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Dog-Friendly Camping near Hodgen, OK

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    Cedar Lake Recreation Area in the Ouachita National Forest permits pets at all campsites with standard leash requirements. Both the North Shore Campground and Equestrian Camp accommodate tents, RVs, and cabins, allowing campers with dogs to enjoy the heavily forested pine setting. Sites feature fire rings, picnic tables, and access to clean restroom facilities with showers. Heavener Runestone Park provides another pet-friendly option near Hodgen, offering 18 sites with electric hookups, showers, and potable water where dogs are welcome on leashes. Winding Stair Campground, also in the Ouachita National Forest, maintains pet-friendly policies while providing more primitive camping options with vault toilets and trash collection. Camping photos and user guides for Hodgen, Oklahoma are available on The Dyrt.

    The extensive network of hiking trails surrounding Cedar Lake creates ideal terrain for dog walking, with multiple trails accessible directly from campsites. Many campers note the convenience of being able to walk out of their campsite directly onto trails through the pine forest. Dead Man Gap offers free dispersed camping for those seeking a more remote experience with pets, though facilities are minimal with no drinking water or toilets available. During warm months, Cedar Lake provides swimming opportunities for both campers and their dogs, with designated water access points. The area experiences significant tick activity, particularly in spring and summer, requiring regular checking of pets after trail excursions. Bear warning signs are posted in the Winding Stair area, necessitating proper food storage and pet supervision.

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    Best Dog-Friendly Campgrounds near Hodgen (108)

    Filters    Tent onlyRVDispersedCabinGlampingPetsEquestrian

      1. Cedar Lake (Oklahoma)

      4.9(13)7mi from Hodgen117 sitesRVs, Tents

      "We completed this campout with another family and this is our favorite campout in Oklahoma. The large pines, the facilities and the hiking is wonderful. Cedar lake is beautiful."

      "The lake nearby is great. We brought our kayaks and had so much fun hitting the lake in the morning. It does get busy as the day goes on, especially in the summer on the weekends."

      from $15 - $40 / night

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      2. Winding Stair Campground (Ok) — Ouachita National Forest

      4.6(13)9mi from Hodgen25 sitesRVs, Tents

      "If you plopped me into this camp I wouldn’t have guessed I was in Oklahoma."

      "Driving from Mena to Talihina along this stretch of highway is a treat when it comes to the spectacular views.  "

      from $3 - $14 / night

      3. Heavener Runestone Park

      4.9(9)5mi from Hodgen14 sitesRVs, Tents

      "We stopped to see the runestone on our way back home from camping at Lake Wister. Wooded and clean, with a small gift shop (closed when we got there)."

      "Totally worth the drive from Tulsa. The park is beautiful and secluded, very clean and well kept. It has some really fun little themed touches in keeping with the Viking Runestone."

      from $15 - $20 / night

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      4. Cedar Lake Equestrian Campground

      4.8(6)6mi from HodgenRVs, Tents, Cabins

      "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’s wonderful in the fall when the leaves are changing, the days are cooler, and the nights are perfect for gathering around a camp fire."

      from $10 - $23 / night

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      5. Queen Wilhelmina State Park — Queen Wihelmina State Park

      3.7(19)18mi from HodgenRVs, Tents, Cabins, Glamping

      "Trails are short but have nice views. Forest trail is overgrown once you leave the state park and go into the national forest."

      "The lodge is a pretty short walk up hill. It has a restaurant and small gift shop. It also has a lookout, and two trailheads. The lobby is spacious with a great view."

      from $23 / night

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      6. Billy Creek

      4.3(7)12mi from HodgenRVs, Tents

      "This was such a cool place and a perfect distance away from everything. There were plenty of options for camping spots but also plenty of people there that you don’t feel completely alone."

      "There was a easy and short little trail down to the river and lots of large rocks to hang out on.  The campsite has tons of big trees.  Each site has a fire ring, picnic table and grill. "

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      7. Dead Man Gap Dispersed Campsite

      4.3(9)15mi from Hodgen

      "Go another 40 ish yards and there is the end of the side ‘road’/stone path and you’ll find the site we stayed at.
      There is a great fire pit and a well established site."

      "First time in the Ouachita national forest and we found a most excellent spot next to Lillard Creek off of 6010 Deadmans trail Rd. Would recommend a 4wd vehicle."

      8. Talimena Scenic Drive

      4.5(4)9mi from Hodgen

      "From the Scenic Drive, go down forest road 6014, just near horse leaf Springs and about a 1/2 a mile down the road. There will be a crossing road that has dispersed camping on both sides of it."

