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Best Tent Camping near Sardis Lake

273 Reviews
CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

Tent campsites near Sardis Lake, Oklahoma include several primitive options for campers seeking a natural outdoor experience. Pigeon Creek Dispersed offers free tent camping with drive-in and walk-in access along the Kiamichi River. Grasshopper Campground in Beavers Bend State Park provides tent-only sites with basic amenities, though it requires a fee despite being categorized as dispersed camping.

Terrain at most tent camping areas is rocky and often uneven, requiring thick sleeping pads for ground sleepers. Many sites lack potable water, so campers should bring their own supply. Pigeon Creek features a clearing next to the Kiamichi River where tent campers can set up, though recent visitors report variable conditions. One camper noted, "The road in was a little bumpy, take it slow and you'll be fine." Some areas have picnic tables and fire rings, but amenities are generally minimal. While fires are permitted at several locations, campers should check current restrictions before traveling.

Tent campgrounds in the region offer varying levels of seclusion and natural features. The Holson Valley Vista shelter, located at mile marker 16.8 of the Ouachita Trail, provides an elevated platform for tent camping with dramatic views of the valley. A visitor commented that the shelter includes "a raised platform, three walls, roof, open air patio, shelf, wall pegs, fire pit and picnic table." For those seeking established tent sites with more amenities, Bluejay Campground at Beavers Bend State Park provides reservable tent camping "a stone's throw from the water" with access to hiking trails. Pashubbe Backcountry Site offers free tent camping with hike-in and walk-in access for those seeking a more remote experience, though pets are allowed and fires are not permitted.

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Best Tent Sites Near Sardis Lake (13)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Sardis Lake

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Tent Camping Reviews near Sardis Lake

273 Reviews of 13 Sardis Lake Campgrounds

  • Janna R.
    May. 22, 2019

    Billy Creek

    5 Stars are not enough for this campground!

    We camped at Billy Creek in March 2019.  We were the only ones there which made it fabulous!  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.  The campsite has tons of big trees.  Each site has a fire ring, picnic table and grill.  Water is available, but not at each spot.  No electricity, no flushing potties, no showers, no sewer hookups, no wifi.  There are latrine bathrooms (2) in a small building near the entrance. There is an abundance of hiking trails, 4 wheeler/motorcycle trails and many trails that a full size SUV can do.  Lots of forest service roads to explore.  We stayed 3 nights and only saw people one day that came in to meet up and ride 4 wheelers.  We will definitely go back!

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 30, 2025

    Winding Stair Campground (Ok) — Ouachita National Forest

    Mountain vista and Fall foliage

    Camped at Site #19 in mid-November, 2025. Paid $4 - senior pass rate; payment envelopes and iron ranger provided. This campground is a good stopover for those those traveling along the Talimena National Scenic Byway (OK Hwy 1) and enjoying vistas in the Ouachita Mountains. This is a great place during the Fall season. Backpackers hiking the Ouachita National Recreation Trail will also find this campground convenient. The Mountain Top Loop Trail in the campround connects to the Ouachita Trail. I arrived and setup camp on a busy Sunday afternoon. The campground was being used by both campers and day use visitors. The two vault toilets were a mess - pretty much unusable. It was so bad, that I set up my own toilet system at my campsite. The bear proof trash containers were packed full. I don't think that this is a reflection on the national forest staff and volunteers; this recreation area is heavily used. After the day-use visitors left, the campground was very peaceful. Road noise from the byway can be heard. The campsite included a picnic table, a cooking table, metal fire ring and two lantern poles. There was also a tent pad on the site. The site was shaded; beautiful Fall colors. The hike on the nearby Ouachita Trail was easy. There is a short path from the campground to the Emerald Vista viewpoint. This was my 2nd time camping here. I enjoyed my stay here.

  • Troy W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 26, 2018

    Holson Valley Vista

    Holson Valley Vista Shelter + A Room with a View

    I stayed at this campground shelter while hiking the Ouachita Trail.

    The campground and shelter were built by the Friends of the Ouachita Trail and is located at mile market 16.8 of the trail. While the campground is only a few hundred feet from the Talimena National Scenic Byway it is best reached by hiking the Ouachita Trail.

