My new favorite

This place is so beautiful and FREE! You must have a fishing or hunting license to camp here. Camping stops are spaced out very well. It is primitive camping. There is no electricity and there are some bathrooms but very few which doesn’t bother me bc I don’t use them anyways. It is very relaxing and was somewhat quiet other than the person 50 yards away allowing their kids to scream bloody murder for over an hour lol but other than that it was peaceful! Will be returning soon with my son to take him fishing. The water is so clear, you can see the fish in it.

Spectacular place to visit

Doris 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!

I don’t like crowds

I agree with the others. It’s trashed and it is PACKED. The tent sites are a little too close together for my liking. Like on top of each other. I think your best bet would be to stay on the outer edge sites and not in the middle for sure. I’d also reserve online bc they are always full. I’ve heard of people being turned away that just show up to camp. It is EXPENSIVE also. You have to pay for your campsite and then also pay a fee per person. Tent camping is only $12.50 but then add on $16 per adult and $9 per child….. it’s ridiculous. There’s a lot of other places I would rather stay that are way less crowded and way cheaper. I’d suggest staying elsewhere and stopping in for the day if you want to go. ALSO you have to have a coast guard approved life jacket for everyone under the age of 12! So keep that in mind. Pets are not allowed at the falls either.

So much fun

You can’t camp at the actual Salt Plains. We spent the day here and had such an awesome time. I took kids ages 3-12 and they all had a blast. Make sure to bring metal shovels and metal hand shovels bc the plastic ones will break, you will want sand buckets, egg cartons to put the crystals in bc when they come out they are still soft and brittle, sunscreen, lots of water, towels, baby wipes, a umbrella if you have one (we didn’t need it but a lot of people prefer them). I can’t stand sand/salt on me (think nails on a chalk board feeling) so I needed to shower pronto afterwards and couldn’t so lots of water to rinse off with is a good thing to have. You will have sand and salt all over your car inside and out FYI lol.

Not for camping

This is a great place for Rv’s but it’s not for camping. People stay here when there are events in town at the expo center such as huge horse shows. Flgun shows, the fair etc.

In town Rv lot

I wouldn’t say this is camping. The people that usually stay here are in town for events at the Expo or driving thru. There is a lot to do nearby. TWithin walking distance there’s the expo center (you can go in and pet horses) and a Rec center with a pool. You can go to Will Rogers Museum, JM Davis fun museum, RSU has a nice little hiking trail as does the Lake.

First to Review
You can’t camp here anymore

Unless they have redone it in the last few years, there is nowhere to camp or it’s extremely primitive. There’s no bathrooms, no picnic tables, no tent pad sites, no lighting, no nothing. It is a good place to spend the day to fish and have a picnic but it isn’t what it used to be way back in the day when I was a kid.

There’s a lot to do here

Grew up in the area and spent a lot of time here. You can rent all kinds of water crafts even kayaks. There’s a island in the middle called goat island that is fun to check out. It’s a great little lake for fishing, boating, kayaking, hiking and swimming. The Rv sites are close together but the whole area is wooded which makes for some great shade. There are also cabins you can rent and some rental packages available that I screenshot for anyone that wants to go! I love kayaking around here.

Great for fishing

This side of the dam isn’t known much for camping, people tend to camp on the other side where you can hike and boat. This side of the dam is for fishing. Spent many many MANY nights going night fishing with my family growing up and it was always so much fun! The camping sites…… they are very close together unless you get the very last one. It’s near a wooded area. The first 2 are out in the open, by the roads, do a cartwheel and you are in the next camping spot… You can put a boat in the river on this side or kayak up and down.

Too crowded for me

The hiking is awesome but the camping not so much. I like to be away from people and these campsites are very close together with no privacy. I prefer to make a day trip when I visit here instead of camp. We drive down early and go to the Wildlife Sanctuary and drive thru in Gentry Arkansas (20 min from Natural Falls) then we go hike the falls. You can’t swim there at all so when we leave the falls we stop down the road at Flint creek and go for a swim. The water is crystal clear and amazing. I’m posting pics of it bc it isn’t even on the map to add a review. You can also camp there but I have not. You have to pay to rent a tube or use the slides but if you walk down beside the fence to the right it’s free 😉

