our first visit was in November and the fall color was stunning.

Early March for this visit and definitely winter scapes...but still beautiful.

Trout fishing just steps away from camp and we had the whole campground to ourselves for the night.

The afternoon hours did have some rambunctious local teens, but they kept to themselves. Can’t blame them - I’d have hung out here in my teens too if I lived close.

Just up the road on the main lake they are building a new restaurant overlooking the lake. They are getting a new office and other upgrades too.

Kayak rentals and horse rides nearby. Plus lots of hiking.

Camping at Robber’s Cave State Park you will quickly discover that no matter what your overall preference for camping style, they pretty much have you covered. On a recent trip I visited the park and discovered that from primitive to improved sites, equestrian areas, atv areas they have a bit of everything. The camp even has options for those who aren’t feeling quite as adventurous and want to live in a bit more of the creature comforts we all have at home with cabins, a lodge and yurts. 

The area itself is filled with historic mystery as it was formerly known to be the hide out of some of the West’s most infamous and notorious bank robbers. From Jesse James and the Younger Gang to Belle Starr the area once served as an excellent place to hide their treasures and watch out to make sure no one was coming. 

The mountains around this area are beautiful and have towering trees and rolling waterways. You will find 3 lakes here that can keep you occupied wether you like to fish, boat, kayak, peddle or swim. Additionally amenities such a nature center, swimming pool, grocery store and mini golf make this site perfect for families who are wanting to find a little fun and adventure without having to go very far. 

Hiking around this park is abundant and there are miles upon miles of trails to explore with some being very easy and user friendly and others posing a bit more of a challenge. 

The campgrounds themselves are pretty standard throughout with picnic tables, lantern hooks, grills and fire rings. Many also have prep tables located just beside the grill making dinner very easy.

 I found that not all campsites were created equally however in way of restrooms. The primitive sites on loops were not evenly placed near restrooms, and a restroom could be a bit of a tall order if you are camping on some of the loops. You would expect that from the hike in campsites, but might want to plan carefully for a stay at the primitive sites based on your need for these facilities. 

Not all facilities offer showers either. Showers are located centrally for all to use and you can easily walk to these or park beside if you are staying a bit further away.

 I did notice that there is camping on both sides of the highway with each having its unique advantages and disadvantages. The primitive sites mostly are located on the side with more recreation, while the more improved sites, cabins and lodge are located on the opposite side. This side also offers hiking and has some improved spaces of interest but the vast majority of the popular spaces you will want to check out will be located just across the small highway. 

On the improved camping loops you will find most of the RV campers. These sites are placed closer together and have improved pull ins as well, unlike the hard pack of the primitive camping/semi improved camping areas. Additionally, these areas have both water and electrical connections and can really squeeze a lot of size into each spot. 

On this side of the park, a grocery store is within walking distance of the improved camping area and easy to access for park information as well as supplies you might need. 

Unlike many parks which are a considerable distance from town, the community of Wilburton is only a short drive from this location and has several restaurants, stores and fuel stops. This makes it very convenient if you are spending more than a couple of days out at the park and want to venture out for anything you might need. 

Tips: 

• Research your site before selecting one online through the booking system or in person. This will save you a lot of headache if you are needing a restroom that is closer. 
• Bring sunscreen!! Despite having wonderful shaded areas, the water is a HUGE draw here and you will want to be able to have fun in it without issues. Don’t forget waterproof sunscreen. Try the trails or rent a boat. The Robber’s Cave trail is the most exciting hike in the park in way of history and challenge, you will enjoy finding the cave that once housed some of the most notorious in the West through a series of inclines and scrambles. Through this is not for everyone, it is able to be navigated by most.

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.

 The trip started out, to get away from being quarantined at home because of the COVID-19 virus. Within a few hours of getting our campsite setup we were hunkered down because of tornado threats all around. Some funnels were spotted north of us and west of us then the news said one tracked south of us. The thunder so close and loud you could feel it. After the bad weather passed to remained of the time was beautiful. 
This Ouachita  (pronounced wash-it-taw) mountain area is where the Jesse James gang hid out along with other outlaws such as Belle Star. 
We stayed in the whispering pines campground in old circle #20. It was a good spot with plenty of shade and great amount of room to relax. We will definitely be coming back here in the future. We loved it. 

We came to get away from our house for a few nights during the Corona virus outbreak. A lot of things were shut down and it was too early in the season to swim. Despite all that we had an amazing time.

I will stay in the old circle campgrounds next time, they looked like they had bigger spots with more privacy than whispering pines.

We tried a few trails but were too hard for us. We have a daughter with cerebral palsy that we pull in a wagon and the trails were too rough for the wagon.

We did hike up to see robbers cave and the terrain was beautiful. It made me sick that people would carve into the rocks and spray paint the cave. But all in all it was really nice and we will try to come back when the pandemic is over and warm enough to swim.

We decided on a whim to get away from home for a few days. This was a very relaxing stay. We stayed in the ATV campground as we brought our side by side. We did more hiking than off road riding. We discovered that the off road area hasn’t been open for very long. We went out the first day, but not again after that since we felt like we needed to be with other riders for safety. The hiking is so nice here we have a 5 year old and he hiked with us on four different trails during our stay. We found registration an easy process, and it was easy to find our campsite once we arrived. Each spot has a picnic table, lantern hook, grill, and fire ring. There are other accommodations such as tent camping, hike to camp, and regular RV spots with concrete pads. We enjoyed our stay and we will come back.

We will BE back!! I’ve lived in OK for 30+ years and didn’t know of Cedar Lake in the Quachita mountains near Heavener, OK. It’s incredible!! Clean site, right in the national forest. At the time we went they had a camp host that met you, took you to your site, and checked in on us several times during our three night stay. She was really friendly, helpful, and our two boys thought she was the best when she gave them Smokey the Bear pins! While they do have bathroom and shower facilities our section of camps were down along with several others do to septic tank system issues that they were waiting on parts to arrive to fix. They provided portable toilets in the interim which worked fine. There is a really fun trail that runs right around the entire lake, and it’s a little over two miles. Nearly all natural terrain throughout the hike which makes it especially nice. Though we didn’t visit they have a section also for equestrian camping and riding as well as RV hookup sites. Can’t speak highly enough of this camping area!