Looking for the best options for tent camping near Vian? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Vian, including sites, reviews, and tips. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Vian, Oklahoma's most popular destinations.
Tenkiller State Park is known as Oklahoma's “heaven in the hills.” The sparkling blue waters of Lake Tenkiller offer water enthusiasts an abundance of recreational opportunities between 130 miles of shoreline and 13,000 surface acres. The park’s plentiful amenities make it a favorite destination for all ages.
Tenkiller State Park in Vian is a haven for all water sports including water skiing, fishing, boating, tubing and scuba diving. Outdoor facilities include a volleyball court, basketball court, two playground areas, four group picnic pavilions and 172 picnic tables. An outdoor swimming pool is available seasonally at the park and includes a water slide and splash pad. Additional amenities include a community building, three hiking trails and the Driftwood Nature Center.
Lake Tenkiller is considered one of the best places in the state for scuba diving, as its waters are clear from eight to 28 feet. Tenkiller Scuba Park is a diver's dream, with a sunken airplane fuselage, school bus, helicopter and two boats to explore underwater. In some areas of the lake, divers can see the remains of homesteads and artifacts left behind from before the lake was formed. The Fisherman's Point Area provides access to a swim beach, dive park, and boat ramp. The lake's underwater terrain ranges from mildly sloping hills to rock cliffs, and the water goes up to 160 feet deep in places. With an Oklahoma fishing license, divers can try their luck at spear fishing for non-game fish. Two diving pro shops, Gene's Aqua Pro and Nautical Adventures, are located on the lake and offer training, certification and equipment rental.
Tenkiller State Park offers RV and tent sites scattered between 10 campgrounds. Online reservations must be made for the RV and tent campsites. Primitive campgrounds include Bluff View, Eagle Point, and Hickory Flats with Day use area's at Fisherman's Point, Goose Neck Bend North and South . RV campgrounds with 30-amp electric and water hookups include Blue Jay Knob and Flying Squirrel. The Shady Grove and Fox Squirrel campgrounds both offer full hookups, with 50-amp electric service. A total of seven comfort stations with restrooms and showers are available in the park, and there are two on-site waste dump stations.
In addition to the tent and RV campgrounds, Tenkiller State Park guests may choose from 38 cabins, ranging from one to three-bedroom styles. All the cabins, except for the three-bedroom models, are duplexes. Cabins are equipped for the maximum number of guests with linens, full kitchens, heat, air conditioning and satellite television. In addition, some cabins are pet friendly. There are a total of 22 one-bedroom cabins, 14 two-bedroom cabins and two three-bedroom cabin.
Tenkiller State Park features two multi-use trails and one nature trail. The Tenkiller Multi-Use Trail is a handicap accessible paved trail 1.5 miles in length. Also located on-site, the Pine Cove Marina offers fuel, snacks and boat rentals, as well as the floating Clearwater Café.
Tenkiller State Park also has The Driftwood Nature Center and a full time Naturalist on staff. There are daily activities Memorial Day through Labor Day. Through the winter months weekend events and activities are planned. To see what is happening at The Driftwood Nature Center call 918-489-5641 or email: leann.bunn@travelok.com
Tenkiller State Park is known as Oklahoma's “heaven in the hills.” The sparkling blue waters of Lake Tenkiller offer water enthusiasts an abundance of recreational opportunities between 130 miles of shoreline and 13,000 surface acres. The park’s plentiful amenities make it a favorite destination for all ages.
Tenkiller State Park in Vian is a haven for all water sports including water skiing, fishing, boating, tubing and scuba diving. Outdoor facilities include a volleyball court, basketball court, two playground areas, four group picnic pavilions and 172 picnic tables. An outdoor swimming pool is available seasonally at the park and includes a water slide and splash pad. Additional amenities include a community building, three hiking trails and the Driftwood Nature Center.
