Looking for the best campgrounds near Cherokee, OK? Cherokee is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Cherokee, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
Salt Plains State Park is one of Oklahoma's most unique state parks. The barren landscape of the nearby Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is comprised of salt leftover from an ocean that covered Oklahoma in prehistoric times, and the saltwater lake in the park, Great Salt Plains Lake, is about half as salty as the ocean.
Visitors can take their pick of activities in the park, such as swimming in Great Salt Plains Lake or trekking along bike trails. Equestrians can bring their horses to ride designated trails, and there are nature trails to enjoy while taking in the scenery. Fishing at the lake is fun for the entire family, whether in a boat or onshore. Varieties of fish such as catfish, saugeye, sand bass and hybrid striper can be found in these salty, shallow waters. You can also bring your canoe or kayak and enjoy a trip around the lake viewing the many migratory birds that pass through the area.
The selenite crystal dig area is located southwest of the lake in the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, and access roads are available six miles west of Jet or three miles south of Cherokee. The crystal digging area is open from April 1 to October 15 from sunrise to sunset. Located just under the surface of the salt plains, these crystals usually form into an hourglass shape. Oklahoma is the only place in the world where the hourglass-shaped selenite crystal can be found. While searching for crystals, look for some of the over 300 species of protected birds that live in and can be seen in the refuge.
Enjoy a multi-day stay at Salt Plains State Park in one of the renovated, eco-friendly cabins. Each of the six cabins has its own bed, refrigerator and stove, among other amenities. Pets are allowed in select units for a small nightly fee. Also, overnight camping is available in an RV or tent site. One full hookup site is available. Online reservations must be made for all RV and tent campsites. Comfort stations with showers are located near the sites and throughout the park for the convenience of visitors. Great Salt Plains State Park also offers picnic pavilions and outdoor grills.
This recreation area is part of Great Salt Plains Lake
$25 / night
A prime example of Oklahoma's diverse terrain, Little Sahara State Park boasts over 1,600 acres of sand dunes, ranging in height from 25 to 75 feet. The vast dunes have formed over time from terrace deposits, remnants of prehistoric times when the Cimarron River flowed over the entire area. Located south of Waynoka in northwest Oklahoma, the park offers RV sites with water, electric and sewer hookups, tent sites, picnic areas and comfort stations. All campsites must be reserved online.
The main attraction at Little Sahara State Park is dune buggy and ATV riding across the sand dunes. Visitors can either bring their own ATV or rent one off-site by a private vendor. Either way, visitors will have a blast in this mini-desert atmosphere, known as one of the best riding spots for ATVs in the Midwest. The cost is $10 a day for all drivers and passengers to get on the sand. Passengers under 10 years old are free. The park also offers an annual family pass for frequent visitors. Cost for the pass is $200 for the first and $125 for each additional family member in the same household.
Please note: Pedestrian foot traffic is prohibited in the dune riding area. Please visit the observation deck located in the Buttercup Campground to view the dunes.
Groceries and fuel are available to purchase in nearby Waynoka. Concessions are not offered in the park.
A permit is required to take professional photos in the dune riding area. Please contact the park office for more information.
All vehicles at Little Sahara State Park are required to follow park rules and regulations.
PARK SAFETY RULES AND REGULATIONS:
All vehicles must have a whip attached to the ORV that extends 10 feet from the ground to the top of the whip.
All vehicles must have a 6" x 12" flag attached within 10" of the whip's tip. It must be bright solid orange in color.
All vehicles must have a bright white front and red rear lights powered by the vehicle for night use.
Dune buggies and 4x4 vehicles must have a roll bar sufficient to support the weight of the vehicle and must have a seat belt for each passenger.
Oklahoma law requires every child under 8 years of age to be properly secured in a child passenger restraint system.
Full coverage helmets are strongly suggested. Riding is at your own risk. Please stay within the posted park boundaries.
Any person under the age of 18 who is not in a vehicle with a structured roll cage is required to wear a helmet.
Double riding is not allowed on ATVs unless the vehicle is specifically manufactured for a passenger.
Dune riding area is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If gate attendant is not on duty, it is your responsibility to go to the park office or kiosk to pay for your riding fees. Kiosks are located at Competition and Buttercup Campgrounds.
Alcohol is strictly prohibited in the dune riding area.
Big Bend Park is located on Canton Lake in northwest Oklahoma on the North Canadian River. The area hosts a large number of campers, picnickers, boaters, fishermen and hunters every year as one of the few places in western Oklahoma to offer so many activities.
Canton Lake is known for its fishing opportunities, especially walleye fishing. The Walleye Rodeo fishing derby is held annually in mid-May and draws thousands of visitors to the area for the 4 day event. Personal watercraft use, tubing and water skiing are popular on the broad expanse of water paralleling the dam where winds are subdued. Gently sloping beaches on the northern side of the lake are an inviation to swimmers and sunbathers. A Disc Golf Course is located in the Big Bend Day Use Area.
The campground offers 102 campsites with electricity and water hookups and 12 non-electric campsites. Many of the campsites feature panoramic views of the lake. There is also a day-use group picnic shelter, 4 boat ramps and a disc golf course.
The shores of Canton Lake have several varieties of trees natural to the area which include eastern cottonwood, post and blackjack oak and black willow. Other trees planted in the campground to subliment the shade for campsites include american elm, sycamore, lacebark elm and silver maple.
A major attraction for hunters is the 14,862 acre Canton Wildlife Managent. This area, operated by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is home to whitetail deer, wild turkey, bobwhite quail, squirrel, rabbits, dove and several varieties of waterfowl. There a several resturants located within 3 miles of the lake and also a casino and 9 hole golf course. Roman Nose State Park and Glass Mountains State Park are only about a 30 minute or so drive drive from the lake.
