For those who want to get away from civilization for a weekend, but still want the comforts of home, consider renting a cabin for your Lawton camping trip. Cabin camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. You're sure to find the perfect cabin for your Oklahoma cabin 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.
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
Fort Cobb State Park has 34 full-hookup RV sites and five cabins available for online reservations. Three of the cabins can sleep up to 6 people, while the two smaller cabins can sleep 4. Pets are allowed in select units for a small nightly fee. Primitive tent campsites are also available and must be reserved online. In addition to picnic pavilions, playgrounds and comfort stations, the park also features an enclosed shelter and community building, perfect for get-togethers, family reunions and intimate weddings.
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
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.
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.
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.
RangerThis KOA was a welcome relief after a long day driving through northern Texas. The wind was pretty relentless, but that's just par for the course. It was a good stopover for our journey to the northwest.
RangerIf you've been to 1 KOA, you know what it's like
Legend
Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area(LERTA), Fort Sill, OK
Tent Site:$10 (both in June and October)
Spending a week in Lawton, OK there are only “so many” places you can camp…so we jumped around every night to try as many as we could. The weather was blistering hot and cloudless during the day with a constant strong breeze in June...(and unseasonably windy and bitter cold in mid-October). So both Lake Elmer Thomas and Lake Lawtonka were a welcomed respite. Technically, the only swimming permitted on Lake Elmer Thomas is 11:00a-7:00p with a daily pass of $8. However, they offer packages for military families and civilians should someone desire to take advantage of the season savings. For campers it’s all included in the site or cabin costs.
There is a separate RV/Camper Loop near the entrance and is a little lower so does not have Lake views. All cabins have lake views to some degree.
Tent sites are grassy areas along the campground roadway on either side, but are not numbered and cost$10 a night. All are first-come, first-served. Most will snatch up the sheltered picnic table areas with an elevated charcoal grill. Almost all are along the lake bank. There is no understory or shrubbery to provide privacy, so you can see and hear your neighbors.
During our stay, they were all young families and very respectful of others. Tent campers can utilize any of the restrooms as well as the showerhouse in the RV area.
There is enough to stay busy right here at LERTA. Canoe, kayak, paddle board and pontoon boat rentals to enjoy the lake. Fishing is permitted and schools of bluegill are seen along the shoreline. The water is incredibly clear. A very nice mini-golf course is located across from the offices. Sand volleyball is next to the beach area. The beach and swimming area is manned by lifeguards from 11:00a-7:00p and offers a huge restroom/showers/changing rooms building. Playgrounds are located in the RV/Camper loop, outside the beach area and along the tenting area before you reach the cabin rentals. An archery range is located across the roadway from the tenting/picnic areas.
The staff are very courteous and helpful. The entrance gate attendant will direct you (Entrance was manned in June but not in October). A bicycle event was taking place and LERTA was the halfway mark and turnaround point. So bicycling these sparsely traveled undulating roads was enjoyable. There are some two track worth exploring to the north of the roadway as well as a few other sizable lakes to fish in the area.
DO NOT venture south off the roadway. It is a clearly marked and active artillery range. Also of note, artillery range practice, though sporadic, takes place at any hour of any day. If you treat it like an unexpected fireworks display you’ll actually look forward to it.
I find the large resident flock of geese more annoying that the artillery….though the half minute displays were at 2359, 0245 and 0349…blasting you out of any REM cycle.
I was advised the tent spots rarely fill up, but RV/Camper and cabin rentals(adventure travel letra)fill up quickly so reservations are a must.
Things to do nearby: Definitely spend time in the Medicine Park Wildlife Refuge Area. Drive, bicycle, run or walk up Mount Scott(rock climbing is permitted on Mount Scott). Check out the hundreds of free roaming LongHorn’s, Bison and prairie dog towns. Coyotes, various snakes and tarantulas can be seen through these hills. Scores of fishable lakes dot the landscape. The Ferguson homestead still exists with its “cannonball” architecture. Chad's El Sabores Mexican Restaurant in Medicine Park is a fantastic little eatery on your way in or out of the Recreation Area. Medicine Park Aquarium and Natural Sciences Center is worth a visit and reasonably priced. Clarification: while this may or may not be true for every military base campground,
LERTA is open to civilians. However, there is a process. Passes must be acquired at the Visitor’s Center at the Sheridan Entrance (plan for an hour) for each adult over 16. You must have a valid/current Drivers License, Passport or other recognized government ID. They do a background check before you qualify for a pass. Also know, certain gates close at 7:00p…so keep track of your time of off-base.