Lake Tenkiller is considered one of the best places in the state for scuba diving, as its waters are clear from eight to 28 feet. Tenkiller Scuba Park is a diver's dream, with a sunken airplane fuselage, school bus, helicopter and two boats to explore underwater. In some areas of the lake, divers can see the remains of homesteads and artifacts left behind from before the lake was formed. The Fisherman's Point Area provides access to a swim beach, dive park, and boat ramp. The lake's underwater terrain ranges from mildly sloping hills to rock cliffs, and the water goes up to 160 feet deep in places. With an Oklahoma fishing license, divers can try their luck at spear fishing for non-game fish. Two diving pro shops, Gene's Aqua Pro and Nautical Adventures, are located on the lake and offer training, certification and equipment rental.
Tenkiller State Park offers RV and tent sites scattered between 10 campgrounds. Online reservations must be made for the RV and tent campsites. Primitive campgrounds include Bluff View, Eagle Point, and Hickory Flats with Day use area's at Fisherman's Point, Goose Neck Bend North and South . RV campgrounds with 30-amp electric and water hookups include Blue Jay Knob and Flying Squirrel. The Shady Grove and Fox Squirrel campgrounds both offer full hookups, with 50-amp electric service. A total of seven comfort stations with restrooms and showers are available in the park, and there are two on-site waste dump stations.
In addition to the tent and RV campgrounds, Tenkiller State Park guests may choose from 38 cabins, ranging from one to three-bedroom styles. All the cabins, except for the three-bedroom models, are duplexes. Cabins are equipped for the maximum number of guests with linens, full kitchens, heat, air conditioning and satellite television. In addition, some cabins are pet friendly. There are a total of 22 one-bedroom cabins, 14 two-bedroom cabins and two three-bedroom cabin.
Tenkiller State Park features two multi-use trails and one nature trail. The Tenkiller Multi-Use Trail is a handicap accessible paved trail 1.5 miles in length. Also located on-site, the Pine Cove Marina offers fuel, snacks and boat rentals, as well as the floating Clearwater Café.
Tenkiller State Park also has The Driftwood Nature Center and a full time Naturalist on staff. There are daily activities Memorial Day through Labor Day. Through the winter months weekend events and activities are planned. To see what is happening at The Driftwood Nature Center call 918-489-5641 or email: leann.bunn@travelok.com
Camp at an animal lovers paradise! Gates Nature Preserve allows you to pitch your tent beside a petting zoo. Meet exotic reptiles and farm animals while spending a night in the forest of Eastern Oklahoma. When you're not playing with animals, Gates Nature Preserve is an outlet to the outdoors! This campsite sits beside the Tenkiller Ferry Lake which is great for water sports and only 5 miles from Tenkiller State Park. It is also less than 7 miles from Greenleaf state park which gives you access to the Arkansas River, Webber Falls Reservoir and Greenleaf Lake. This campsite is equipped with picnic tables, a fire pit, and a bathhouse with potable water and showers. Bring your own tent, food, and firewood.
$25 / night
Membership needed - The Corps manages six gated class A campgrounds, two primitive camping areas, and three day use areas with picnic sites. An additional eight park areas are offered by the Corps with limited maintenance and services. Camping in undesignated areas is prohibited. Park attendants oversee fee collection during the peak season, April 1 – September 30. Campgrounds remain open October 1 – March 31; however, campers must pay by self deposit.
A variety of recreation opportunities are offered by nine commercial concessions, as well as, two parks managed by the State of Oklahoma.
This recreation area is part of Tenkiller Ferry Lake
This recreation area is part of Tenkiller Ferry Lake
Scout
Site is still charging campers full price for extended camping(14days) was told showers and restrooms available then suddenly they closed the facilities without notice. Was helping disabled person and his family who is currently homeless with the campsite and he now needing to look for somewhere else to go because there is nowhere for them to shower or use the restroom when needed.
Scout
We really enjoyed this campground. Lots of room to roam, Plenty of access to the water for boats (multiple ramps) or wading/swimming. Plenty of sites to choose from some shaded, some by the water. A few full hookups but not many. Most spots are just electric and water. Clean restrooms/showers. One newer area of the campground has new private shower rooms. We have been back a couple of times with all the kids and grandkids. Overall a nice corp of engineers park.
