Home to spectacular natural scenery, tranquil lakes, rugged mountains, and deep, forested valleys, the Buckeye State is the perfect place to spend the weekend camping, hiking, biking, and soaking up the state’s natural scenery without leaving a footprint.
Home to hundreds of campgrounds and campsites, Ohio has a camping spot for every taste from beautiful beachfront campsites and top-quality cabins to primitive tent camping amongst the trees and family-friendly retreats. Here are some of the best RV parks and campgrounds for the whole family to enjoy.
The state of Ohio is home to some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes from rugged mountains and tranquil lakes to pristine forests and pastoral farmlands, making it an ideal place for some of the best RV camping in the United States. Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve in Jackson County, Ohio by Jaknouse / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Alum Creek State Park
Alum Creek State Park is a 4,630-acre park in Delaware County with a gently rolling span of fields and woodlands that offers an array of outdoor recreation and activities, including camping.
Home to the Alum Creek Reservoir, which is a favorite spot for boating, fishing, and swimming, Alum Creek State Park has a large campground that features a boat launch ramp, a camper’s beach, a nature center, a dog park, and dedicated dog beach, and playground equipment for children.
The Alum Creek Campground offers 24 full-service campsites with water, electricity, and sewerage hookups, as well as restrooms with flush toilets, showers, and a dump station. Activities in the area include swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and naturalist programs.
Alum Creek State Park, Lewis Center Rd, Lewis Center, OH 43035, USA
Campers can enjoy a variety of water-based activities in the Alum Creek State Park, such as boating, fishing, swimming, and canoeing. Alum Creek State Park by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / WikiCommons / Public Domain.
Barkcamp State Park
Barkcamp State Park is a public recreation area near the village of Belmont in Belmont County. The rugged hills of the country provide a picturesque backdrop for this family-friendly state park, which features excellent recreational facilities and beautiful natural landscapes of rolling meadows, dense woodlands, a scenic lake, and abundant wildlife.
Resting at the heart of the coal-mining region of Ohio, this secluded 1,005-acre park offers camping, boating, fishing, swimming, and picnicking, with the campground featuring many electric sites, and restrooms with showers, and a dump station. Other recreational activities to enjoy in the area include volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, and miniature golf, while attractions range from the Belmont County Museum and Friends Meeting House to the Dysart Woods.
65330 Barkcamp Park Rd, Belmont, OH 43718, USA, Phone: +1 740-484-4064
The Barkcamp State Park is a quiet, secluded campground in the heart of Belmont County that offers a range of recreational activities including hiking, volleyball, horseshoes, and basketball. Barkcamp State Park Autumn by jcsullivan24 / Flickr / CC BY-NC 2.0.
Countryside Campground
Countryside Campground is a quaint, family-oriented campground situated next to the Mogadore Reservoir. Surrounded by spectacular countryside in a quiet secluded location, the campground offers both tent and RV camping with 95 RV sites, complete with full hook-up sites and water and electricity hook-ups, as well as a propane filling station.
Primitive tent camping is available in a beautiful setting with picnic tables and fire rings on each site, and campground amenities include restrooms with hot showers, laundry facilities, complimentary wireless Internet access, a camp store that sells essentials, and a dump station. Countryside Campground also offers rental cabins.
2687 OH-43, Mogadore, OH 44260, USA, Phone: +1 330-628-1212
Set on the banks of the Mogadore Reservoir, Countryside Campground is the ideal spot for enjoying water-based activities like boating, swimming, and fishing.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Resting along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a United States national park that was established to preserve the land along the river.
Administered by the National Park Service, the park is home to the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trails which offer excellent hiking and mountain biking, and the Canal Exploration Center which tells the story of the 19th-century waterway’s history.
Other attractions in the park include the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and the towering Brandywine Falls, and the park features plenty of campgrounds with a variety of amenities.
The Cuyahoga Valley National Park offers beautiful, forested landscapes for enjoying outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, and wildlife spotting. Blue Hen Fall, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio by Niagara66 / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dillon State Park
Dillon State Park is located near Zanesville in Muskingum County and offers a range of outdoor and recreational activities from scenic hiking and mountain biking trails to gorgeously picturesque settings for boating, fishing, picnicking, and camping.
The 2,285-acre Dillon State Park has rental cabins and camping sites with water and electricity hookups, modern restrooms with showers and flushing toilets, laundry facilities, and a dump station. Other recreational activities in the park include archery, basketball, canoeing, fishing, kayaking, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and star-gazing.
