Looking for tent camping near Waurika Lake? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Waurika Lake, including sites, reviews, and tips. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Waurika Lake's most popular destinations.
One designated primitive camping area is located on the area.
$8 - $17 / night
Scout
My daughter and I tent camp as often as we can at Camp Doris.We brought our dog along this time. Camp sites are always clean and its quite.Lots of hiking to do at camp or nearby.
Guide
East Side – Lake Lawtonka primitive tent camping sites are very well scattered and away from each other. They have two separate areas for primitive camping along with an RV and camper area. The RV and camper area sides are $20 a night with electricity and $8 a night for all primitive tent camping sites. The first primitive campsite is called the ponds. It's very heavily wooded and Lush. The other primitive campsite is very open with almost no trees. Both sides have a beautiful view of Mount Scott & Lake lawtonka. The relative closeness all the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge is literally just across the lake. The view is outstanding but the only negative thing I have to say about this campsite is it there's no restrooms for the primitive camping areas. Both of them have only portable outhouses. No true rest rooms are nearby other than and the RV area. Other than that it's a great place for a wonderful weekend.
GuideWe have tent camped and also used our 16 pull behind camper at an electric site. Campsites are on a first come first serve basis here. We love how quiet and clean the campgrounds always is, and the wildlife running through the campgrounds is incredible! Perfect place for families!
GuideGet There early to get a good spot. There are lots up tent camping and electrical hook UPS for RVS. No street lights, a one shower building, no firewood. Firewood is available for purchase plus you must boil the water before you drink it. All the spots are very clean and have grills and fire pits.
TravelerWeekends at WMWR (Wichita Mountains Wildife Refuge)are very popular beginning early in the camping season making it difficult to find open spots by Friday evening. But that doesn’t keep people from trying late into the night.
The facilities are well maintained and allow anyone to choose very primitive to RV hookup and car/tent camping also. Always lots of friendly folks to visit and get hiking insights from. Many activities are available in WMWR. Hiking trails can be accessed directly from Doris Campground, or there are numerous other trails in other areas a short drive away. Carry in all your water with bovine (longhorn, buffalo) covering virtually all areas of the refuge. I have visited all months of the year.
Legend
Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area, Fort Sill, OK
Cabin 3 (both late June and mid-October)
Lake Elmer Thomas(LETRA) is a 334 acre lake located on Fort Sill in Comanche County, Oklahoma. LETRA offers a pretty nice location for recreating. Offering quite a bit for families in a limited space. •A nice beach and cordoned swim area, complete with restrooms and shower house(11a-7p)…lifeguards •Sand volleyball court •Watersport rentals: paddle boards, canoes, kayaks, pontoon boat •Mini golf course •Disc golf course •RV/Camper area •Rustic rental cabins •Random primitive tent camping •Fishing •Nearby off-base hiking(Mount Scott and the Medicine Park Wildlife Refuge) •Bicycling-ample quiet, paved road opportunities but surprisingly limited off road options
Tent Camping: there are no specifically designated loop or numbered site tent areas. Tenters are permitted to camp all along the lake’s edge in the grassy area. There are a few picnic tables and elevated charcoal grills(no ground fires permitted), so you may have to do without. There are also a few picnic tables under shelters, but half are in a state of disrepair and caution-taped off. Tenters cannot set up tents within the cabin rental inner circle.
The modern facility restrooms are across from the playground as you enter the cabin rental peninsula. Tent campers are able to utilize the shower house/restrooms in the RV/Camper section, as well as the beach areas during open hours. There is no ground cover to separate one tent from the next…all can be seen and heard.
RV/Camper Sites: big rigs are lined up side by side in a separate gravel loop immediately to the left of the entrance. Sites have water and electric hookups. The nicest shower house/restroom is located there. There is a small patch of grass between sites, picnic table and elevated charcoal grill. These sites are closest to the entrance, beach area, watersport rental and campground activities.