The camp host rolled through during the evening before sunset to make sure all was well…and the military police made their rounds a few times during each day. Both of which I appreciate.
Would I return? Yes, if I’m traveling through these parts again, I wouldn’t hesitate to camp here again (and I did in mid-October, same year for military graduations)
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.
Guideoverall, this campground was a nice overnight spot on our route to Dallas. There were nice paved pull through sites and a good gravel pad surrounded by grass. There were large trees, which seem rare in this part of Texas, but they were mainly on the perimeter back in sites. The restrooms looked recently redone, but it did take a while for the hot water in the shower to warm up. Be warned that mosquitoes were pretty thick when we visited.
Guide
We stayed in the Whites Catfish Cove campground at site #16 during Father’s Day Weekend. This site was located on both sides of the roadway and was at the end of the road. It was hard to back into given the many vehicles parked on the street. I would not recommended this site for longer rv’s or travel trailers. It had 30 amp hook up and water available. No sewer hookup, but dump site was not far off. Bath houses were close by, but could have been cleaned a little more.
Walking distance to lake beach swim area and playground directly across from this site (great if you have kids).
Prime spots for this campground area would be site #60, 62, 64, 66
Pros: Close to lake Close to playground Only one camper next to you
Cons: Small site No sewer Fire pit was overgrown with grass Right next to busy roadway
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.
TravelerWe read that there were big trees for shade, and the pool was open 24 hours/day. It sounded lovely. When we arrived we were given a site where you could see the trees, but none nearby for shade. The neighbors had "acquired" the picnic table for our site. They had a tire and other junk stacked around their RV & the flies were horrendous. The pool hours were crossed out on the flier. The internet didn't work. I would definitely pass on this site in the future.
TravelerWe happened to be driving to texas the same time as the polar vortex. Needing a spot with electricity last minute to warm up for the night, this KOA was available and everyone was so helpful. Our pipes in the van froze on the road and people talked us through what to do and even gave us directions for the next days trip. KOA all the way!
RangerStayed a night on my way home to the Dallas area. It’s a little bit north of Wichita Falls and Hwy 287 but well worth the effort to get there.
ScoutWe parked our RV here for 2 nights to go play at Kiowa casino 5 minutes away. Quiet, basic sites. Not very big. No fire rings but a stationary grill. No walking trails. We parked with a 30 amp. Nice people.
RangerDoris campgrounds are only open for RV campers due to covid so I couldn’t stay. Mount Scott had some pretty awesome views and I hiked the trail across the road from it by the bathrooms. There is a gate and a path beside it made from vehicle wheels. You can hike pretty far. There are several spots where you cross a creek which was good for my dogs or I think they would have died by the way they were panting lol. It was 91 degrees when I hiked it. Take 2 water bottles for yourself if it’s hot out! The trail ends at a beautiful lake with the mountain in the distance. I walked down to the lake so the dogs could cool off and drink for a while. Def loved taking it all in. There’s cattle but they didn’t mind us one bit.
I did see camping in town right before the blue water towers, along the river/creek there are tent camping spots and a lot of people were fishing. It’s just over the bridge and you can miss it. It’s not on the app so thought I would mention it in my review and added some pics of that area!
GuideWe have stayed at Fort Cobb State Park more than once. Always a great experience, quiet park, marina, golf course, and you can’t come to this park without visiting the Ski-Boy, a classic burger joint in Fort Cobb right on the way to the lake.
TravelerOf course, Covid 19 has forced many places to make adjustments, and this is a trying time for all. That being said, this camp is inconsistent with its information online, on this app, and in person. Many amenities and even basic entry had conflicting information, and we were turned away after driving so far to get there. The maps they gave us were also unclear and poorly labeled. The park is beautiful and a must-see, but I’d feel better avoiding this site entirely.
LegendA nice KOA right off I-44. Its far enough from the highway to not be bothered by the noise. Nice and grassy and large trees around the campground just not near the RV spots. Nice salt water pool and a little store with sundries. The cabins look very nice as well. It appears they are expanding and adding new sites and renovating as well. Playground for the kids and dog park for your pup. Expect to pay about $45 a night for an RV site. You can save 10% with your KOA membership.
LegendInside the wildlife preserve there are not a lot of camping options as the attempt to keep the wildlife wild is the primary focus. However if you are looking to stay inside the area, you will want to check out Doris Campground, located centrally in the property.