5265 Dillon Hills Drive, Nashport, OH 43830, USA, Phone: +1 740-453-0442
The charming city of Zanesville in Muskingum County is close to Dillon State Park if you feel like a break from nature and want to enjoy some shopping. Downtown Zanesville by Thesteeleisreal / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 4.0.
Findley State Park
Once a state forest, 838-acre Findley State Park boasts beautiful woodlands of hardwoods and stately pines and has a network of scenic hiking trails that wind through meadows of spectacular wildflowers.
The fields, forests, and quiet waters are abundant with wildlife and offer a peaceful refuge for visitors wanting to camp or rent a cabin. The campground offers RV and tent camping with electricity and water hookups, as well as three rental cabins, and features restrooms with showers and flush toilets, a dump station, a boat launching ramp, laundry facilities, and a comfort station, picnic tables, fire rings, and potable water.
Activities in the area include boating, swimming, basketball, volleyball, mountain biking, hiking, and naturalist programs.
25381 Ohio 58, Wellington, OH 44090, USA, Phone: +1 440-647-4490
Findley State Park is home to vast acres of hardwoods and stately pines, as well as meadows of wildflowers, and is the perfect location for hiking and picnicking.
Grand Lake St. Mary’s
Grand Lake St. Mary’s State Park is a state park and public recreation area in the Auglaize and Mercer counties that is open for year-round recreation.
Set on the shores of the 13,500-acre Grand Lake, which was initially constructed as a feeder reservoir for the Miami-Erie Canal and is the largest inland lake in Ohio today, Grand Lake St. Marys State Park offers an array of outdoor and recreational pursuits, boating, fishing, swimming, hunting, and camping.
Facilities in the park’s campground include an amphitheater, bicycle rentals, picnic tables, a children’s playground, mini-golf, basketball courts, a boat launching ramp, a camp store that sells essentials, and a dog park, modern restrooms with showers, a swimming pool, and naturalist programs.
834 Edgewater Drive, Saint Mary’s, OH 45885, Phone: (419)394-3611
Grand Lake St. Mary’s State Park has a beautiful lake where RV campers can enjoy a variety of water-based sports such as swimming, boating, fishing, and Sunset over Grand Lake St Mary’s in Ohio by Bruin / WikiCommons / CC BY 2.0.
Great Seal State Park
Great Seal State Park is a 1,862-acre green area that offers camping, hunting, and an array of recreational activities, including hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
Dedicated to the wilderness spirit of Ohio and depicted in the Great Seal of the State of Ohio, the Great Seal State Park offers non-electric tent and equestrian camping, as well as a network of challenging trails through the rugged hills that were once home to the Shawnee nation.
Facilities include a restroom, picnic sites with tables, a comfort station, potable water, bike and bridle trails, and disk golf.
4908 Marietta Rd, Chillicothe, OH 45601, USA, Phone: +1 740-887-4818
Located in Chillicothe in Ohio, the Great Seal State Park is dedicated to the wondrous wilderness spirit of Ohio and offers excellent RV camping sites with full facilities. Hills shown on the Great Seal of the State of Ohio by Analogue Kid at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0.
Hocking Hills Adventures
Based on the banks of the Hocking River in Logan, Hocking Hills Adventures offers three different camping locations depending on the camper’s needs, including the Riverside, Canoe Livery, and Fun Center Campgrounds, each of which boasts its unique characteristics.
The Riverside and Canoe Livery Campgrounds are ideal for those who prefer to camp in a pristine natural setting with basic camping sites, picnic tables, and fire rings, while the Family Fun Center offers a campsite with electricity and water hookups.
The Riverside Campground has 80 large spacious primitive sites overlooking the Hocking River with showers and flushing toilets a short walk away. Recreational activities include swimming, boating, canoeing, a games arcade, driving range, mini-golf, and go-karting, which are all close by to the campgrounds.
31251 Chieftain Drive, Logan, OH 43138, USA, Phone: +1 740-385-8685
Hocking Hills Adventures has something for everyone with three different campgrounds and a host of fun activities to enjoy. The Hocking River near Logan, Ohio by Dustin M.Ramsey / WikiCommons / Public Domain.
Indian Lake State Park
Indian Lake State Park is an 800-acre multi-use park set around the 5,800-acre lake that offers a variety of water-related recreational opportunities, such as boating, fishing, and skiing, as well as camping.
