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Best Tent Camping near Talihina, OK

299 Reviews

Tent campsites in the Ouachita Mountains surrounding Talihina, Oklahoma offer a mix of dispersed backcountry sites and established campgrounds. The region includes primitive options like Pigeon Creek Dispersed camping area along the Kiamichi River and the Holson Valley Vista shelter accessible from the Ouachita Trail. Beavers Bend State Park, though farther from Talihina, provides several tent-friendly established campgrounds including Bluejay and Coyote Drive.

Most primitive tent sites near Talihina require campers to be self-sufficient with water and waste management. Pigeon Creek Dispersed camping features rocky terrain requiring thick sleeping pads or hammocks for comfort. Access roads can be rough and require slow, careful driving. Holson Valley Vista shelter provides limited amenities but includes a raised wooden platform, fire pit, and picnic table for tent campers. Some established campgrounds like those at Beavers Bend State Park offer basic facilities such as picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets, though many still lack drinking water. Practice Leave No Trace principles as most areas have no trash collection.

The tent camping experience near Talihina provides opportunities for solitude among forested hills with scenic river access. The Kiamichi River and Pigeon Creek confluence creates an attractive backdrop for primitive camping with surrounding trees, moss, and mountain spring water. Some dispersed areas have suffered from previous campers leaving trash, impacting the natural experience. A camper reviewing Pigeon Creek noted, "You're surrounded by trees, moss and running blue mountain spring water. What's not to love?" Established campgrounds at Beavers Bend State Park offer proximity to water activities, though weekend boating traffic can create noise disturbances for tent campers seeking quiet. Pashubbe Backcountry Site provides a more secluded option for hikers willing to pack in their gear.

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Best Tent Sites Near Talihina, Oklahoma (12)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Talihina, OK

2 Photos of 12 Talihina Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Talihina, OK

299 Reviews of 12 Talihina 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!

  • 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.

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 30, 2021

    Winding Stair Campground (Ok) — Ouachita National Forest

    Views for days!!

    Driving from Mena to Talihina along this stretch of highway is a treat when it comes to the spectacular views.   But stopping at places like this campground even further explain just how much of an amazing place this part of Oklahoma really is!   This area was once logged to the point that it was basically worthless before the Forest Service took it over and started to replenish the land and create public spaces like this campground.    It now is a thriving place for recreation and viewing.

    The campground is a series of pull ins and thru sites which vary in size allowing for tent camping with single cars or even some larger rigs.    There are vault toilets centrally located at the entrance in addition to extra picnic tables for those wanting a little extra space to enjoy.    

    A few spigots are around camp that are not in the best of shape, but they do still work, so don't be fooled.

    The roadways through camp and the sites themselves are very well taken care of, however because of recent rains the grass was a bit more wooly than it typically would have been.   Despite this the sites were still clear of grass for the most part.  

    Each site was equipped with picnic tables, fire rings, lantern hooks, grills and prep stations and large spaces for tents, should you have one.  Additionally you can find trash cans around camp in a few places.

    From the campground you can easily access the scenic point which additionally has more picnic tables with a view, definitely suggest checking it out!!  

    Campground is first come first serve and does have a senior discount with the park pass.   Envelopes are provided at the main kiosk.

  • 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.

  • 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) Equestrian Camp

    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.

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 30, 2021

    Queen Wilhelmina State Park — Queen Wihelmina State Park

    Beautiful vistas and some unique additional recreation features

    Driving through this part of Arkansas you can quickly get taken aback by the winding roads the ample beauty, but until you visit the campground and park you will only have a portion of the beauty of the region. High atop the mountain, with a near perfect view, you can see for miles and miles. 

    I visited this park arriving late in the evening, in perfect timing for a sunset which painted the sky with colors that filtered down onto the mountainside below. A dense fog began to roll in and it seemed magical. 

    Typically I am not as taken aback as I was by this park but its views and shaded campsites complimented each other so well it made for the perfect evening. 

    Not needing for electricity I opted for one of the tent sites, which includes a large tent pad, large parking space and standard amenities such as picnic table, lantern hook, fire ring and grill. However unlike many primitive sites, this site did also include water. Site pricing was about $20. 

    Bear warnings abound, but there are no bear boxes, and upon checking in the desk attendant mentioned that they don’t often see them but to proceed with caution in regards to food. She also noted that in her lifetime she had never encountered a bear on the trails and would instead be aware of snakes. 

    The campground is only one of the many features with others including a lodge with a restaurant open each evening until 9 p.m. A narrow gauge train, large enough for the entire family to ride on the 2 mile track and mini golf are available seasonally. Plenty of hiking is available both in park, where there are 3 trails, and just outside where you can find the much larger trail system which runs for some 200 miles through Oklahoma and Arkansas. 

    Cell Signal With AT&T- 1 Bar at campsites but 2 bars in lobby area if you are in need of making a call in case of an emergency. 

    All in all I would put this campground on the top of my Arkansas list for the beauty of drive and sunset location, however the sites themselves despite being very nice were average for a state park in the region.

  • Sheila B.
    May. 1, 2020

    Robbers Cave State Park — Robbers Cave State Resort Park

    Perfect for a quick trip

    We decided on a whim to get away from home for a few days. This was a very relaxing stay. We stayed in the ATV campground as we brought our side by side. We did more hiking than off road riding. We discovered that the off road area hasn’t been open for very long. We went out the first day, but not again after that since we felt like we needed to be with other riders for safety. The hiking is so nice here we have a 5 year old and he hiked with us on four different trails during our stay. We found registration an easy process, and it was easy to find our campsite once we arrived. Each spot has a picnic table, lantern hook, grill, and fire ring. There are other accommodations such as tent camping, hike to camp, and regular RV spots with concrete pads. We enjoyed our stay and we will come back.

Guide to Talihina

Nestled in the scenic Ouachita Mountains, Talihina, Oklahoma, offers a variety of tent camping experiences for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature.

Tips for tent camping near Talihina

  • For a unique experience, consider staying at the Holson Valley Vista, where you can enjoy an open-air shelter with stunning valley views and a fire pit for cozy evenings.
  • Be prepared to hike in at the Pashubbe Backcountry Site, which offers a true back-to-nature experience without the distractions of modern amenities.
  • If you're looking for a peaceful spot, Pigeon Creek Dispersed provides a serene environment alongside a beautiful creek, perfect for relaxation and reflection.

Tent campers should check out Lloyd Church Lake

  • While Lloyd Church Lake lacks amenities like picnic tables and showers, it offers a quiet setting for those who appreciate simplicity and solitude.
  • This site is ideal for tent campers who enjoy a rustic experience, as it provides a chance to connect with nature without the usual distractions.
  • The surrounding area is perfect for hiking and exploring, making it a great base for outdoor adventures.

Enjoy the beauty of Beavers Bend State Park

  • The Coyote Drive Campground allows for fires and is pet-friendly, making it a great choice for families and furry companions.
  • At Bluejay, campers can enjoy proximity to water and hiking trails, enhancing the outdoor experience with plenty of activities.
  • For those seeking a more developed camping experience, Elm Campground — Beavers Bend State Park offers reservable sites and picnic tables, perfect for a comfortable stay in nature.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Talihina, OK is Holson Valley Vista with a 4-star rating from 1 review.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 12 tent camping locations near Talihina, OK, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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