Camping options at Doris vary with both primitive and improved options. 47 sites without electricity offer only shaded retreat, regular sized pull ins and basic amenities with picnic tables and fire rings. However the improved sites offer electricity and larger pull ins for mid to large sized RV units. There is an additional set of camping options which are hike in style sites with a common parking area, these are a little harder to get to as the area is overgrown.
Sites range in price points from$12 to$24 and all have access to common spigots and restrooms.
One restroom is a bit more updated but offers only restrooms no showers while the less updated offers showers but is a bit creepy.
Something you will want to be mindful of staying at this site is wildlife. While many campgrounds often experience a wild animal or two, the raccoons here are quite menacing and snakes are very common.
If you do decide to come out to the Wichita Mountains, I suggest checking out some of the many hiking options and view points. The tower trail is a great one for views of the lake and terrain with minimal challenge and only some slightly uneven spaces from weathering and wash. Mount Scott is the highest point in the park and can be accessed through an invigorating hike to the top or through the scenic drive which features several pull offs and a parking area at the top.
Prairie Dog town is one of the more unique features of the park with dozens of colonies visible from several view points and pull offs. Being able to see the critters up close and personal will leave you smiling for hours. Walking throughout the preserve are buffalo and longhorns.
An extremely unique feature is the park’s Holy City, an area which was designated for use in the 20s and at its peak welcomed up to 250,000 people per year to an annual program performed on the hillside. This feature is unique in that it is a rock city constructed on the hillside which includes the story of Christ and also is the home of a chapel modeled after one that George Washington once attended in Virginia. A very unique piece of history.
ScoutNot sure why its called "Area 4," but I'm fairly certain this is supposed to be White Catfish Cove. Been coming here for years, and I'll continue to come. Beautiful lake, nice clean campground and clean bathrooms. Some spots are right on the water, and the primitive spots are amazing. Fav spot for an RV is 46.
TravelerGood, large sites for tents and RVs. Doris has semi-primitive sites for tents with picnic tables and fire rings as well as electric sites with hookups. Some sites offer a view of Quanah Parker Lake. All sites at Doris are walk in. There is an unmanned Paystation at the entrance but there is also a friendly campground host who lives onsite. Alcohol is prohibited everywhere within the refuge. Please note that at the time of this review (3/2020) there is NO potable water anywhere in the WMWR. An e.coli contamination in 2017 is still not resolved and any an all water is considered unsafe, including all streams and lakes. Bring in your own water, the closest store is at least 30 mins away.
ScoutWe have stayed at Doris 2 or 3 times over the last few years. It’s a large site with over 60 campsites that are fairly well spaced out. Separate RV/powered locations from drive up and walk in campsites.
Lot’s of great activities in the area: hiking, climbing, fishing, wildlife and other options.
My primary complaint of Doris is that it get’s rowdy on the weekends. On our most recent trip a group of locals pulled in at about 10pm and partied until after 2am then left. They were not camping at all.
GuideDoris Campground is an okay place to camp. There are 2 Bath houses in the campground. the first one by Loop E is more modern but does not have showers. the second one is by loop C and does have showers but it really needs to be updated. There are plenty of trees to provide shade in the campground but dont look for firewood on the ground as it appears they keep that picked up. You can purchase bundles of firewood at the entry gate for $5 per bundle. Each campsite has a fire ring and table and enough parking for 2 vehicles. This campground in on Federal Land and patrolled by Federal Game Wardens. While in the area it is recommended to visit Holy City and the unique town of Medicine Park. Also in Medicine Park there is a Creek that is stocked with Trout from November to March. There is free roaming Buffalo and Longhorn Cattle so dont be surprised if you see one in the Campground. There are numerous Lakes in the area to fish or boat in and numerous Hiking trails as well.
GuideWhite Catfish Cove is a nice and clean campground that host amazing views of the lake. the Bathrooms are modern and the showers do take quarters to operate. i think a 7 min shower is $1.50 but well worth the hot shower. the RV pads are gravel and can be a little soft so bring some platforms to put the jacks down on. there is alot of wildlife you will see in the area including ducks and deer walking through the campground. From the site i was at it made launching the Kayaks very simple and we could paddle across to the marina with little effort. overall this is a great place i will visit again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Lawton, OK?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Lawton, OK is Camp Doris with a 4.5-star rating from 40 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 6 cabin camping locations near Lawton, OK, with real photos and reviews from campers.