    The shelter is an open air wooden structure with a raised platform, three walls, roof, open air patio, shelf, wall pegs, fire pit and picnic table. Most campers might pop up their tent or just cowboy camp on the raised platform. Our group hung hammocks from the rafters. There were wall pegs that were convenient for hanging and drying our gear or to keep it away from any little critters (mice) that might visit in the night. There are not many amenities at this campground, but it is a nice resting stop and provides some protection from the elements during inclement weather.

    The shelter is located on a gradual sloping rocky hill and has a dramatic overview of the valley when the weather is clear and the foliage is not heavy. There are no waste facilities nearby so it is good to practice Leave No Trace and pack out whatever you pack in. We found and collected water earlier in the day and carried it into camp.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 30, 2025

    North Shore Campground, Cedar Lake Rec Area

    Wooded campground on beautiful lake

    The Cedar Lake Recreation Area has 4 campgrounds. This review is specifically for the North Shore Campground. Camped at site #56 in mid-November, 2025. Paid $7.50 - senior pass rate; otherwise, the campground fee is $15, and the day use fee is $5. Payment envelopes and iron ranger provided at info station. This campground has individual and group tent sites. Most of the sites are first come, first served and reservations can be made for others on recreation.gov. There are no hook-ups at the campsites. There are common water stations scattered about the campground. Water was turned on during my stay. The are two reatroom/shower houses, but one of them was closed for the winter. Water, flush toilets and a hot shower were available in the other restroom/shower house. The campground road and campsite driveways are paved. My campervan fit okay at the site. Each of the group sites have multiple tent pads and a small parking lot at the site. All sites, group and individual, have tent pads, picnic tables, metal fire rings, grills and lantern polls. My site, #56, was pretty level, and was close to the campground road. This site was next to a 3 tent-pad campsite. I was the only camper in the campground during my stay. There were a few people launching boats at the nearby boat ramp. A friendly national forest campground resident/volunteer stopped by for a visit. There is access to the 3-mile Cedar Lake Loop Trail which takes you around the lake; beautiful views throughout the hike. In addition to the boat ramp, there is a fishing pier at the campground. I loved this campground. Well maintained. Beautiful location in Oklahoma. Very peaceful night. I'm looking forward to returning.

  • Leslie N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 13, 2020

    Quarry Island Campground — Lake Wister State Park

    Quiet and Beautiful

    We stayed at RV site #3 on Quarry Island. The concrete pad was perfectly level and took no time to set up. 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 the isle. There was also a lot of tent camping, flush and vault toilets, dump station, pavilion, 5 cabins, picnic tables with grills, boat ramp and swimming anywhere you wanted except for 150’ of the boat ramp. The ranger station was on the isle, so traffic was high at check in. There were 2 hiking trails that looked very nice, but never hiked because we were kayaking. My parents stayed in cabin #4 on the isle and my brother tent camped at Wister Ridge. The view from both of their places was breathtaking and his tent site was well shaded with maple, oak and pine. Fishing was very good and wasn’t a whole lot of boat traffic. There is also primitive camping which looked very nice, except for a couple of sites where the campers didn’t clean up too well behind themselves.

    Pros: Beautiful area and amazing views. Everyone was very helpful and friendly. Plenty of options for accommodations and outdoor activities. The Heavner Ruinstone and Spiral Mounds are close. Tons of wildlife areas and we even spotted a bald eagle. The campgrounds and cabins were very clean.

    Cons: RV sites can be very crowded and not well spaced, especially at Victor Landing. The Wards would be the least crowded for RVs. The booking website is not very good and not very accurate. The cabins bed was not very comfortable, the shower was small and flooded the bathroom while using and the kitchen light and living room ceiling fan was on one switch, so there was no way to have the fan going without the light on. Not all RV sites have picnic tables.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 30, 2025

