The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near Norman, OK

292 Reviews

Tent camping options around Norman, Oklahoma include established campgrounds and lakeside settings. The North Sentinel area at Lake Thunderbird State Park offers designated tent sites with basic amenities, while Shawnee Twin Lakes provides lakeside camping with picnic tables and fire pits. Lazy H Alpaca Ranch offers a unique tent camping experience on a working farm approximately 20 miles west of Norman.

Most tent sites in the Norman area have minimal facilities but provide essential amenities. Fire rings and picnic tables are common at established campgrounds, though availability of drinking water varies significantly between locations. Toilet facilities range from basic vault toilets to none at all. Most campgrounds allow pets, and alcohol is permitted at several locations including Lake Thunderbird and Liberty Lake. Campers should verify seasonal availability as some areas have limited access during winter months or may close temporarily due to weather conditions.

Sites at Liberty Lake provide quiet lakeside camping with spacious areas for tents. A review noted, "The campsites were minimal but had lots of space and were right on the lake." Areas around Shawnee Twin Lakes offer opportunities for fishing and water recreation alongside camping. Many tent sites in the region feature partial shade from oak trees, helping provide relief during hot Oklahoma summers. Tent campers typically experience more privacy at locations farther from population centers, with Liberty Lake offering more secluded sites than areas closer to Norman. Water access is a common feature at most tent campgrounds in the area, making these locations popular for combining camping with fishing, swimming, or paddling activities.

Map showing campgrounds near Norman, OklahomaExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near Norman, Oklahoma (8)

Show More
Showing results 1-8 of 8 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Norman Contest

Enter to Win

Tent Camping Reviews near Norman, OK

292 Reviews of 8 Norman Campgrounds

  • Stephen & Theresa B.
    Jun. 21, 2021

    Little Axe — Lake Thunderbird State Park

    Great State Park in Oklahoma

    We had a great stay in Lake Thunderbird State Park near Norman Oklahoma. The park has 11 campground areas situated around the 6000 acre centerpiece lake with many tent, RV sites and some of those have full hook up; our choice was the Little Ax campground on the southern end just off Oklahoma 9. In addition to water activities the park offers hunting, horse rental and boarding, equestrian trails, hiking, mountain biking, nature trails, a nature center, and an archery range. Our lakefront site#37 was nice and shaded with a gentle lake breeze offering a concrete pad, water, 30/15 amp electric, concrete table, lantern holder, fire ring and grill at site. The campground has an entry station, camp host, picnic shelters, playground, bathhouse and laundry, beach area, common fire pit, Verizon 4 bars, dump station, trash receptacles, interior roads are paved, with many sites waterfront. RV sites are close quarters. Tent sites are amazing...pads, concrete table, fire ring, grill, water spigot dispersed, waterfront sites. The town of Norman has all the amenities: shopping, dining, groceries, fuel and yes, Walmart. The area is home to local wineries and breweries and also the hometown to actor James Garner. WARNING: Oklahoma State Parks charge a daily parking fee per vehicle of$10 in addition to the camping fee and they enforce it...just saying from experience...read the information carefully! 13101 Alameda Dr, Norman, OK 73026 GPS- 35.234940,-97.219224 for the Little Ax Campground.

  • William A.
    Dec. 16, 2019

    Lake Stanley Draper

    Primitive but cheap

    the Campground at Lake Stanley Draper is Primitive.  There are no Electric or water at the campground and no dump stations.  They have started to clean the campground up by removing old brush and adding new tent pads, The only restrooms are 2 Porta-Potties at the campground so be prepared for no showers or running water.  Also there are no campfire rings provided and if you want a fire you must bring your own and it must be atleast 4 inches off the ground.  If you visit you must get a permit from the Marina office and call ahead to make sure they are open.  Because this is not on the water of the lake, you will need to drive to fish or boat.  there is alot of road noise so if you are looking for a quite place this may no fit your needs.

  • M
    May. 18, 2025

    Critter Alley — Lake Thunderbird State Park

    Good spot!

    Good little areas. A good amount of space. Not enough if you’re wanting privacy as other camp set ups are close. Some tent sites are handicapped accessible. However some are a steep walk to get down to. Not all, but some have a rocky steep path. Every tent area has a fire pit or some kind and a picnic table which is neat.

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 28, 2019

    Guthrie Lake

    Tents Only

    In a pleasant change of pace for camping I pulled into this location to check out the options which exist in this region for camping in a tent. Wow was a pleased when I discovered that this location was designed for tents only!!

    The pros were great water access, flush toilets, great parking and access to a self pay station. The cons, completely primitive and the roadway is pretty close to the camping area.

    This location is maintained by the City of Guthrie. They have nice parking lot and boat ramp at this location in addition to a fishing pier. A lot of people choose to pull off into the zone deemed camping however for a more shaded coverage when fishing. With that being said there is still plenty of room to have you own little piece of comfort.

    You are supposed to park and walk in the 100 yards to the campsites however I did notice that locals drive into this area. It is pretty open and the main concern is that you pay for day use or overnight uses.

    There are some scattered picnic tables and trash cans however only one are which has bbq grills and this are is pretty removed from the designated camping zone.

    I noticed when I was visiting a lot of traffic down the access road which wasn’t loud really but could be distracting if trying to relax. The traffic was mainly from the residential area which also surrounds the lake.

    Overall I really liked this area for day use but am not completely sold on it as a camping area.

