Longdale

Longdale Campground is located on Canton Lake in northwest Oklahoma on the North Canadian River, about 6 miles from the town of Canton and 2.5 miles from the town of Longdale. Canton Lake hosts a large number of campers, picnickers, boaters, fishermen and hunters every year, as one of the few places in western Oklahoma to offer such a huge variety of 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 four-day event. Personal watercraft use, tubing and water skiing are popular on the broad expanse of water paralleling the dam where the winds are subdued, and the lake's gently sloping sandy beaches are inviting for swimmers and sunbathers. This year-round campground offers 35 primitive campsites and one day-use group picnic shelter with electrical outlets. All campsites are nonelectric. Water hydrants are scattered throughout the campground. Drinking water is unavailable from November through March, but during this time camping is free. The shores of Canton Lake and the North Canadian River are covered with eastern cottonwood, post and blackjack oak, black willow, buttonbush and roughleaf dogwood. The campground offers some shade trees among its open grassy areas. A major attraction for hunters is the 14,862-acre Canton Wildlife Management Area. 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 are several restaurants located within 3 miles of the lake, and also a casino and 9-hole golf course. There is a disc golf course about 8 miles from the campground in the Big Bend Recreation Area, and Roman Nose State Park and Glass Mountains State Park are only about a half hour or so drive from the lake.