Best Tent Camping near Leonard, OK

Several tent camping options are available near Leonard, Oklahoma, offering basic facilities in natural settings. Jackson Bay Recreation Area provides free tent camping with picnic tables and fire rings, though no drinking water or toilet facilities are present. Nearby Sequoyah Bay State Park offers tent campsites with more amenities including drinking water, electric hookups, and trash service. Verdigris River Park north of Leonard features peaceful tent camping spots with fire rings and trash collection, though the sites are described as positioned close together.

Tent campsites in this region typically offer basic amenities with varying levels of facilities. Sites at Jackson Bay lack trash receptacles, requiring campers to pack out all waste. The gravel road leading to Jackson Bay is manageable for most vehicles. Sequoyah Bay provides more developed facilities including water and electric hookups for tent campers who prefer additional conveniences. Most tent-only sites in the region allow pets but have specific regulations regarding fires, especially during dry periods. Campers should verify current conditions before arrival as seasonal changes affect site accessibility.

The tent camping experience near Leonard offers access to water activities and fishing opportunities. At Jackson Bay Recreation Area, tent sites provide views over the lake, particularly beautiful at sunrise. The area remains relatively peaceful with adequate space for tent setup. Verdigris River provides good fishing access, with one camper noting it's "perfect if you are tent camping and need a quick place to stop and rest for a day or two." Some primitive sites require short walks from parking areas, offering more seclusion than drive-up locations. Most tent areas provide shade trees, important during Oklahoma's warm seasons. A visitor commented that Jackson Bay is "well taken care of" despite lacking amenities, with some sites featuring grills and picnic tables.

Best Tent Sites Near Leonard, Oklahoma (25)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Leonard, OK

475 Reviews of 25 Leonard Campgrounds


  • Karen T.
    Oct. 22, 2022

    Bull Creek Peninsula

    Quiet, lots of shade, easy to get to, great roads

    First time here, absolutely love it! The roads look like they've recently been blacktopped. Very easy to get to. Lots of shade, but there's sun if you want it. Beautiful lake view from my site. Clean vault toilet. No water available anywhere tho, which lowered my review to 4. No electric or dump station, so come prepared.

  • Craig E.
    Aug. 24, 2023

    Bluff Landing

    Quiet, fishable, secluded

    Peaceful area outside of Tulsa metro on the outskirts of Broken Arrow near Coweta. 25min drive into Tulsa. 10min drive to Walmart and fast food. Checkout Smokies BBQ nearby for great food. Sites were pretty level using gravel. A few were completely shaded but most were barely shaded. Shoreline really close to campsites with boatdock and fishable shoreline. Restrooms were clean but very hot. Showers available but did not use. Fire ring, picnic tables and lantern hooks available. Dump station is clean and easily manageable. Grass needed to mowed especially since several snakes were seen. Whole area was pretty clean and peaceful.

  • Tom K.
    Jun. 24, 2018

    Keystone State Park Campground

    Close to town; main spot for boaters

    As a typical Oklahoma State Park, this campground is what you would expect. Built in the 50's and very few upgrades, it remains as a mostly RV/ Boaters park. Many family's go here for the shore line swimming and boating opportunities. The bathrooms are okay but haven't been updated but you don't have to worry about vault toilets. I would suggest bringing soap. Since we tent, it is fairly easy finding a level spot but they do not have platforms or any premade sites to set up. Some sites do have fire rings but most do not but they do have tables. This has always been a good spot for bringing our beginning camping friends to get them introduced to camping before any longer camping trips.

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 4, 2021

    Webbers Falls City Park

    Country Laid Back

    • Quiet time 10:00 pm to 6:00 am 
    • No firearms Tobacco free Pets on leash 
    • Fees and info call 918-464-2920 grills picnic tables Trash Picnic shelter Camphost Dump station New comfort station Electric Water Primitive sites are available Rates from$7.00 to$15.00

    Webbers Falls is a very small community in Muskogee County Oklahoma with a population of just over 600 people. on the Arkansas River. The park is located right next to the river. Wonderful views of the river and the bridge spanning the Arkansas. The campground is dotted with large mature trees. The grass provides a soft carpet for parking any size rig. There is a circle drive and you will pull thru All sites are good sites with view of the river.

    Hunting, fishing, and wild flowers and colors to keep you entertained. Directions off US 64 turn off at the Webber Falls exit; continue straight onto E1040(Weatherly Drive; keep left to continue on Commercial; turn right onto S. River Road; turn left onto Commercial Street

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 12, 2021

    Ladybird Landing

    Ladylike at the Ladybird

    • Jan 1  Dec 31
    • 57 sites electric and non and 50 amp available
    • Some pull through
    • $10 - 22
    • Reservations accepted 877-444-6777 or recreation.gov
    • Beach
    • Boat ramp
    • Drinking water
    • Dump station
    • Marina
    • Day use with picnic area
    • Playground
    • Flush toilets
    • Showers
    • Pets allowed
    • Grills/fire rings
    • Picnic table
    • Cell service

    Wonderful sunsets along the rocky shore.  When the mist is rising over the waters a feeling of peace will wash over you.