The park features a scenic campground on the northwest section of the lakeshore with 441 family campsites with electric hookups, restrooms with heated showers, houses and flush toilets, laundry facilities, and a camp commissary. Additional amenities include a private beach, a boat launching ramp, 20 spaces for boat docking, and rental cabins or trailers furnished with convertible futon bunks and sofas, refrigerators, gas stoves, microwaves, and outdoor gas grills.
Recreational activities include hiking and biking along the three-mile Cherokee Trail, or the one-mile Pew Island Trail, which encircles Pew Island and boasts spectacular views of Indian Lake.
12774 OH-235, Lakeview, OH 43331, USA, Phone: +1 937-843-2717
Campers at the Indian Lake State Park can enjoy a wide range of water-based activities on the lake such as boating, fishing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and skiing.
John Bryan State Park Campground
John Bryan State Park is a 752-acre Ohio state park in Greene County and one of the most scenic state parks in western Ohio.
The park is set around the magnificent Clifton Gorge, a deep chasm cut of the Little Miami River between Yellow Springs and Clifton, which is designated as a state scenic river with a portion of the gorge itself designated as a national natural landmark.
The park contains a campground with electric and non-electric campsites, restrooms with pit latrines, picnic tables, fire rings, and a dump station. The park also features a network of hiking and mountain biking trails and is an excellent location for cross-country skiing and sledding in the winter.
3790 Ohio 370, Yellow Springs, OH 45387, USA, Phone: +1 937-767-1274.
The Clifton Gorge is a magnificent edifice cut out of the Little Miami River in the John Bryan State Park in Ohio. The Little Miami River near the John Bryan State Park by Matt Kozlowski / WikiCommons / CC BY 2.5.
Kelleys Island State Park
Kelleys Island State Park is a 676-acre state park that makes up almost all of the northern third of Kelley’s Island in Lake Erie. Established in 1956, Kelleys Island, known as Lake Erie’s Emerald Isle, has unique geological, ecological, and archaeological features and is a prime destination for nature lovers and outdoor adventurers.
It also provides a relaxing escape for visitors wanting a quiet retreat with picturesque landscapes. The 677-acre Kelleys Island State Park features a campground with electric and non-electric campsites, restrooms with flushing toilets and hot showers, picnic tables, and fire rings, and a dump station.
Other facilities include an amphitheater, a beach, boat launching ramp, fish cleaning station, a comfort station, a children’s playground, and activities such as swimming, boating, and fishing.
920 Division St, Kelleys Island, OH 43438, USA, Phone: +1 419-746-2546
Kelleys Island State Park is home to Kelleys Island, which is also known as Lake Erie’s Emerald Isle and offers a beautiful location for camping. Kelley’s Island State Park Beach by Virginia Hill / Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0.
Lake Hope State Park
Lake Hope State Park is a 2,983-acre state park surrounded by the magnificent 26,824-acre Zaleski State Forest in Vinton County and centered around the 120-acre Lake Hope on Big Sandy Run.
Located about five miles northeast of Zaleski, the park features a large campground with both electric and non-electric campsites, rentable cottages, and a rentable lodge that can sleep up to 22 people.
The park also boasts a variety of outdoor and recreational activities including boating, fishing, swimming, canoeing, and kayaking, as well as plenty of hiking and mountain biking trails, a gift shop, and a full-service restaurant.
27331 OH-278, McArthur, OH 45651, USA, Phone: +1 740-596-4938
Surrounded by the Zaleski State Forest in Vinton County, Lake Hope State Park is set around the 120-acre Lake Hope on Big Sandy Run and features a large campground with a variety of outdoor and recreational activities. Lake Hope in Lake Hope State Park by Analogue Kid at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0.
Mary Jane Thurston State Park
Named for a local school teacher from Grand Rapids, Ohio who bequeathed 14 acres of land for the establishment of a park, the Mary Jane Thurston State Park is a 591-acre area of land in the Henry and Wood counties that offers a wealth of outdoor and recreational activities.
Running along the banks of the Maumee River near the remains of the historic Erie and Miami Canal, the 105-acre park offers boating, stream fishing, canoeing and kayaking, picnicking, hiking, and camping. The campground offers electric and non-electric campsites, restrooms with flushing toilets and hot showers, picnic tables, and fire rings, and a dump station.
1466 State Rte 65, McClure, OH 43534, USA, Phone: +1 419-832-7662
This peaceful state park is named after a school teacher who donated land to the state to establish a park for the public to enjoy. The Maumee River, Mary Jane Thurston State Park in Grand Rapids, Ohio by Dustin M.Ramsey / Wiki Commons / Public Domain.