Cabin Rentals: log home rentals are on a small peninsula with great views of Mount Scott and Lake Elmer Thomas. At the time of this review, you must bring your own bedding linens/blankets, towels, etc. I would also recommend packing extra eating utensils, condiments and any other items that you would take camping. We rented Cabin 3, which the website says will sleep 4…inaccurate. One full size bed and a small futon will sleep two average-sized adults and one small child in marginal comfort. The table only provides two chairs, not four for two not four. I would subtract 1-2 persons on the cabins unless you count floor space. Cabin 3 was$80 nightly.
Painted turtles are in abundance around the lake, as are smallish ‘fist-sized’ tarantulas. Bicycling the Artillary Range perimeter roadways on base, coyote dash across in early morning hours. Note: you are on a military base, so there are a number of restrictions that you need to be aware of and abide by.
Additionally, the campground is positioned along the northern side of the Artillery range. Yes, you will see and hear C-Ram’s lighting up the sky randomly during the day and night hours, as well as other ordinance. I enjoyed the display and out-of-the-ordinary disruption. Think unanticipated fireworks.
RangerDoris campgrounds are only open for RV campers due to covid so I couldn’t stay. Mount Scott had some pretty awesome views and I hiked the trail across the road from it by the bathrooms. There is a gate and a path beside it made from vehicle wheels. You can hike pretty far. There are several spots where you cross a creek which was good for my dogs or I think they would have died by the way they were panting lol. It was 91 degrees when I hiked it. Take 2 water bottles for yourself if it’s hot out! The trail ends at a beautiful lake with the mountain in the distance. I walked down to the lake so the dogs could cool off and drink for a while. Def loved taking it all in. There’s cattle but they didn’t mind us one bit.
I did see camping in town right before the blue water towers, along the river/creek there are tent camping spots and a lot of people were fishing. It’s just over the bridge and you can miss it. It’s not on the app so thought I would mention it in my review and added some pics of that area!
Legend
This site is a great place for those looking to have a launch for Day Use. Much like the other launch site Beaver Creek, it offers a large launch area and marina for those boating on Waurika Lake with limited amenities for usage.
This site utilizes an honor system for payment and while I was there for over an hour I didn't notice a single ranger coming to enforcement or check payment, I was told during the busier months there is someone who patrols more regularly.
The water level does not seem to effect this site as much as Beaver so you could access the entire ramp area through rains had pushed the bounds of the lake upward tremendously. The ramp itself seemed entirely accessible still.
Parking at this area is very nice for larger rigs making it ideal for boat trailers or RVs looking to enjoy the lake for the day, although swimming is out of the question as there is no swimming beach. You can find one just a bit up the road at the Kiowa Park I.
TIPS:
Make sure you follow the directions on the pay slip correctly.
There is no store at this location so make sure to bring your supplies with you.
Legend
Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area(LERTA), Fort Sill, OK
Tent Site:$10 (both in June and October)
Spending a week in Lawton, OK there are only “so many” places you can camp…so we jumped around every night to try as many as we could. The weather was blistering hot and cloudless during the day with a constant strong breeze in June...(and unseasonably windy and bitter cold in mid-October). So both Lake Elmer Thomas and Lake Lawtonka were a welcomed respite. Technically, the only swimming permitted on Lake Elmer Thomas is 11:00a-7:00p with a daily pass of $8. However, they offer packages for military families and civilians should someone desire to take advantage of the season savings. For campers it’s all included in the site or cabin costs.
There is a separate RV/Camper Loop near the entrance and is a little lower so does not have Lake views. All cabins have lake views to some degree.
Tent sites are grassy areas along the campground roadway on either side, but are not numbered and cost$10 a night. All are first-come, first-served. Most will snatch up the sheltered picnic table areas with an elevated charcoal grill. Almost all are along the lake bank. There is no understory or shrubbery to provide privacy, so you can see and hear your neighbors.
During our stay, they were all young families and very respectful of others. Tent campers can utilize any of the restrooms as well as the showerhouse in the RV area.
