Doris Campground

I travelled here with a 35’ 5th wheel, long bed pickup and parked in site #54, an E BI site for $25/night. The roads and site are asphalt. This site had a small slope to it which one board was able to correct. The roads are narrow and some have lower branches that you need to look out for, primarily in the dry camping loops. Some of the turns are very tight (the loop by C31-33 especially) so be aware of that. I was supposed to camp in C32, but a large low branch across the site prevented me from getting in there. The camp hosts and park staff were very helpful in getting me in another site. I chose to upgrade to an electric spot since it was hotter than normal. Fifth wheels and Class A rigs should probably stay on loops B/E. Site 54 had a mix of sun and shade. The picnic table was on the wrong side and the fire pit was a distance from the table. Not a great setup. Other sites were laid out better. Bathrooms were older, but clean. I didn’t use the showers. There were 3 OTA channels and wifi at the check in station (sometimes…) I also got 2 bars LTE with Verizon at a spot near Crater Lake just outside the campground a little way. The visitor’s center is very nice. It was cool to see the bison, longhorns, turkeys roaming around. There were some nice hikes as well (Bison Trail – canyon, lakes, prairie; Wilderness Trail - more of a mountainous terrain along a creek bed). After I got settled I really enjoyed my stay there.

Amazing location in the middle of the refuge so great access to activities all around: fishing, hiking, camping, wildlife viewing, etc. Campground right on the lake is also a huge plus. A wonderful hidden gem in southwestern OK. Everything paved so easy access. Site was relatively clean with very minimal signs of previous campers except a pile of ashes from campfires. There are a ton of raccoons that come out at night looking for food and trash and they are not scared of people at all. You need to put all of your "smellables" away at night and during the day otherwise critters will get to them. Definitely a plus the campground has many trees for shade and some privacy from other campers. Not very noisy at all but can hear some military drills (fighter jets and some explosions) far away at Fort Sill but not too bad.

Reserved a site that appeared to be right on the lake, but found it didn't really afford any access to the water. Not a big deal though as swimming or getting in the water is not allowed. Staying at Doris CG did expedite our access to areas of the Wichita Mountains. Outhouses were closed. There is a place to get fresh water in a jug (not filling RV tank). Really interesting area but not a great camping experience.

Great sites nestled in trees but right on the lake. Lots of space with picnic table. Our site had electricity but no water. We would have loved to stay longer but had to keep going. The website said check-in ends at 7pm but we paid online in advance and arrived after 7 and didn’t have any problems.

However the reviews say there is internet and we didn’t have any cell service on t-mobile, AT&T, or Verizon. So if you want to escape and be offline it’s great but if you want to work it’s not ideal.

Doris Campground is still operating at limited capacity and does not have potable water or restroom access. This may be why you can still get a site under a week out. We opted for a non-electric site because they have better lake access. The site was clean and we enjoyed the trails around Quanah Parker Lake. While eating breakfast cattle came right into the camp sites to graze. There are a lot of interesting sites in and around the wildlife refuge. Bring plenty of water and provisions. The towns of Cache and Medicine Park are approx 30 minutes away. There is no cell service so plan accordingly.

A beautiful campground surrounded by large oaks. Sites are spacious but not necessarily overly private, though the layout prevents you from being on top of your neighbors business in most spots. The wildlife management area surrounding it is phenomenal, too, just magnificent. Bison, deer, turtles, birds galore.

No Verizon service. Reservations must be made online and you can get VZW service near the visitors center, about 5 minutes away by car. I’d recommend a waterfront site in a heartbeat.

Bathrooms are closed and thusly they’ve decided to only allow self-contained RVs right now. Seemed like a strange choice. We don’t have a bathroom in our van, but they didn’t ask us about it and we had no issues staying there. Bag it out. Or they could open the bathrooms back up...

Buffalo and long horn cattle roam the refuge freely, and have been known to come through the campground. Tons of hiking options throughout the area.

Cement pad for camper, trees are tight on the sides so no awning - which is ok. There was a nice area behind the camper with picnic table, grill, and fire ring - with a direct view to the lake.

Some sites have electric ($10 additional per night), none have sewer. Dump station at entrance.

Water is available - usually by the bathrooms. When we stayed, there was a bacteria warning for the water. That's probably why it was not very busy, even on the weekends.

Fire rings at sites, free cut firewood by entrance, you are allowed to collect down wood - and there is plenty of that.

No cell service to speak of, once in a while a text might come through.