    There are many water sites, some pull throughs, back in, some paved, some a bit uneven but this is still a great campground. Most site are shaded.

     Gates open at 6AM and close at 10PM 

    Check out Time 4PM, Check in Time 6PM 

    Quiet Hours: 10PM to 6AM 

    Camping is permitted in designated campsites only. Each campsite is limited to 1 wheeled camping unit with up to 3 tents. 

    Camping is limited to 14 consecutive days within any 30 day period. 

    Campers must occupy the campsite at least once during each 24 hour period.

    Lake Eufaula is a reservoir on the Canadian River which is upstream from the confluence with the Arkansas River. It is the largest capacity lake in Oklahoma. It has 800 miles of shoreline. The building of the dam began in 1956 and completed in 1964. The Wildlife Nature at the Eufaula State Park is amazing well worth a visit. You will find miles of hiking, biking, ATV, and equestrian trails in the 31,800 acres. There is a great amount of hunting for quail, deer, geese, and duck. Another great stop is the Eufaula Area Museum(temporarily closed due to COVID). An extra little tidbit is that Dirty Jobs filmed “Worm Dung Farmer” in Eufaula on November 14, 2003 and in Season 2 Episode 9 called “Dirtiest Water Jobs” featured “Catfish Noodling of Eufaula.  

    The lake draws fishermen to test their mettle at large and small mouth bass, Kentucky bass, crappie, catfish, sand bass, strippers, and others. The draw for this area is the great outdoors. Mainly fishing and boating. Fishing tournaments are plentiful. Shopping of just about any type should be far down the list for entertainment. Plan to have a relaxing and peaceful stay.

    Have Fun  Stay Safe

    LNT

    Better than when you found it

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 26, 2022

    Blue Creek

    Enjoy many activities!

    General: Blue Creek is one of four campgrounds operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers on Oologah Lake (the others are Spencer Creek, Red Bud, and Hawthorn Bluff). It is divided into three sections: one with electric hookups (Sites 14-35) and two without (Sites 1-11 and 36-61, with Sites 54-61 that can be used as a group area). On a weekday in early May, the section with electric was full but we had the section with sites 36-61 entirely to ourselves. Sites 1-11 are good for boaters as they are near the boat ramp, however, the sites are not as well delineated (the picnic tables have the site numbers on them and cars park wherever). Since COVID, reservations are required but as with all other CoE campgrounds, the fees are extremely reasonable ($20 for electric,$16 for non-electric and half-price for seniors). 

    Site Quality/Facilities: It is often impossible to determine the best site when reserving but after arriving, we discovered that Site 55 was not going to work for us. It had a very short sloping half-circle drive and after 10 minutes of maneuvering, it was obvious there was no way we were going to be level. It was also rocky so it would be challenging for tents. This site is the furthest away but near the spot where many fish so it will not be as quiet as you might expect. Fortunately, we were able to switch sites (no one else was there!) and Site 42 was much better and like many others, had a large semi-circular drive. Many sites had a covered concrete pad with a large concrete picnic table, utility table, and lantern hook. There was a dump station, but it was coned off when we were there; we did not need it so I did not ask when/if it would be available. 

    Bathhouse: The sections without electricity have vault toilets, which were clean, but the flush toilets/showers are within a reasonable walking distance. These were very clean. Soap but bring your towel. 

    Activities/Amenities: Aside from fishing and boating, there are many activities you can enjoy here including volleyball, horseshoes, bean bag toss, and basketball. When the gate attendant is there, you can check out supplies for these activities. There is also a hiking trail. We saw a few people kayaking. Horses are allowed in the group camping section (Sites 54-61). 

    Perhaps it is because we had an entire section to ourselves, but we had a relaxing and peaceful stay here and would definitely return.

  • B
    Mar. 17, 2025

    Hawthorn Bluff

    Had to adapt

    Once arriving at the camp site, I discovered that the sites near the lake were very sloped making it a little difficult to find a flat spot to set up a tent. I talking to one passer-by, who was unfortunately house-less at the time, who explained that Hawthorn Bluff does not charge for camping until April 1st. I paid for my campsite as the website did not state this. I'm not upset by this because I know the fees will help maintain the park. However, this makes for some very interesting campers. The couple next to our site were having a domestic dispute where the lady sped off in her car after cussing her partner out for some time. She returned later with an 18 pack, one in her hand, and thankfully they seemed to have made up. This was hard to explain to my young kids who witnessed the whole exchange. Since they were not charging for campsites during my stay, the showers were locked and not opened as well as another restroom. There was only one opened restroom on the opposite side of the park and it had beer cans and other trash in it. 

