Best Campgrounds in Ohio

Ohio might not be the first state that comes to mind when planning a camping trip or anything else, but hidden among its rolling hills, dense forests, and scenic waterways are some of the most beautiful campgrounds in the Midwest. From the shores of Lake Erie to the rugged terrain of the Appalachian foothills, Ohio’s diverse landscapes offer camping experiences to suit every preference. Whether you’re seeking family-friendly amenities or peaceful seclusion in nature, these top Ohio campgrounds deliver unforgettable outdoor adventures in the Buckeye State.

Hocking Hills State Park

Number of Campsites: 156
Reservations: www.reserveohio.com
Address: 19852 State Route 664 S, Logan, OH 43138

Nestled in the heart of Ohio’s most spectacular natural region, Hocking Hills State Park campground serves as the perfect base for exploring a landscape that seems transplanted from somewhere far more exotic than the Midwest. The campground sits amid a forest of hemlock, birch, and oak trees, providing dappled shade during summer months and vibrant color in autumn.

Morning in Hocking Hills brings a mystical quality as mist rises from the deep gorges that define this region. The air carries the clean scent of pine and the gentle sound of distant waterfalls. As sunlight filters through the forest canopy, it creates ever-shifting patterns on the forest floor, highlighting wildflowers that bloom in surprising profusion during spring and early summer.

The campground itself offers a range of options from basic tent sites to full hookup RV spaces. What sets it apart, however, is its proximity to the park’s crown jewels. Just minutes away lie Old Man’s Cave, Cedar Falls, and Ash Cave—sandstone formations of such dramatic beauty that they’ve drawn visitors for generations. The sound of water echoes through these stone cathedrals as it has for millennia, carving the landscape into a series of caves, cliffs, and waterfalls.

Hiking trails radiate from near the campground, ranging from easy walks suitable for all ages to challenging treks that reward with panoramic views from massive rock outcroppings. In the evening, returning campers share stories of their explorations around campfires, the flames casting flickering light against the surrounding trees.

Night brings profound darkness to Hocking Hills, revealing star-filled skies rarely seen in more populated parts of Ohio. The hooting of owls and the occasional call of a coyote remind visitors that this wild landscape is home to abundant wildlife, from white-tailed deer to wild turkeys to the elusive bobcat.

With modern shower houses, a camp store for forgotten essentials, and regular ranger programs that interpret the region’s natural history, Hocking Hills State Park campground balances rustic charm with thoughtful amenities.

Mohican State Park

Number of Campsites: 186
Reservations: www.reserveohio.com
Address: 3116 State Route 3, Loudonville, OH 44842

In the picturesque Clear Fork Valley, Mohican State Park campground offers a perfect blend of natural beauty and recreational opportunities. The campground stretches across rolling terrain, with sites arranged to provide privacy without isolation. Towering pines create a year-round green canopy, while deciduous trees add seasonal color that peaks in a spectacular autumn display.

The gentle murmur of Clear Fork River provides a constant soundtrack to camping here, its clear waters visible from many campsites. In summer, the river becomes the focus of activity, with visitors floating on inner tubes down gentle rapids and swimming in deeper pools where the water takes on an emerald hue in sunlight.

Mohican’s extensive trail system beckons hikers of all abilities. The Lyons Falls Trail leads to not one but two picturesque waterfalls, where cool mist refreshes hikers on hot summer days. More ambitious trekkers can tackle sections of the 25-mile Mohican Trail, which winds through some of Ohio’s most pristine woodland.

The area is steeped in history, with the nearby Mohican Memorial State Forest preserving old-growth trees that hint at how Ohio appeared before European settlement. Throughout the campground, interpretive signs tell the story of the land’s transition from Native American territory to logging center to recreational haven.

As evening falls, campers gather at the park’s amphitheater for ranger-led programs that range from stargazing to wildlife presentations. The flicker of individual campfires punctuates the darkness, their smoke carrying the sweet aroma of burning maple and oak into the night air.

Mountain biking enthusiasts consider Mohican a premier destination, with challenging single-track routes cutting through the surrounding forest. For those seeking a more leisurely pace, the paved bike path along the river provides scenic cycling suitable for all ages.

With hot showers, laundry facilities, and a well-stocked camp store, Mohican State Park campground ensures comfort without diminishing the natural experience that draws visitors back year after year.