      "This is an awesome place the drive is well worth it too as long as you don’t catch fog like we did you couldn’t see 2ft in front of your car it was crazy how bad it was I hadn’t ever seen anything like"

      9. Quarry Island Campground — Lake Wister State Park

      4.0(4)9mi from HodgenRVs, Tents

      "We really enjoy Lake Wister. It is never overcrowded."

      "There were 5 RV sites with full hook ups on isle, even though #4 and # 5 are so close to each other that slide outs could bump into each other, and 2 very nice RV sites with only water and electric on"

      from $16 - $29 / night

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      10. Wards Campground — Lake Wister State Park

      4.0(4)9mi from HodgenRVs, Tents, Cabins

      "connections as we as the sites on the island, but the traffic on the island is terrible, there is a splash pad at the park along with a put put golf corse, and if you go into Wister, stop by the old Frisco trail"

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    Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Hodgen, OK

    55 Photos of 108 Hodgen Campgrounds

    Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Hodgen, OK

    401 Reviews of 108 Hodgen Campgrounds

    • Kelly Z.
      Jun. 23, 2016

      Cedar Lake Equestrian Campground

      Great campground

      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.

    • Joel R.The Dyrt PRO User
      May. 30, 2019

      Sallisaw-Fort Smith West KOA

      Convenient to I-40

      This is KOA, not my favorite place to stop, but they have good, basic facilities, sort of like Motel 6. They are just off I-40, so it was convenient for a one night stop. The sites were level, and were Pull-Thru so we didn’t even unhook. Full hookups, Some shade, a dump station. The shower/bathroom was clean. There is a small store. They also have cabins and tent sites; Free Wi-Fi, cable tv, a pool and playground, and a pond for fishing. There is a small Kamp K9 (dog park). When we were there everything was wet, and the smell of wet creosote from the log yard next door was terrible.

    • Ana A.
      May. 28, 2018

      Sandbar Area Campsites — Cossatot River State Park - Natural Area

      Memorial Weekend

      This place is a beautifull forested remote area and you have to drive over 4.5 miles to get to the campsite, its a two lane dirt road, lookout for deer and other critters crossing. We stayed at the walk in campsites, they have those and a few where you can park next to your site, don’t expect very much privacy, you can’t make reservations, they are all first come first serve and you pay at your site. All are tent only. we stayed at #20 with a short walk from the parking area but a little bit too close to #21, 18 and 19 seem to be the ones with more privacy. We did have a nice shaded site with a fire ring, a barbecue grill, a picnic table and nice surface for your tent. the camping area is just a short walk to the sandbar where you can enjoy the cool floating water. The bathrooms are adequate but no running water, therefore don’t expect showers. We camped with our dog Lulu, the sites are pet friendly and she had fun in the water too. There is an abundance of wild life, keep an eye for snakes and thicks!

    • Shelia H.
      Jul. 14, 2018

      Clear Creek - Ozark Lake (AR)

      River Living

      This park is located on the Arkansas River. There’s a boat ramp, so bring your boat and enjoy the beautiful Arkansas River. Pets are allowed, there is a leash law. Bring your own firewood. Campsites are both Electric and primitive. Flush toilets and Warm Showers are available. Good cell service. Very clean and peaceful.

    • Kyle H.
      Jul. 24, 2018

      Robbers Cave State Park — Robbers Cave State Resort Park

      Our First Camping Voyage into Oklahoma

      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.

    • Tracey L.
      Jan. 2, 2026

      Shady Lake Campground

      One of our favorite places!

      We have been coming to Shady Lake for decades and it is one of our most favorite places. It is a good location on the edge of the Ouachita National Forest with plenty of things to do within the recreation area and in the surrounding area as well. There are multiple hiking trails, some with connections to longer trails outside the rec area. Access for hunters and ATVs outside the rec area. Beautiful canoeing (bring your own boat) where you can see otters, eagles, yes- snakes and all kinds of wildlife. I love that this is an older more rustic park, some people have considered that a negative but to me that is a positive (people who like everything shiny and new definitely should look elsewhere). If the cat wasn't already out of the bag on this treasure of a camp, I certainly would not make a post encouraging more people to come here. lol! Sadly they have demolished the A camping loop right at the front and are 'upgrading' it to bring in more people with bigger rigs. the heavy construction has run off a lot of the wildlife for a couple seasons so will see how it turns out in the end. I hope the Bald Eagle and otter family return when it all quiets back down. There are sites with water and electric and tent only sites- some of which are very primitive and if you like to be far from other campers and can do primitive sites- they are a plus! (some will think they are awful, but to others they are a bonus- lol!)  If you love getting back nature, peaceful cell phone free beauty and quiet in a rustic camping setting you will love it. Fishing, hiking,, swimming, nearby ATV riding, hunting, easy access to other nearby national forest rec areas, rivers and trails.