Scout
I sort of threw darts at a board to where I would be camping next, and Applegate Cove was my destination this time. The campground is fairly small, but each lot is well maintained. The ground was a bit hard to drive tent stakes into, but I'm attributing that to the weather and season until I visit again and disprove that. There's a small walking loop down to the Arkansas river which left me a gorgeous view of the sunset, unfortunately I also visited during a fishing competition which brought quite a few people, making it a bit of a noisy area during the day as they were using the campground boat slip and dock to cast off from. You can also hear river barges during all hours, though personally I slept through all of the supposed noise. My only real complaint was that one of the bathrooms was in considerably worse condition than the other and you could smell it up to twenty feet away, which after learning I took the extra minute to walk to the nicer one. The shower was good and hot, no complaints there. All in all, I'm pretty happy with how my stay went, and there's very little I disliked about the campgrounds.
TravelerFantastic park to bring the kids and ride the bike trails or fish. Several pavilions and playgrounds. Clean campground. NO SEWER at campsites which is the only reason for the 4 stars. We stayed 7 days and had to move to pump out twice during our stay, so it was slightly inconvenient. Other than that, we loved it and will be back for shorter visits!
Traveler
Very nice camping ground. A little old. Spaces were roomy. Tent spaces under trees, a little unkept. Paid $40 for an RV spot which worked out well. Toilets and showers ok, not so clean.
Guide
Great camp ground, pleanty of shady spots. Would have given 5 stars, but they are limited on sites with 50amps. Showers were in rough shape as well
Scout
Absolutely beautiful from the Senic Overlook!! The trails are easy to traverse, and the nature here is breathtaking!!
Guide
Easy to get to from I-40. Arrived late on a Thursday night and was the only person there. A little road noise off in the distance but the waterfall all but drowned it out.
GuideA little older of an area. Stayed in site B10. Close to level. We have a 36' 5th wheel, tow vehicle, plus another vehicle. Easy entry into site and large enough for all vehicles. Asphalt with concrete patio. There is a picnic table and fire ring. 50/30/20A We can kind of see the river from this site. Very roomy sites in the woods with plenty of shade. Mostly dirt ground. Older but clean restrooms. We didn't use them. There are single person combined toilet and shower rooms at the front of park. There are mountain bike/hiking trails all over, even a little bike park with ramps and jumps. Playground and boat ramp. No sewer hookups, but there is a dump station. Lots of mosquitoes in the evening. Although some sites need maintenance and the restrooms are old, this is a nice park. We stayed 2 days and would definitely stay again.
GuideOlder Park. Renovations are being done... Pads, 10 ft picnic tables, playground... Right off the lake with awesome scenery. Couple who manages the place is really nice and helpful. Would stop here again.
ScoutThe scenery here is really beautiful, Geometry Dash Breeze but it is so deserted that it is a bit scary at night.
Scout
It's a beautiful spot surrounded by big rocks. The only complaint is the restrooms are quite dirty, and the shower doesn't have cold water.
Guide
Site 95 in Dogwood loop of Lake Eufala is awesome. Only 1 other RV site close by. Rest of campers are half mile away. Unless you need the bathouse regularly it's the perfect spot. Plenty of trees, squirrels, birds, and a few deer. Site is paved but not quite level. It's listed as premium site because of patio and wider driveway. Nearly all others are super narrow with 4-5 inch drop off on either side. I would have been rolling my ankle constantly. You're pretty close to entrance of this campground so road noise could be a problem during peak season. Short drive to lake or you can take one of the trails. Full Hookups were dirty but in good working order.
Traveler
Spacious and paved pads with nature all around. Bathrooms were clean and showers excellent. This place is a real cost performer for outdoor activities!