Kelleys Island State Park

Number of Campsites: 129
Reservations: www.reserveohio.com
Address: 920 Division St, Kelleys Island, OH 43438

For a camping experience unlike any other in Ohio, Kelleys Island State Park offers an island escape that feels worlds away from mainland concerns. The journey begins with a ferry ride across Lake Erie’s often-choppy waters, where gulls wheel overhead and the island gradually takes shape on the horizon. Upon arrival, the pace immediately slows to island time.

The campground occupies the island’s northern shore, where sites spread along the rocky coastline and into the interior forest of maple, oak, and hackberry trees. The constant presence of Lake Erie defines the experience here—its vast blue expanse stretching to the horizon, waves lapping against limestone shores, and fresh breezes carrying the clean scent of water and stone.

Morning light reveals the crystal clarity of Erie’s waters, startlingly transparent near shore where smooth stones are visible beneath the surface. Campers gravitate to the beach, where swimming and sunbathing occupy leisurely hours. Others launch kayaks to explore the island’s perimeter, where towering limestone cliffs rise dramatically from the water and cave-pocked shorelines invite investigation.

The island’s interior offers equally compelling attractions. The North Shore Alvar Trail leads through a rare limestone plain ecosystem where shallow soil supports specialized plant communities. The park’s crown jewel, Glacial Grooves State Memorial, preserves massive scratches in bedrock—evidence of mile-thick ice sheets that once covered the region.

As automobile traffic is limited on the island, bicycles become the preferred mode of transportation. The flat terrain makes cycling accessible to all ages, with the island’s 12-mile perimeter road offering constant views of Lake Erie’s shifting moods. Rental bikes are available for those who don’t bring their own on the ferry.

Evening on Kelleys Island brings spectacular sunsets that paint the western sky and lake surface in matching hues of orange, pink, and purple. As darkness falls, the mainland disappears except for distant pinpricks of light, creating a sense of pleasant isolation. On moonless nights, stars reflect in Erie’s dark waters, creating the illusion of floating in space.

The campground provides modern facilities including hot showers and flush toilets, while maintaining the island’s natural character through thoughtful landscaping and preservation of native vegetation.

Caesar Creek State Park

Number of Campsites: 283
Reservations: www.reserveohio.com
Address: 8570 E State Route 73, Waynesville, OH 45068

In southwest Ohio’s scenic countryside, Caesar Creek State Park campground combines excellent facilities with access to one of the state’s largest reservoirs and most interesting geological features. The campground occupies gently rolling terrain, with sites arranged in loops that provide varying degrees of privacy among stands of oak, maple, and hickory trees.

The 2,830-acre Caesar Creek Lake dominates the landscape, its blue waters contrasting beautifully with the surrounding green hills. From many campsites, glimpses of the lake shimmer through the trees, especially spectacular at sunrise when mist often hovers over the water’s surface. The lake’s vast expanse invites all manner of water recreation, from powerboating in the main basin to kayaking in quiet coves where great blue herons wade in the shallows.

What truly sets Caesar Creek apart is its remarkable geological history. The park sits atop an ancient seabed, and erosion has exposed fossil-rich limestone layers throughout the area. The Visitor Center operates a fossil collection program where, with a permit, visitors can keep certain specimens they find. After a heavy rain, the excitement of discovering a 450-million-year-old trilobite or brachiopod creates memories that last far longer than any camping trip.

Miles of hiking trails radiate from near the campground, offering routes for every ability level. The 5.5-mile Perimeter Trail showcases the park’s diversity as it winds along limestone cliffs, through mature forest, and along shoreline where osprey dive for fish in the clear waters. During spring, wildflowers carpet the forest floor in waves of color—trillium, Virginia bluebells, and wild geranium creating a constantly changing display.

For history enthusiasts, the Pioneer Village reconstructs 19th-century life with authentic buildings and seasonal demonstrations of period crafts and skills. The scent of woodsmoke from the village sometimes drifts to the campground, evoking connection to those who settled this fertile region generations ago.

Evening brings a chorus of frogs from wetland areas and the occasional haunting call of barred owls asking “who cooks for you?” as darkness settles over the campground. With modern shower houses, laundry facilities, and a camp store, Caesar Creek offers comfortable camping without sacrificing natural beauty or educational opportunities.

East Harbor State Park

Number of Campsites: 570
Reservations: www.reserveohio.com
Address: 1169 N Buck Rd, Marblehead, OH 43440

On a peninsula that juts into Lake Erie, East Harbor State Park campground offers one of Ohio’s premier camping experiences, combining excellent facilities with spectacular natural features. As one of the state’s largest campgrounds, it manages to accommodate many visitors while still providing spaces where quiet communion with nature is possible.