There is enough to stay busy right here at LERTA. Canoe, kayak, paddle board and pontoon boat rentals to enjoy the lake. Fishing is permitted and schools of bluegill are seen along the shoreline. The water is incredibly clear. A very nice mini-golf course is located across from the offices. Sand volleyball is next to the beach area. The beach and swimming area is manned by lifeguards from 11:00a-7:00p and offers a huge restroom/showers/changing rooms building. Playgrounds are located in the RV/Camper loop, outside the beach area and along the tenting area before you reach the cabin rentals. An archery range is located across the roadway from the tenting/picnic areas.
The staff are very courteous and helpful. The entrance gate attendant will direct you (Entrance was manned in June but not in October). A bicycle event was taking place and LERTA was the halfway mark and turnaround point. So bicycling these sparsely traveled undulating roads was enjoyable. There are some two track worth exploring to the north of the roadway as well as a few other sizable lakes to fish in the area.
DO NOT venture south off the roadway. It is a clearly marked and active artillery range. Also of note, artillery range practice, though sporadic, takes place at any hour of any day. If you treat it like an unexpected fireworks display you’ll actually look forward to it.
I find the large resident flock of geese more annoying that the artillery….though the half minute displays were at 2359, 0245 and 0349…blasting you out of any REM cycle.
I was advised the tent spots rarely fill up, but RV/Camper and cabin rentals(adventure travel letra)fill up quickly so reservations are a must.
Things to do nearby: Definitely spend time in the Medicine Park Wildlife Refuge Area. Drive, bicycle, run or walk up Mount Scott(rock climbing is permitted on Mount Scott). Check out the hundreds of free roaming LongHorn’s, Bison and prairie dog towns. Coyotes, various snakes and tarantulas can be seen through these hills. Scores of fishable lakes dot the landscape. The Ferguson homestead still exists with its “cannonball” architecture. Chad's El Sabores Mexican Restaurant in Medicine Park is a fantastic little eatery on your way in or out of the Recreation Area. Medicine Park Aquarium and Natural Sciences Center is worth a visit and reasonably priced. Clarification: while this may or may not be true for every military base campground,
LERTA is open to civilians. However, there is a process. Passes must be acquired at the Visitor’s Center at the Sheridan Entrance (plan for an hour) for each adult over 16. You must have a valid/current Drivers License, Passport or other recognized government ID. They do a background check before you qualify for a pass. Also know, certain gates close at 7:00p…so keep track of your time of off-base.
The camp host rolled through during the evening before sunset to make sure all was well…and the military police made their rounds a few times during each day. Both of which I appreciate.
Would I return? Yes, if I’m traveling through these parts again, I wouldn’t hesitate to camp here again (and I did in mid-October, same year for military graduations)
Legend
For improved campground I have always found KOA to maintain a certain level of consistency so when I went on a fun trip with some friends to check out the “rumored Texas Chainsaw Massacre” community just north of Wichita Falls we wanted to check out the KOA there. Now while you are reading this and probably thinking, “WHY WOULD YOU GO THERE??” Keep in mind it is the rumored house and there is no factual proof that it actually is there, instead we found some really interesting other creepy things to go check out, because why not.
Anyway, back to the campground itself.
I was very impressed with the green space, a lot of this area was already starting to brown because of the heat, but they were still looking fresh and soft and that would make for a much better location for our tent. The site itself was just under $30, one of three options they offer which are all only about $4 in difference in pricing. We sprung for the middle option with electrical hook ups, not because we needed them but because after driving around we liked the look of that site a bit more. The deluxe sites they offered were taken but they had bbq grills and a more private tent area, this has been my favorite at several other KOA locations because of the amenities however this again was taken so that wasn’t an option.
We settled in and noticed that there were very nice amenities, the pool was amazing and perfect for a cool down on the warm day. KOA usually has this kind of amenity available as well as some outdoor activities you can enjoy like playground or sports courts. We were told they do observe quiet hours however if we wanted to swim a bit later as long as we were not loud we could do so. I would ask if this is ok before just getting out there and doing it however!!
The shower area was very close to the tent space we had selected and as often is at a KOA, one of my favorite features because they are more home like than a typical National or State Park campground. The water was warm and the pressure was very good!!