$40 / night
This recreation area is part of Great Salt Plains Lake
Salt Plains State Park is one of Oklahoma's most unique state parks. The barren landscape of the nearby Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is comprised of salt leftover from an ocean that covered Oklahoma in prehistoric times, and the saltwater lake in the park, Great Salt Plains Lake, is about half as salty as the ocean.
Visitors can take their pick of activities in the park, such as swimming in Great Salt Plains Lake or trekking along bike trails. Equestrians can bring their horses to ride designated trails, and there are nature trails to enjoy while taking in the scenery. Fishing at the lake is fun for the entire family, whether in a boat or onshore. Varieties of fish such as catfish, saugeye, sand bass and hybrid striper can be found in these salty, shallow waters. You can also bring your canoe or kayak and enjoy a trip around the lake viewing the many migratory birds that pass through the area.
The selenite crystal dig area is located southwest of the lake in the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, and access roads are available six miles west of Jet or three miles south of Cherokee. The crystal digging area is open from April 1 to October 15 from sunrise to sunset. Located just under the surface of the salt plains, these crystals usually form into an hourglass shape. Oklahoma is the only place in the world where the hourglass-shaped selenite crystal can be found. While searching for crystals, look for some of the over 300 species of protected birds that live in and can be seen in the refuge.
Enjoy a multi-day stay at Salt Plains State Park in one of the renovated, eco-friendly cabins. Each of the six cabins has its own bed, refrigerator and stove, among other amenities. Pets are allowed in select units for a small nightly fee. Also, overnight camping is available in an RV or tent site. One full hookup site is available. Online reservations must be made for all RV and tent campsites. Comfort stations with showers are located near the sites and throughout the park for the convenience of visitors. Great Salt Plains State Park also offers picnic pavilions and outdoor grills.
A prime example of Oklahoma's diverse terrain, Little Sahara State Park boasts over 1,600 acres of sand dunes, ranging in height from 25 to 75 feet. The vast dunes have formed over time from terrace deposits, remnants of prehistoric times when the Cimarron River flowed over the entire area. Located south of Waynoka in northwest Oklahoma, the park offers RV sites with water, electric and sewer hookups, tent sites, picnic areas and comfort stations. All campsites must be reserved online.
The main attraction at Little Sahara State Park is dune buggy and ATV riding across the sand dunes. Visitors can either bring their own ATV or rent one off-site by a private vendor. Either way, visitors will have a blast in this mini-desert atmosphere, known as one of the best riding spots for ATVs in the Midwest. The cost is $10 a day for all drivers and passengers to get on the sand. Passengers under 10 years old are free. The park also offers an annual family pass for frequent visitors. Cost for the pass is $200 for the first and $125 for each additional family member in the same household.
Please note: Pedestrian foot traffic is prohibited in the dune riding area. Please visit the observation deck located in the Buttercup Campground to view the dunes.
Groceries and fuel are available to purchase in nearby Waynoka. Concessions are not offered in the park.
A permit is required to take professional photos in the dune riding area. Please contact the park office for more information.
All vehicles at Little Sahara State Park are required to follow park rules and regulations.
PARK SAFETY RULES AND REGULATIONS:
All vehicles must have a whip attached to the ORV that extends 10 feet from the ground to the top of the whip.
All vehicles must have a 6" x 12" flag attached within 10" of the whip's tip. It must be bright solid orange in color.
All vehicles must have a bright white front and red rear lights powered by the vehicle for night use.
Dune buggies and 4x4 vehicles must have a roll bar sufficient to support the weight of the vehicle and must have a seat belt for each passenger.
Oklahoma law requires every child under 8 years of age to be properly secured in a child passenger restraint system.
Full coverage helmets are strongly suggested. Riding is at your own risk. Please stay within the posted park boundaries.
Any person under the age of 18 who is not in a vehicle with a structured roll cage is required to wear a helmet.
Double riding is not allowed on ATVs unless the vehicle is specifically manufactured for a passenger.
Dune riding area is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If gate attendant is not on duty, it is your responsibility to go to the park office or kiosk to pay for your riding fees. Kiosks are located at Competition and Buttercup Campgrounds.
Alcohol is strictly prohibited in the dune riding area.
Big Bend Park is located on Canton Lake in northwest Oklahoma on the North Canadian River. The area hosts a large number of campers, picnickers, boaters, fishermen and hunters every year as one of the few places in western Oklahoma to offer so many activities.
Canton Lake is known for its fishing opportunities, especially walleye fishing. The Walleye Rodeo fishing derby is held annually in mid-May and draws thousands of visitors to the area for the 4 day event. Personal watercraft use, tubing and water skiing are popular on the broad expanse of water paralleling the dam where winds are subdued. Gently sloping beaches on the northern side of the lake are an inviation to swimmers and sunbathers. A Disc Golf Course is located in the Big Bend Day Use Area.
The campground offers 102 campsites with electricity and water hookups and 12 non-electric campsites. Many of the campsites feature panoramic views of the lake. There is also a day-use group picnic shelter, 4 boat ramps and a disc golf course.
The shores of Canton Lake have several varieties of trees natural to the area which include eastern cottonwood, post and blackjack oak and black willow. Other trees planted in the campground to subliment the shade for campsites include american elm, sycamore, lacebark elm and silver maple.
A major attraction for hunters is the 14,862 acre Canton Wildlife Managent. This area, operated by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is home to whitetail deer, wild turkey, bobwhite quail, squirrel, rabbits, dove and several varieties of waterfowl. There a several resturants located within 3 miles of the lake and also a casino and 9 hole golf course. Roman Nose State Park and Glass Mountains State Park are only about a 30 minute or so drive drive from the lake.
$40 / night