    Nice views of the lake, but I think I'll cross this one off my list for next time.

  • Amy & Stu B.
    Jun. 16, 2022

    Dogwood Campground — Lake Eufula State Park

    Excellent stop over

    Gorgeous sites with so many trees! Full hookup, enough space from neighbors while not being too spread out. Picnic tables, fire rings, shade, and easy walk to the restroom and lovely paths to the lake.

    Literally best bathrooms I’ve ever encountered in a park. Very ADA accessible, AIR CONDITIONED TOILETS?!, showers and toilets were single stalls, clean, roomy and had everything you need. Showers had warm water. 10/10

    Nice lake views, but not directly from site—have to walk to get there.

    ATT & Verizon had decent service at both sites.

  • Melanie W.
    Sep. 30, 2020

    Stroud Municipal Lake

    Small and quite

    It is a nice little campground that has R.V. camping and tent camping. We like camping here because the campsite is next to the shore. There are some nice camping spots under shade trees. When you want to cool off you can just walk from your campsite to the water and get in and cool off. However don't wear white when you go swimming because after you go swimming white cloths turn orange. It does have a swim beach but we like to swim privately at camp. The fishing is pretty good. There is a playground and restrooms with showers. They only have about 25 campsites that are 1st come 1st serve. Getting a campsite near holidays like the 4th of July is almost impossible unless you go days early to get a spot. The campsites have picnic tables, grills and a fire ring. They also have trails for riding horses. Camping with electric is $18.00 Senior citizens (55 and up) and disabled citizens is $15.00 Primitive camping is$8.00


Guide to Leonard

Tent camping options near Leonard, Oklahoma range from primitive sites to those with basic facilities along lakeshores and rivers. Several campgrounds offer free or low-cost options within a 30-mile radius. Summer temperatures typically reach 90-100°F, making shaded sites particularly valuable during peak season from May through September.

What to do

Fishing access points: Verdigris River Park provides direct river access for anglers. One camper noted, "This side of the dam is for fishing. Spent many many MANY nights going night fishing with my family growing up and it was always so much fun!"

Water activities: Sequoyah Bay State Park Campground offers swimming areas and boat ramps for water recreation. The park includes amenities like water and electric hookups for tent campers wanting more conveniences.

Hiking opportunities: Three Ponds Community features walking paths through wooded areas near Leonard. A visitor mentioned, "The land is beautiful and firewood is provided for a small fee."

Route 66 exploration: Many tent campers use Leonard-area sites as a base for exploring nearby Route 66 attractions. The historic Blue Whale of Catoosa is accessible from several camping areas, providing a unique day trip opportunity.

What campers like

Lake views: Jackson Bay Recreation Area offers waterfront sites with unobstructed views. A camper shared, "Beautiful view over the lake at sunrise!"

Secluded options: Okmulgee & Dripping State Park Campground provides more isolated camping experiences. One visitor described it as "a great quiet getaway for fishing and relaxing."

Free camping: Several tent sites near Leonard offer no-cost options with 14-day stay limits. A camper noted Jackson Bay Recreation Area is an "Amazing free campground, you can stay here for 14 days."

Wildlife viewing: Early mornings at waterfront campsites provide opportunities to spot local birds and animals. Sites near wooded areas offer the best chances for wildlife observation.

What you should know

Limited facilities: Most tent sites near Leonard lack modern amenities. At Jackson Bay, "No trash cans means more responsibility...and some people just can't handle it."

Road conditions: Access roads to several camping areas become difficult during wet weather. The Jackson Bay access road is "mostly gravel, but it's manageable."

Seasonal concerns: During summer, shade becomes critical as temperatures frequently exceed 95°F. Winter camping requires preparation for freezing temperatures that can affect water access.

Site availability: Most tent campgrounds operate on first-come, first-served basis. Sunset Bay sites fill quickly on summer weekends, with one local noting, "If you're on a budget this place is great."

Tips for camping with families

Safety considerations: Select more developed sites for family camping. One reviewer recommended, "If you want to feel a bit more secure, I recommend the other camp!"

Cabin options: For families wanting comfort while experiencing the outdoors, alternatives exist. At Three Ponds Community, they "Offer A frame structure" cabins that provide shelter while maintaining a camping experience.

Activity planning: Include water-based recreation in family camping plans. Verdigris River allows families to "put a boat in the river on this side or kayak up and down."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Leonard, OK?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Leonard, OK is Newt Graham Lock and Dam with a 3-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Leonard, OK?

TheDyrt.com has all 25 tent camping locations near Leonard, OK, with real photos and reviews from campers.