I noticed there were several what looked to be long term campers there in RVs. While I personally am not effected by this, it did make the area they were staying in a little less kept looking. They were not over by the cabins and tents however so it wasn’t that off-putting to me, but I could see how if that is an RV stayers view it could be kind of annoying.
I used the WIFI here and it worked great, sometimes the campsites are a bit to far away and thus don’t get good connection, however I was able to use wifi for typical functions, although I did not fully test it with uploading anything major.
TIPS
If you are interested in a Deluxe site book in advance there are very few and they go fast during heavy traffic seasons. Usually at this campsite there are tent sites which are walk in ready however.
Explore around the campground because they have some very interesting items if you are willing to just walk around and see them which are unique to this campground.
TravelerThis so far is my absolute favorite place to camp in the northwest region of Oklahoma. At night you can hear elk. There is a variety of sites from RV, tents, and hike in sites. The park has free range elk, buffalo, and longhorn. Absolutely beautiful and has lots of sites but does fill up fast! Even in March and sometimes February!
GuideThe Wichita Mountains are absolutely one of my favorite places to explore in Oklahoma, but I would only take day trips out there without camping. It wasn't until I camped at the Doris Campground for the first time that I realized how lovely their campsites are. Clean, spacious, and beautiful, with ample parking, tent pads, and grills. The nearby facilities (including showers) were clean and well-stocked, and the hot water in the showers lasted for a long time. Payment was through the honor system. I drove past a non-staffed station where I put my money and my campsite info in an envelope and slipped it through a slot in the door.
Many thanks to the staff for providing a lovely campground for both new and returning visitors alike!
ScoutThe campgrounds were very well maintained, maps were very easy to navigate! I felt safe setting up my tent and leaving it for the day while our group went out to hike.
TravelerGood, large sites for tents and RVs. Doris has semi-primitive sites for tents with picnic tables and fire rings as well as electric sites with hookups. Some sites offer a view of Quanah Parker Lake. All sites at Doris are walk in. There is an unmanned Paystation at the entrance but there is also a friendly campground host who lives onsite. Alcohol is prohibited everywhere within the refuge. Please note that at the time of this review (3/2020) there is NO potable water anywhere in the WMWR. An e.coli contamination in 2017 is still not resolved and any an all water is considered unsafe, including all streams and lakes. Bring in your own water, the closest store is at least 30 mins away.
ScoutI love this area, my favorite part of Oklahoma. Doris Campground is nice. It has all the amenities you could ask for with the bonus of being next to some great hiking, fishing, wildlife and more.
Bathrooms are clean and the spots are well maintained.
Legend
This campground on paper is a great idea, plenty of sites and right by the lake. That seems like a great idea, but on a recent trip to Lawton I stopped to check it out for future camping and found that paper was a bit deceiving. I was greeted by a park attendant which let me drive in and check it out. I noticed this person was here most of the day so people could arrive late and still check in accordingly.
Because of its location it is a popular spot for those wanting to launch onto the lake. I don’t have any issue with sharing space, but when people park in the road it becomes a little bit of an issue. I have a small car so if I can barely fit around these parked vehicles I know it would be near impossible for an RV or even a van.
With that being said, I looked around at the sites themselves. They are advertised for their amenities which include electrical hook ups (various types) and water. It appeared they did indeed have these, but they did have any primitive site options for tent campers. While I do like to stay in improved sites it is nice to have the more affordable option for those which do not need or require these services. Many times when I stay in a tent, I have no reason to hook up to any of these services. In addition, there were no pad sites for tents so while they do allow tents the do not make special concessions for them in any way.
I went to check out the facilities which include showers and it seemed to be heavily used though there were not any real campers there I could find nearby. I assume this was from the traffic of those using the ramps. I did not check other restrooms to see if their quality was better than the one by the ramp area.
The setting itself was relatedly flat and though there were some trees, it didn’t seem very shady at all. I can only imagine this makes for quite the hot summer camping.
TIPS:
TravelerWe stayed at the East Campground on a Friday in early March, 2022. We were pleasantly surprised as we drove through the tent area. We found a spot we liked and drove across the highway to the Lake office and left our $10 fee in the drop box. Very quiet, beautiful lake view. No restrooms, but we made do.