The campground stretches across gently rolling terrain, with sites nestled among mature oak, maple, and cottonwood trees that provide welcome shade during hot summer months. The air carries a distinctive blend of freshwater, warm sand, and the subtle fragrance of native wildflowers that bloom in profusion throughout the growing season.

Lake Erie defines the experience here. Its vastness creates an almost oceanic feel, with waves washing against the sandy beach and distant freighters traversing the horizon. The protected harbor that gives the park its name offers calm waters perfect for paddling, while the open lake beckons more adventurous boaters.

The park’s natural harbor also creates conditions for one of Ohio’s largest remaining coastal wetlands, a rare ecosystem that pulses with life. Boardwalks traverse portions of this environment, where great egrets stalk through shallow water, turtles bask on fallen logs, and the rustle of cattails in the breeze creates a natural white noise. During spring and fall migrations, the wetlands attract incredible varieties of birds, making this a premier destination for wildlife watching.

Miles of multi-use trails wind through the park, offering routes for hiking and cycling. The Harbor View Trail provides spectacular vistas of the lake and wetlands, while the Beach Trail connects the campground directly to the park’s mile-long sandy beach, where summer days revolve around swimming, sunbathing, and searching for colorful beach glass tumbled smooth by Erie’s waters.

As sunset approaches, campers gather along the western shoreline, where the sun sinks directly into Lake Erie in a spectacular display that silhouettes distant islands. The evening light transforms the lake’s surface into molten gold, creating photo opportunities that capture the essence of Great Lakes beauty.

With full hookup sites, modern shower houses, laundry facilities, and a camp store, East Harbor provides amenities that make extended stays comfortable. Its location near tourist attractions like Cedar Point amusement park, wineries, and historic lighthouses makes it an ideal base for exploring Ohio’s Lake Erie shore.

Wayne National Forest – Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area

Number of Campsites: 78
Reservations: www.recreation.gov
Address: 6518 County Road 29, Pedro, OH 45659

In the rugged hills of southern Ohio, where Appalachian topography creates a landscape more reminiscent of West Virginia than the Midwest, Wayne National Forest’s Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area offers camping in a setting of uncommon beauty. The campground nestles among steep, forested slopes where mature oak, hickory, and pine trees create a sense of seclusion even when all sites are occupied.

Lake Vesuvius itself serves as the centerpiece of this recreation area, its 143-acre surface reflecting the surrounding hills in perfect symmetry on calm mornings. Created by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, the lake takes its name from the iron furnace that once operated nearby—a nod to this region’s industrial past.

The campground is thoughtfully designed to take advantage of the terrain, with sites arranged along wooded loops that follow the contours of gentle slopes. From many campsites, filtered views of the lake shimmer through the trees, especially beautiful when autumn paints the forest in vibrant reds, oranges, and golds.

Hiking opportunities abound, with over 25 miles of trails showcasing the area’s diverse ecosystems. The Lake Vesuvius Trail circumnavigates the entire lake, leading across wooden boardwalks and along rocky shorelines where fishing enthusiasts cast for bass, bluegill, and catfish. More challenging paths climb to ridgetops where overlooks provide panoramic views of the surrounding Wayne National Forest, a vast expanse of protected woodland that stretches across three counties.

For mountain bikers, the nearby Hanging Rock OHV system offers miles of challenging single-track through terrain that reveals the area’s geological complexity. Rock formations punctuate the landscape, from small outcroppings to impressive cliffs where rock climbers test their skills.

The night sky at Lake Vesuvius offers a celestial display rarely seen in more populated regions. The relative isolation of this portion of Wayne National Forest, combined with hills that block much distant light pollution, creates ideal conditions for stargazing. On clear nights, the Milky Way arches overhead in a dense ribbon of stars, while owls call from the darkness.

Though facilities are more basic than at larger state parks—vault toilets rather than flush, for instance—the trade-off is a more authentic forest experience. A small camp store offers essentials, and drinking water is available throughout the campground.

Final Thoughts About Camping in Ohio

From the serene island environment of Kelleys Island to the dramatic formations of Hocking Hills, Ohio’s best campgrounds showcase the surprising diversity of a state often overlooked by outdoor enthusiasts. These destinations offer more than just places to pitch a tent or park an RV—they provide gateways to landscapes of remarkable beauty and ecological significance. Whether you’re seeking family-friendly amenities or peaceful immersion in nature, Ohio’s campgrounds deliver experiences that will draw you back season after season, each visit revealing new facets of the Buckeye State’s natural heritage.