Boating and fishing draw most visitors to Tall Chief Cove, a lakeside campground on Skiatook Lake managed by the City of Skiatook. The access route runs through residential subdivisions before dropping down to the water, which catches some first-time visitors off guard. Once there, the layout makes the lake the clear centerpiece. All sites sit along the water, and as James K. notes, "electric at every site and communal water spigots" are standard across the property.
The campground is set up primarily for RVs and trailers, with concrete pads, fire rings, and picnic tables at most sites. A handful of spots include covered pavilions. The A Loop tends to work best for tent campers, according to multiple reviewers, since other loops sit closer to RV traffic. Campers in site B39 have reported good lake views and bird activity. Site A22 sits right on the water with boat access and a swimming area, though it requires a longer hose run or water containers since it's the farthest from shared water spigots. A two-night minimum stay applies.
Beyond the water, the recreation area includes a disc golf course, volleyball court, basketball hoop, playground, and horseshoe pits. The bathhouse has flush toilets and showers, and reviewers consistently describe it as well-maintained, though a more recent visitor noted some cobwebs in the bathrooms. Scorpions have been spotted at night, so checking gear and footwear is worth the habit here. Pets are welcome throughout.
Reservations are required, and the most-requested waterfront sites can book out months ahead, particularly for summer weekends. The campground also has a dump station and accommodates RVs up to 90 feet. Campers exploring camping near Tall Chief Cove Recreation Area will find additional options in the surrounding area, including COE Skiatook Lake Tall Chief Cove and Stoney Ridge Campground roughly four miles to the northeast.
Description
Overview
Located on beautiful Skiatook Lake in northeast Oklahoma, Tall Chief Cove is one of the most popular campgrounds in the region. The campground has a variety of sites along the forested lakeshore, and visitors can enjoy boating, hiking, swimming, picnicking and fishing from the facility.
Recreation
Families enjoy the convenience of this facility's swim beach, picnic areas, nature trail, playground and educational programs. Sport fishing for largemouth bass, black and white crappie, channel catfish and several species of sunfish offers anglers many hours of enjoyment on the lake. About 6,000 acres of public land in the lake area are open to hunters wishing to pursue whitetail, quail, rabbit and squirrel.
Facilities
Tall Chief Cove offers 50 individual sites with electric hookups and one group picnic shelter for day use that can host up to 200 people. All guests with reservations can utilize our professional style volley ball court, basketball court, disc golf course, or horseshoe pits. The campground provides covered picnic tables, restrooms and showers.
Natural Features
Gentle rolling hills of blackjack and post oak trees intersperse with tall grass prairie around the glistening lake. The shoreline is accentuated by steep picturesque bluffs which offer views of the water.
RV Road Trip Guides
Map & DirectionsTall Chief Cove is located in Oklahoma near Prue
Directions
From Tulsa, Oklahoma, take Highway 75 north to State Highway 20. Take the Skiatook exit, turn west on State Highway 20 and drive about 15 miles. Turn left on Lake Road and proceed about five miles to the campground.
Address
14004 Lake Road
Skiatook, OK 74070
Coordinates
36.3219444 N
96.1208333 W
Connectivity
T-Mobile5GExcellent CoverageVerified by 2 usersLast on 5/15/26
Verizon5GGood CoverageVerified by 2 usersLast on 7/1/26- AT&T5GExcellent CoverageVerified by 1 userLast on 3/12/26
Connectivity
- T-Mobile5GExcellent CoverageVerified by 2 usersLast on 5/15/26
- Verizon5GGood CoverageVerified by 2 usersLast on 7/1/26
- AT&T5GExcellent CoverageVerified by 1 userLast on 3/12/26
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Water Hookups
- 30 Amp Hookups
Drive Time
- 39 min from Tulsa, OK
- 1 hr 52 min from Oklahoma City, OK
- 2 hrs 2 min from Enid, OK
- 2 hrs 4 min from Joplin, MO
