Best Tent Camping near Stillwater, OK

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.

Nice spot near Stillwater. Great mountain bike and hiking trails. Good fishing I’m told. Frisbee golf course. Our campsite was in the RV area, shaded, water and power available. Tent sites available next to the water.

Stayed here while barreling across Oklahoma, tent camping. I was able to reserve the last walk in site (Saturday of 4th of July weekend) around 8pm. You can reserve online thru recreation.gov. All sites are for RV or tent, and there was only one other tent camper. There’s not a lot of privacy (which is the only reason I knocked a star) but it’s right on Kaw lake, is clean and all maintained, and even has showers.

It was nice, individual spaces for tent camping. Where I was there wasn’t much for primitive type camping. Bring your own wood, but there is ample room and the fire pits have grates on them for cooking.

Great State Park close to Tulsa. RV sites and primitive Tent Camping. Great clean and modern toilets and showers with heating and air near the marina. There is a camp shop near the entrance and a short nature trail with some great views. I will definitely be going back

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.

Campground C area offers many pull through RV sites and some back-in RV sites, all with electric & water hook ups. There is also equestrian RV sites with pens, tent camping with shared water spigots, primitive tent camping and a dump station. There are miles of equestrian trails. Hiked down one and the trail was very peaceful and beautiful. It had recently rained a lot, so I had a thick layer of red mud on my shoes from the hike, but glad I hiked it. There are bathrooms with showers, a swim beach, a volleyball court, pavilions, a boat ramp, and plenty of wildlife. Lake is calm & shallow, so it is best for small boats and kayaks. There were plenty of flies due to the time of year and the presence of horses, so a good fly swatter and a fly trap is recommended. Found a small cemetery on the drive to the campsite with some very old grave sites. In all, it was a great place to escape from the real world and relax.

stayed for one night during a road trip with a friend. We're both females and felt safe. Tent sites were pretty big and flat. We didn't go in the lake, the water was pretty stagnant and didn't feel refreshing. The bathrooms were okay, I didn't take a shower, but they seemed clean. Sunset by the lake was really beautiful! Rangers/staff were very nice and helpful too.

King Snake on Arcadia Lake is my go-to site for a quick getaway.  If I have a free weekend and the weather is nice I pack my tent and head out.  The park is large and spread out.  A LOT of Rv's and boats in the main parts of the park but I prefer King Snake for the tent camping.  No rv's, limited traffic, and a short walk to a lightly-used bathroom.  The sites are large enough for 2 large tents.  Tables, hooks, and fire pits in each.  Close enough to the city to get anything you may have forgotten to pack. Also, the eastend of the lake is quiet and calm, away from the boats.

This campground has one of the simplest, user friendly, online reservation site I've ever used. For me, thats a definite plus. The tent sites are massive, equipped with a table, fire ring, grill, and parking. Four sites are near the swim area (9-12), site 9 and 10 are nearest to the toilets - which are clean, sites 1-8 are tucked back in the woods a little. There are RV hookup sites on the inside of the campground loop. Amenities include a playground, hiking/mtb trails, swim area, fishing dock, and a bait shop. Day use fee is 6$, overnight tent fee is 10$. This area is subject to burn bans and showers are located at the west campground.

I really enjoyed my stay at Keystone Lake State Park, despite my slightly rowdy neighboring campers. We stayed at a tent site with a direct, but slightly tough, route down to the lake. The area was beautiful, and there were plenty of amenities, including restroom and shower. Though we didn't actually see much wildlife, we did have what we think was a sneaky raccoon steal our bread in the night, so lock that cooler up tight! The lake is beautiful and warm until you get deep, and the people were all really friendly (aside from our neighboring campers)!

Nice open area for cars & tents. Site says 3 tents max but you could probably fit 5 if you park a bit farther back on the road. Lakeside access, fire pit, clothes hangar, no other campsites nearby, good forest cover, it’s great.

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

We stayed here for the weekend at the end of June. We tent camped at the Red Carpet campground spot #25. One of the things we really liked about this park was that the bathrooms are new and kept clean. They also have showers that are through a separate door from the toilet side. I like that the 2 sides are separated. Also, the playgrounds were all new equipment, which is great compared to lots of the other OK state parks. We could walk down to the lake and jump in the water which beats having to go to a specific swim beach. The park has a nice little store with gift shop items, firewood and snacks. There is also a marina with boat rentals and a restaurant but we didn’t visit either place on this trip. There are a couple hiking trails here. We took the Ranger trail which is a mostly gravel loop that goes through the trees and past the children’s fishing pond.

Overall a good park with new amenities and great for lake activities.

I've been to Lake Carl Blackwell a number of times, and that place is excellently kept. Large lake ran by OSU. Eight miles west of Stillwater (and a hospital) where restaurants and provisions can be found. The lake has cabin, R.V., and tent spot rentals along with kayak and golf cart rentals at the gas station/convenient store by the lake.

This is a very well maintained RV park. I think the pictures speak for them selves.

• 32 Spacious Hookups
• 22 - Drive-through
• 10 - Back-in
• Quaint Picnic Area 
• Convenient On-site Laundry and General Store 
• Shower/Rest Rooms Building
• Rental Cabin
• Free Wi-Fi 
• Safe Storm Shelter 
• Stocked Fishing Pond 

Located just minutes from Lake McMurtry, Lake Carl Blackwell, Karsten Creek Golf Course, Oklahoma State University, and all the rest that Stillwater has to offer, Cedar Crest is situated on 40 acres in a natural setting and offers modern amenities. Despite our country setting, we are easily accessible by paved roads.

Stillwater isn't the most... scenic place in the US. Trust me, I went to school there for 5 years. Lake McMurtry is the perfect little escape though, taking you through winding mountain bike paths and down to the water. I've had some of my favorite camping experiences there, not because it's the most beautiful or wild place, but because its a nice escape.

This is an RV park that someone built next to their house, inside Stillwater city limits. I believe it did have a bathroom area, in the green and tan building. I didn't feel right getting out at this one it was right next to the house. This park did have electric, water and sewer. The place is pretty basic, I feel it would be good for out of town workers to stay.

Pretty empty for a Friday but it’s late in the season. This location allows you to pull straight into the tent spots. Not like others where you park and pack in so great for car camping. Online reservations are easy. No one around to check in when I arrived and no camp host present but no big deal. Water is turned off for tent spots 1-4.

Very nice close to Oklahoma City. Reasonable rate.

Plenty of RV & tent space.