You can not camp here

You can not camp at the dam. You can camp at the Bluff down the road. If you do camp at the bluff, I would for sure visit the damn or even go for a day adventure. Getting to it is sketchy, the road turns to dirt and there are areas that people unfortunately dump trash but once you get to the dam (have to walk a little ways) it is beautiful and fun to explore the rocks, hike and for sure go fishing. Watch the rocks on the right side of the damn when the weather is nice bc snakes like to hide out in them (I think it’s cool to find them but most probably won’t) they won’t bother you. You can hike the shoreline down a ways and look for shells and cool driftwood. To get to the dam the ground is uneven and steep in some areas. There is no parking lot. Not many people go down there. Just make sure to not get stuck! There’s washed out areas but cars can make it. Last time I went we found lots of old cow bones along the river which was cool.

Good place to camp!

Bluff Landing is a great place to camp! It’s self pay so you put your money in a envelope which is different. The fishing is good, there’s places to hike, it’s quiet and secluded. I took my kayak out and had a good time. The last time I was out, the boy scouts were there. My daughter loves climbing the downed trees in the woods. The only downfall is that people hunt and shoot guns not too far away (at the actual Newt Graham Lock and Dam) and you can hear gunshots sometimes. Don’t let it alarm you!

The casino is fun!

The Rv sites are close together and the tent camping spots have no privacy or shade. Check the event calendar bc it’s fun to stay for one of their events. They do all kinds of stuff! The casino is smaller but a lot of fun with a big dance floor if you like dancing. There’s no places to hike, swim or do any fun family activities unless there’s races or a event going on. You’d literally just be staying to go to the casino unless you were driving thru, it’s a good place to stay but not for a vacation.

Run down

My grandfather used to live here. It is a run down Rv park. I wouldn’t suggest staying here. It’s sketchy!

Gorgeous place

I grew up in Oologah and frequented the birthplace often. There’s lots of animals to pet and lots of history to learn. You can tour the birthplace for free, there’s an old barn to explore, you can go hiking, there’s horse trails as well. It’s very close to Oologah lake so you could go swimming for the day, rent seados or a boat etc. You can rent a spot for $25 to RV camp with a maximum of 3 days. You have to apply for it as well. No smoking is allowed and you can only drink past 5 pm (wine and beer only) if that’s your thing. It is such a beautiful place, rich in history and I highly recommend visiting at least once!

Good Rv Park

My friends had a RV here they kept year round. I loved going to visit them. They all ride golf carts around to visit and are a tight little community! You can go boating, fishing, hiking. There’s so much to do at Grand Lake!

First to Review
Not a big place to camp

Lake Sahoma has very few spots to camp and they are right off the main road so cars drive by often. If you love fishing, this is the lake for you. This lake is strictly for fishing. I guess you could kayak but there’s lots of trees in the water so you’d have to watch out for those. There a a few docks for fishing but you have to have a trout license. There is a area just up the road you can fish with a regular fishing license and be fine. They do drive by and check to see if you have a fishing license. I prefer places I can hike and play in the water so this isn’t really a lake for me.

Good camping sites and hiking trails

I grew up in Oologah and spent many many nights camping here. The camping sites are good and close to restrooms, there is a nice sandy beach for swimming, a long rocky shoreline that is fun to explore and hunt shells, you can go fishing, boating, kayaking, visit goat island, the hiking trails are nice although I have been a couple of times and had a TON of ticks but not very often. There a lot to do!

Smaller campground

I prefer to stay here when I go to Skiatook lake because it is a smaller campground. There are bathrooms that are a pretty short walk from all the campsites. You can hike thru the woods, across the road and down to an area that has bluffs you can jump from, although this is frowned upon 😅. There’s plenty of wood you can collect for a fire. Each site has a picnic table and grill. I think the best site is the first one as you pull in. It is a little bit further apart than the rest and right on the water.

First to Review
Fun place to go

We tent camped and had a good time. The water is shallow forever so you don’t have to worry much about little ones playing. It isn’t too far from the great salt plains. Had a awesome day digging and was nice to go for a swim go get all the salt and sand off of us. I think next time I’ll drive home bc I can’t stand salt on my body. The feeling is awful to me lol. Def take some metal shovels and metal hand shovels ( the little plastic ones break) take lots of water, baby wipes and towels. You’ll also want to take egg cartons bc the crystals are soft when you dig them up so you’ll want to store them in it to harden up. My kids loves it and had a blast!