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 28, 2019

    Liberty Lake

    Small campground with secluded sites

    Visiting this campground so was expecting similarities between it and the Guthrie Lake campground as they are both maintained by the City of Guthrie. But I was pleasantly surprised as the road turned to packed rock and dirt and started to get more and more remote in appearance. I noticed equestrian crossings and trails and also signs marking arc access points before entering.

    When arriving to the lake itself traffic splits off into one way lanes. You pass a house like structure which serves as a paystation for entry, though when I visited no one was there to accept my money and I didn’t see a self pay area.

    The boat ramp and fishing pier is the first thing you see when entering the park with large parking and easy water access. There are a few picnic tables at this point to enjoy the day use space. Just beyond that a swimming “beach”. This was a little perplexing to me because there was less than a foot of red dirt sand then water which was marked as appropriate. The beach itself was tiny but it was nice to see they had created a space unique to swimming in the area for safety. No also noticed an abundance of naked signs about life jacket safety which I thought was great!

    As you continue to drive away the more commercial day use area there are 7 campsites each with large parking areas, grills, fire rings, picnic tables and plenty of room to spread out in a tent or RV. These sites do not have hook ups but what they lack there they make up for in lake views. Each site had a clear view of he lake and water access only a short distance from your parking area.

    Restrooms are only port a potty units and with recent winds some of these had been knocked over or damaged by tree limbs, so that is something to consider.

    I really liked that this location by far seemed more established than the other city maintained option and also had more privacy overall.

    Tips:

    • Call ahead if you want to stay here on a weekend since there are limited sites and reserve in advance

    • Check weather before traveling, it is very common for bad weather to roll through this area and with all of the trees you want to make sure you are safe.

  • J
    Jun. 8, 2020

    Bell Cow Lake Campground C

    Nice hidden gem

    Had friends come to town with an RV and we decided to do a last minute camp out.

    After finding out all of the RV and tent camping areas around OKC were at capacity we gave Bell Cow Lake a shot and we were not disappointed. We stayed in Camp Area B, Friday night there were a handful of RV spots still available and we were the only tent campers. Saturday a few more tent campers arrived but there was still open sites between us. 

    Our friends in the RV stayed in RV site 1 and we stayed directly across from them in tent site 3. There was some small trash, cigarette butts and such around the site, cans in the fire ring adjacent to us (site 2) but over all it was a nice spot with ample room to put tents. 

    The tent area is on the water with water access through the grass along the shoreline. Swimming was great with a sand bottom once you got past the grass along the shoreline. There were tons of fish hitting the surface in the evening but I was unable to catch any. Each tent site had a table but it either had a fire ring or a grille (alternating) it would have been preferable if each site had both. 

    The bathrooms weren't the cleanest but were what I would probably expect for a camp ground owned by a smaller city. 

    Bell Cow lake may become one of our go to places as it is still within an easy drive from OKC and half the price of the next closest lake to camp at (Lake Arcadia).

    Tent camping is $10 a night, RV is $20. 

    One of the only things we did not like was with the campsite being 2 miles from I-44 you could hear the highway traffic all night and there was not fire wood available to gather or purchase (perhaps in town) so though it is generally frowned upon to bring your own you won't have a fire otherwise.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 2, 2022

    Arcadia Lake

    Very quiet!

    Edmond Park is one of three separate parks around Arcadia Lake; this one has primitive (no hookups) campsites. This park/campground was the quietest of the three we visited; in fact, we did not see any other campers when we were there on a weekday in early May. Of course, this may not be the case on a weekend in the summer! 

    The bathroom facilities are sub-par– dated and not very clean. NO showers.

    This campground would be nice for families as the playground was located centrally and is easily accessible from all sites. 

    There is also a primitive group camping area. 

    There is a swimming beach/day-use area not too far away. 

    There are no hookups in any of the sites here and many of the driveways were short so it would be better for tents or small RVs/camper vans.

  • Jessica W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 12, 2022

    Arcadia Lake

    Their system is awful the views are great.

    Get there at the right time which is checkout time. It doesn’t matter if the site is empty check it’s probably paid for. With that said if you manage to get a spot it’s going to be a nice stay. Huge spots close to the water and lots of wildlife it’s hard to believe the city isn’t far away.

  • Bill P.
    Aug. 28, 2021

    Abe's RV Park

    Close to the freeway and easy to get to

    It is very easy to get to the campground and easy to access Oklahoma City. There were no picnic tables or fire rings available. There was no shade and the park roads are in poor shape. Many full time campers are permanently parked.

Guide to Norman

Discover the charm of tent camping near Norman, Oklahoma, where nature meets adventure in a variety of scenic locations.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • Enjoy spacious and clean campsites with fire pits at Shawnee Twin Lakes, perfect for gathering around the fire after a day of exploration.
  • Experience unique glamping options at OK Treehouse, featuring a cozy treehouse with outdoor hammocks and a kitchen for a comfortable stay.
  • Camp at Lazy H Alpaca Ranch where you can enjoy the company of friendly alpacas and Great Pyrenees while soaking in the peaceful atmosphere.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

Specific local attractions

  • Visit the scenic views and picnic areas at Meeker Lake, perfect for a quiet day by the water.
  • Experience the thrill of UTV trails and river access at River Run RV Park and Cabins, offering a blend of adventure and relaxation.
  • Discover the beauty of nature while camping at Lazy H Alpaca Ranch, where you can interact with alpacas and enjoy a unique farm experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Norman, OK is North Sentinel — Lake Thunderbird State Park with a 1-star rating from 1 review.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Norman, OK, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring