ABOUT DORIS CAMPGROUND: Doris Campground is located within Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge which is one of the oldest, most prestigious national wildlife refuges in America (according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service brochure). Staying at a campground within the NWR that was your destination could not be more convenient! This was our second visit here.
The Refuge: The refuge was established in 1901 and encompasses 59,020 acres (about 90 square miles). Activities allowed within the refuge include hiking, bicycling, picnicking, and camping. There are 14 miles of hiking trails. Fishing and boating are allowed on all refuge lakes and streams in the public use areas. There are many well-maintained paved roads throughout the refuge for exploring the scenic hills and lakes, wildlife viewing, and turn-outs and pull-offs for photography. There is an Environmental Education Center and an excellent Visitor’s Center. (In the spring, Buffalo hang out nearby.) Wildlife abounds including, free-range Buffalo, Texas Longhorn Cattle, Deer, Elk, Hawks, Songbirds, Turkeys, Coyotes, Armadillo, and the irresistible Prairie Dog colonies. (This is a list of what we have seen here; we’re sure there’s more.) It takes more than one day to really cover the whole refuge, and Doris Campground sits in the middle of it.
The Campground: There are two campgrounds, one (Fawn Creek Campground) is for youth group camping and is open by reservation; the other is Doris Campground which is open year-round to the public. Doris Campground offers 90 campsites situated in six separate loops. Twenty of these sites are walk-in tenting with a parking area ($12 per night). Loop A is 18 sites with no hook-ups (some of them private), Loop C is 11 sites with no hook-ups (some with water views and some private), and Loop D is 18 sites with no hook-ups (several with great water views and some private); all of these no-hook-up campsites are $14 per night. Loop B offers 10 campsites with electric hook-ups, some with water views, and this loop is $24 per night (maybe they are 50 AMP?). Loop E has 13 sites with electric hook-ups for $22 per night (maybe they are 30 AMP?). Our favorite campsites are #70 & #31 (both of these can be accessed by parking front in and both are private), #28, #36 (back in, good water views), #62 & #63 (electric & private). But we can fit in many of the campsites so lots of them would work out. Almost all are back in. Use of the Senior Pass provides a 50% discount to the fees listed above. There is a dump station and water spigots are throughout the campground (NOTE: at this time water must be boiled before consuming). There are handicapped-accessible campsites, restrooms, parking areas, and trash dumpsters.
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge: 32 Refuge Headquarters, Indiahoma, OK 73552; (580) 429-3222; www.fws.gov/refuge/Wichita_Mountains/. Campground reservations: www.recreation.gov.
- 2018 – 2/25-2/27
- 2021 – 12/3-12/9