RangerThis is one of my favorite campgrounds when I'm looking for quiet, relaxing camping. The sites are well spaced and the campground is always peaceful. There are nice short hiking trails nearby to enjoy as well. I do wish they had a better designated tent pad. Finding a level spot was a little tricky.
RangerThe Wichitas are (in my humble opinion), by far the best place to be in Oklahoma. When my boyfriend took me camping there (he's an OK native), I was pressed to the glass looking at the buffalo. AMAZING. So much wildlife (make sure you stop to see the prairie dogs), and the mountains are amazing. There is no bad place to camp here, just make sure you go for a hike!
GuideWe needed a quick spot for an impromptu camping trek so hike the Wichita mountains. The Wichita Reserve seemed to be closed to tent campers due to Covid, so we opted for this spot in a pinch. Setup directly next to the lake and had a great view of Mt. Scott at sunset! Only complaint was proximity to the road, as there was some passing truck noise throughout the night.
Legend
This site is well removed from civilization. I would advise not trying to stay here during summer months because it is very hot and dry but during spring or fall it is a great place to catch a sunset in solitude.
RVs and Tents are welcome however sites are harder to maneuver for rigs because of the roadways. I would recommend a tent for access with more room to spread out. There are no improvements at this facility in way of electricity. RVs are able to park on the large parking area comfortably but getting removed from the heat of the asphalt is a bit difficult at this campground.
Tents can spread out, however the ground is hard packed and so you will want to bring something to give up a little comfort instead of just laying on the ground itself. Air mattress is a great idea but you will for sure want to clear your site before you set up because of the sharp small rocks.
The grounds themselves are in need of a little TLC, the picnic tables haven’t been replaced in some time and are warped. While they can still be used they are not level at all!! Then comes the garbage! I was so upset to come here only to find it looked like someone had a big party and didn’t clean up. There were literally bags of trash scattered everywhere and one site had been tossed with the garbage can thrown toward the water when it was full. There is a large dumpster at the property because it is right next to the boat ramp and it was so full it looked like it had not been emptied in a long time. I was there on a Wednesday, I find it hard to believe that the weekend before had been so busy that it was that full, this lake isn’t that populated.
Camping here is completely free so for someone who has an off grid set up this is ideal, I would suggest staying kind of off the beaten path from the boat ramp area.
This area is known more for their fishing than swimming although you can swim, but there is no beach so you will be hopping into the water from a grassy area. There are two docks which you can fish off of however so this might be more your cup of tea.
Scout
This campground is located by a couple of questionable housing additions. Campers have stated items have disappeared from their sites. The traffic is very heavy in and out of the area. It’s a nice part of Lake Ellsworth, however, it is definitely not a campground that is on my top ten list. There are port a potties, electric hookups and some water hookups. Plenty of space to throw a tent down and just camp openly. There are also groundhogs nearby that the kids enjoy watching.
RangerThe Wichita Mountains is the park we frequent the most. It's only about an hour and a half from Oklahoma City and has really wonderful tourist center, trails, and campgrounds. The scenery of The Narrows, Charon's Garden, Elk Mountain, and the Holy City are wonderful. Doris Campground will fill up quickly on weekends, so reservations are suggested. Join 'Friends of the Wichitas' for exclusive tours of the private areas of the park and access to stargazing and wildlife events. Drive up Mount Scott for beautiful views of neighboring Lake Lawtonka, and wonderful sunsets.
Legend
When I pulled into this campsite I wasn’t sure what to expect. Being on the opposite side of the earthen dam from other campsites along Lake Waurika I didn’t know what if anything would be of interest.
I noticed when pulling in this area offers a couple of hiking trails which is vastly different than the lakeside camping. Sites here were mostly shaded and more of a grassland feel. With that being said after recent rains they looked a little unkept with y’all weeds in many areas making for some questionable conditions.
I found sites at this camp both with and without hook ups. All sites looked to have large pull in slots, however the main road was pretty small so I would assume you need to be very good with your rig if it is longer to navigate into sites.