    Pine Creek Cove

    Nice campground with lake view

    Camped here in mid-November, 2025. Paid $11 with my senior pass; payment was made online. Loop O was the only loop open during our stay. After dispersed and primitive camping for some days, I camped here primarily to replenish my water supply and power, and take a hot shower. The loop, which has 10 sites, all with lake views, was clean, well maintained and quiet. There was only one other site occupied during my stay. There was some road noise from vehicles crossing the nearby dam, but it wasn't bad. I liked how my site (#1) was on a paved patio-like pad, a little elevated, providing a nice view of the lake. The paved site was level, and had power and water - all in operation.  The site has a picnic table, metal fire ring, grill, fish cleaning table and lantern pole. Picnic tables at a few of the other sites were covered. I don't recall seeing tent pads on this loop. The vault toilet on this loop was clean and supplied. The shower house at the main campground entrance was open. It too was clean and supplied. The shower had hot water. Fishing and boating appeared to be the main activities at the time of my visit. There were no hiking trails, but walking around in the campground loops and day use area was nice. Not much shade here, so Starlink connectivity is possible. Had AT&T and T-Mobile data service. Even though I normally don't camp in established, full service campgrounds, I really enjoyed my stay here. Relaxing and peaceful.

  • M
    Jun. 2, 2021

    Armadillo Campground - Beavers Bend State Park

    Beautiful. Simply, beautiful!

    This place is terrific! Awesome view, abundant wildlife (we had a bald eagle perched across the cove from us for two days, when he wasn’t flying up and down the channel) and very peaceful. Fish from your tent pad if you wish because most are within 15 feet from the water.

    We are seasoned tent campers so my review is based off of the Bluejay Tent Camping Loop at Stevens Gap. Each site is directly on the lake and has a level tent pad, a fire ring, a picnic table on a concrete slab, a barbecue grill and a lantern hanger. We were there the day after Memorial Day and the weather stayed in the mid 60’s to mid 70’s. Perfect hammock weather! Plenty of pines and even some oaks for shade. The marina is about a half mile to the East but all of the big boats go East from there so there was hardly any boat traffic except for a few kayaks and canoes. The only downside was the vault toilets, which I normally don’t mind, were terrible. Maybe because of the holiday weekend previous, but nonetheless, they were foul. The ones about a mile up the loop were fine so I don’t know why. I would have given four stars if not for that.
    Town is just 10 minutes away with food and entertainment so it was very conveniently located. We hope to return there soon!

  • Ashley W.
    May. 1, 2019

    Cedar Lake (Oklahoma)

    My favorite!

    This campground is one of my all time favorites!! It has everything you want in a campground and more. Hiking here is definitely the best, because the views are amazing!! The campground is always really well kept as well which I appreciate. The campsite spots themselves are pretty big in size and are separated by trees and bushes. Feels very private. They do have a quiet hour which is after 10pm. This is nice because there aren’t people partying all night long. There are tent spots and also RV. We camped, so I’m not sure if th RV spots are set up for electricity. 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. Hiking is great, and there are multiple good spots nearby. Again, go early to beat the crowds! Dogs are welcome but must be on leash. Vaulted toilets on site and a place to fill up your water! Can’t wait to come back.

  • Rick G.
    Nov. 20, 2022

    Lost Rapids

    Nice Campground Next to Lake

    This campground is next to a large lake. It has tent sites with picnic tables. Some have lantern poles, fire pits and/or grills. The RV sites have water and power with same assortment of other things. The lake has a boat ramp with a small dock/fishing pier. This is a good place to take a telescope or just stargaze. Some of the sites need minor repair. The restrooms will clean. The restrooms nearest the RV area have showers.

Guide to Sardis Lake

Tent camping near Sardis Lake in Oklahoma offers a blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape into nature.

Local Attractions and Scenic Views

  • The Holson Valley Vista provides breathtaking views of the valley, especially from its open-air shelter, making it a great spot for photography and relaxation.
  • At Lake McAlester, campers can enjoy the serene waters and surrounding nature, ideal for fishing and birdwatching.
  • The Pigeon Creek Dispersed area offers a picturesque setting where the river and creek merge, perfect for a peaceful day by the water.

Amenities for Tent Campers

Activities and Outdoor Adventures

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Sardis Lake?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Sardis Lake is Lloyd Church Lake with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Sardis Lake?

TheDyrt.com has all 13 tent camping locations near Sardis Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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