Traveler
21 RV spots available around a small, family lake. Water and electric hook ups and clean dump station. Small park/play area and two large pavilions. Hiking trail located at the back of the park. Lake is great for fishing and kayaking. Not a major boating or water sport lake. First come first serve spots. Camp host is helpful and friendly. Calm and quiet stay
Scout
Very nice and spacious sites with lots of trees and shade. Good hiking and views of the falls. Unless you’re a fan of oval dirt track racing, most Friday and Saturday nights in the summer and fall are pretty loud until after 11:00 at night.
Traveler
Wife and I stayed here for 5 nights, the owners were very friendly and helpful. The campground is close to Checotah and several boat ramps for lake access. We will definitely stay here again.
Traveler
I don’t have many nice things to say about this campground. The bugs were out of control. The bathroom was out of order and a porta potty was set up beside it. The site we chose,#3, was the best site. We found some good trees to set up our hammocks with a view of the forest. 1 and 2 were ok, 4-9 were downright terrible. Basically a parking spot with a picnic area. All the sites were close together. The check in process consisted of a guy in an unmarked vehicle driving up and striking up a conversation without identifying himself. Check out works the same. If you have a boat or tv this park may be nice but I wouldn’t camp here. The hike around nearby lake Alma was the highlight of our trip.
ScoutSaid free on the app, in which u paid for. I show up to the FREE campground and boom they want me to pay 25. When it comes up as free which is false advertising. Which is illegal.
RangerStayed here over a non drill weekend, and the whole place was deserted. Nice spot on the end with trees and the fishing pond. Must be self contained, no bath house. Conveniently located near Fort Smith AR.
Scout
This is not a campsite anymore. Code enforcement will call cops and have you trespassed!
Guide
Stayed here while we went to Strawberry Festival in Stilwell. Very convenient to highway 412 and Siloam Springs. Hosts very friendly and helpful. New park, nothing fancy but a work in progress reasonably priced. Met our needs. Great location next to Illinois River if you want to kayak. Lots of open area to tent camp. Very secluded. Loved watching fireflies over the hayfield.
Traveler
Site 51 was the best view. Long but narrow paved spot. We couldn't back all the way up because the tree was too low, but the spot was long enough where it wasn't an issue. The water spicket was about 80 ft away, and unfortunately we didn't have an adapter for the 30 amp. Otherwise this was a great stay with a beautiful sunset over the water. Be mindful of a couple trees overhanging the way in, but we were able to get through without issue hitting any. We have a 13.5 ft tall and 45 ft long fifth wheel. Mosquitoes were pretty bad so be prepared.
Scout
Contacted owner late in the evening looking for a spot after a 9hour drive. This place had everything and the bathhouse was just like taking a shower at home! Would stop here again when passing through!!
Guide
Our campsite, #33, was perched on top of a hill, accessible by a fairly long, steep incline. The site is not level and would be appropriate only for shorter RVs. The site's position made it one of the more isolated campsites so it was more private than others. Site #33 does not have its own water source. It shares one water spigot with 2 other sites.
Eufaula Lake was muddy and not very appealing. The camp grounds were well-maintained and the camp host was friendly.
Guide
Was headed to Lake Fort Smith but area was booked so we stopped here and was pleased with our stay. Spaces are quite small but it has become the norm everywhere. Site A2 had fire pit, grill, picnic table was pretty level even with gravel. Fishing pond, dog walk area, propane station all on property for reasonable rates. Bathouse was clean and stocked. Only complaint was these little red mites. I looked them up and they are harmless but they were numerous and made us uncomfortable. I was especially concerned for our 2 dogs. I believe this is an old KOA under private ownership. They have done a great job updating the place. Jules at the office was also very pleasant and helpful.
TravelerPulled in about 7 pm. Several cars there but no other campers. Quiet evening without disturbance. It was chilly in the morning, so the fog off the waterfall was eerily gorgeous.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Vian, OK?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Vian, OK is Eagles Point — Tenkiller State Park with a 4.3-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Vian, OK?
TheDyrt.com has all 19 tent camping locations near Vian, OK, with real photos and reviews from campers.