    • Vanessa M.The Dyrt PRO User
      May. 24, 2018

      Queen Wilhelmina State Park — Queen Wihelmina State Park

      Small

      The campground is small with limited pads. Each site is close to the next and are generally occupied with RVs or camper trailers. I would suggest that this campground is most appropriate for the camper who prefers a more modern feel. There is ample cell phone service, WiFi is nearby, facilities are clean and modern. It is approximately a 15 minute drive into Mena, AR where you can find significant shopping. The campground is also near a large hotel. There are many hiking and mountain bike trails available in the area. A few miles down the road you can find an old fire tower which is interesting and can be accessed if you are daring. This area is dog friendly, dogs can access the trails as well. There are also some very neat driving trails, the bypass is a popular destination for motorcyclists which can offer some noise during the day. The park is also approximately a mile from the Oklahoma state line. This is a nice area for the avid cyclist, hiker, and motorcyslist.

    • Teresa T.The Dyrt PRO User
      Jan. 7, 2026

      Robbers Cave State Park — Robbers Cave State Resort Park

      I stayed for almost 10 days

      Stayed in the Equestrian campground with access to miles and miles of trails. It was wonderful and some of the best hiking I have done in quite a while. The hikes along the lake edges were great. There are horse trails id have loved to have done but it was time to move on. Of all the campgrounds, and there are many in the park, the Equestrian is the best if you want to hike.

    Guide to Hodgen

    Dispersed camping opportunities near Hodgen, Oklahoma complement the established campgrounds in the Ouachita National Forest. The area sits at elevations ranging from 500-2,600 feet with a humid subtropical climate that brings hot summers and mild winters. Fall camping between September and November offers the most comfortable temperatures with average highs in the 70s and colorful foliage throughout the pine-hardwood forests.

    What to do

    Hiking the Ouachita Trail: Access the western terminus of this 220-mile trail at Talimena State Park. "The Ouachita Trail is a 220 mile trail that travels from Oklahoma to Arkansas. Near the campground the forest is predominantly made up of pine trees, but as you hike along the trail you'll pass through a variety of hardwoods like oak. In the spring the dogwood trees were blooming with flowers," notes Troy W.

    Swimming in natural settings: During summer months, creek access at Billy Creek Recreation Area provides refreshing water activities. "We set up camp right above the river and got to hear the river going over the rocks the whole time. There was a easy and short little trail down to the river and lots of large rocks to hang out on," shares Janna R.

    Winter camping options: The area offers year-round access with fewer crowds during colder months. "We stayed here for one night in late December. It was a Sunday and we had the whole campground to ourselves. The hosts were friendly and helpful. All of the sites looked nice, but ours was especially beautiful," reports Megan B. about Heavener Runestone Park.

    What campers like

    Pine forest immersion: The heavily wooded campsites create natural privacy barriers between sites. "It smelled amazing and the ground was covered in a thick bed of pine needles. There's a really fun little trail that runs from the campsites down to the runestone," mentions Megan B. about her experience at Heavener Runestone Park.

    Wildlife viewing opportunities: The Ouachita region hosts diverse animal species throughout the seasons. At Quarry Island Campground, Leslie N. observed "tons of wildlife areas and we even spotted a bald eagle. The campgrounds and cabins were very clean."

    Night sky clarity: Minimal light pollution allows exceptional stargazing from most campsites. Katie K. reports from Winding Stair Campground: "The views are spectacular, lots of wildlife, all the wildflowers were blooming, and it was so quiet. The stars were amazing."

    What you should know

    Bear awareness requirements: Beyond the Winding Stair area, bears inhabit much of the forest. "I don't think they have a problem in camp, but be aware that the Ouachita National Forest holds a fair number of Black Bears. Proceed accordingly," advises ShaneB from his experience at Talimena State Park.

    Seasonal water availability: Creek levels fluctuate dramatically based on recent rainfall. At Dead Man Gap Dispersed Campsite, John H. observed: "We noticed that there wasn't much wildlife about and guessed it was because the creek bed was bone dry and a bunch of smoke in the area might have made them leave."

    Road conditions for remote sites: Many dispersed sites require appropriate vehicles. At Dead Man Gap, Ryin J. notes: "The road in/out has some tough spots, 4WD would be preferred. We camped 9/19/2020 and the spot was great."

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Hodgen, OK?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Hodgen, OK is Cedar Lake (Oklahoma) with a 4.9-star rating from 13 reviews.

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