As a tent camper all these sites looked to have good prospect for placing a tent. Grass surrounding the area would make for a very padded site and with a picnic table, prep table and grill in each site when the grounds are maintained I could see this being a great spot to try.
The other negative I did see to this camp was the low laying areas seemed to hold water so many campsites were a bit saturated on the improved side of camp. Little lakes basically were everywhere. Unfortunately this side was also the area with the better restroom so to get a good spot you would have to walk a farther distance to be able to use the facilities which were cleaner.
Pricing was very fair at this location and during busier season I can only imagine they mow the area which would make it ideal for camping of any kind. But as it sits it felt kind of like a ghost town.
TIPS:
Legend
If you are in an RV this is the area at Nocona Lake you will want to check out. Unlike the other two campground which focus more on the tent camper this one has actual RV sites with improvements though they are not waterfront and also area a little small. Sewer and Water are available for a fee in addition to a dump station.
If you are a tent camper they do have these as well so this makes this campground the more busy of the three when it comes to holidays and nice weather.
The facility has grills and picnic tables and though they are not in the best of condition they are more recently replaced that other campgrounds and are sheltered from the hot sun with covers.
This area is the more patrolled of the campsites around the lake so you will have a lot more supervision here and less likely to encounter rogue kids trying to party.
The positives of staying here include a small fishing pier and boat ramp which is better for larger motor boats then some of the other smaller launch ramps. It is pretty clean, the trash isn’t full and is clearly picked up often. The area is very wide open so it is easy to move around in with your boat, trailer or RV.
Now to the negatives. With this being a more populated site it can fill up quickly during nice weather around holidays and with that it can be a little hectic. With this being the most busy boat ramp on public access you will have a lot of in and out traffic.
And lastly, the bathrooms, none of the public facilities are much more than a port a potty, they are a bit odd and not well maintained.
TIPS:
Ranger
Absolutely wonderful camping and hiking!! Lots of camping spots - and most were well distanced for plenty of privacy. Due to COVID all spots require pre-registration online and only self contained vehicles are permitted (all bathrooms are closed). There is no service in the park, but about 2 bars next to the Visitor’s center (which is also closed), so be sure to reserve a spot before you get close to the park. Some sites are dry and some have electric hookups. No water available due to an ongoing E. Coli issue. The camp host was really nice and stopped by both nights we were there. There were lots of hikes and we are looking forward to coming back for an extended stay. For hiking, we loved 40 foot hole (nice waterfall) and Little Baldy for sunset. Wish we had been here a couple weeks earlier because I bet the trees would have been at peak fall foliage color. We saw long horns and bison several times, but unfortunately didn’t see any prairie dogs. We heard this park is mostly used by locals (~80 miles from Oklahoma City), and not many long distance travelers hear about it. Also heard there are great mountain biking trails.
Legend
This is an RV only site!! As a tent camper this was more than a little upsetting to discover. However I went ahead and checked out the location to help friends who travel have a little insight.
I was not impressed by the amenities or location at all, it seemed a bit to open for comfort. There are no concessions for those looking to have a real RV park feel, in fact it is more like off grid stay. The original listing I found mentioned bathrooms, however the bathrooms there were closed and only open during the warm weather, so that was a bit deceiving. There was electricity hook up for RVs however so that seemed to at least offset the lacking other amenities.
The location is very close to area businesses but was overrun with long term oil service workers despite the 72 hour limit. Some of these guys had clearly been here much longer so the rules themselves were a bit confusing and seemed a bit disorganized.
I was told it is $15 -$20 per night and can be paid at city hall and advanced reservations can be made but are not necessary.
I personally wouldn't elect to stay at this facility without a lot of changes. It felt to open to the elements and without a functioning restroom it didn't seem to be all it was advertised.
Tent camping near Waurika Lake in Oklahoma offers a blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, making it an ideal spot for nature enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Waurika Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Waurika Lake is Waurika Primitive Camping with a 4-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Waurika Lake?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 tent camping locations near Waurika Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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