Mohican State Park
Mohican State Park is a 1,110-acre state park on the south shores of Pleasant Hill Lake in Ashland County. Located a few miles south of downtown Loudonville, the park is surrounded by the 4,525-acre Mohican-Memorial State Forest with the Clear Fork of the Mohican River flowing through the park to create a narrow gorge and some spectacular natural scenery.
The park is open year-round for recreational activities, including boating, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, picnicking, and camping with both electric and non-electric campsites, restrooms, rental cabins and cottages, and group camping.
3116 OH-3, Loudonville, OH 44842, USA, Phone: +1 419-994-4290
Mohican State Park is a delight in the fall when the leaves of the trees that make up the Mohican-Memorial State Forest turn into a rainbow of autumn hues. Mohican State Park Gorge by Drrosenrosen / WikiCommons / Public Domain.
Portage Lakes State Park
Portage Lakes State Park is set around the eight Portage Lakes in New Franklin which encompass 2,034 acres that are popular for outdoor recreational activities.
The 411-acre Portage Lakes State Park offers visitors a variety of outdoor recreational experiences from boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming, as well as bird watching in the wetlands, and wildlife watching.
A campground boasts electric and non-electric campsites and cabin rentals, restrooms with flushing toilets and hot showers, picnic tables, and fire rings, and a dump station. Additional amenities include an amphitheater for special events, a basketball hoop, a children’s playground, picnic shelters, and horseshoes.
5031 Manchester Rd, Akron, OH 44319, USA, Phone: +1 330-644-2220, http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/portagelakes
Set around the eight Portage Lakes in New Franklin, Ohio, Portage Lakes State Park is a popular location for campers wanting to enjoy an array of outdoor recreational activities. Portage Lakes, Ohio by Roseohioresident / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 4.0.
Ridge Ranch Campground
Ridge Ranch Campground is a 76-acre campground on the shores of a beautiful lake in Newton Falls, Ohio that features plenty of shaded and sunny electric and non-electric campsites, rental cabins and cottages, and an array of activities.
The fun, the family-oriented campground has a sandy beach and a large swimming deck on the lakeshore, and a wealth of facilities including paddle boat and canoe rentals, mini-golf, volleyball and basketball courts, playgrounds for children, hayrides, fishing, a game room with pool tables and video games, horseshoes, and pavilion rentals for special events.
The campground also has a store with essentials such as propane, firewood, ice, and fresh produce.
5219 OH-303, Newton Falls, OH 44444, USA, Phone: +1 330-898-8080
Resting on the shores of a beautiful lake in Newton Falls in Ohio, Ridge Ranch Campground is a tranquil spot for camping with both shaded and sunny sites, and an array of activities. Newton Falls by Jbarta / WikiCommons / CC0.
Roundup Lake Campground
Roundup Lake Campground is a family-friendly camping resort in Mantua, Ohio with over 350 camping sites, along with a selection of comfortable lodging including cottages and cabin rentals.
Surrounded by beautiful natural scenery, including a spring-fed lake and sandy lakeshore beach with safe swimming, the campground boasts a wealth of facilities ranging from modern restrooms with hot showers and flushing toilets, four playgrounds for children, a swimming pool, pedal carts, canoes and kayaks to use on the lake.
It also offers rowboats, basketball and volleyball courts, a games room, horseshoe pits, and a propane filling station.
3392 OH-82, Mantua, OH 44255, USA, Phone: +1 330-562-9100, http://www.rounduplakecampground.com/
The city of Mantua in Ohio is home to the family-friendly camping resort known as Roundup Lake Campground which offers campers the opportunity to canoe and kayak on the lake. Mantua, Ohio by Ken Lund / Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0.
Scioto Trail State Park
Nestled in the beautiful 9,000-acre Scioto Trail State Forest, Scioto Trail State Park is a small, 218-acre state park just south of Chillicothe.
The undisturbed wooded refuge offers a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life with a variety of outdoor recreational activities to enjoy, from hiking, mountain biking, wildlife watching, boating, fishing, canoeing and kayaking, swimming, picnicking, and camping.
The park campground features electric and non-electric campsites, and rental cabins, along with modern restrooms with hot showers and flushing toilets, picnic tables and fire rings, a camp store selling essentials, and a children’s playground. Other activities include horseback riding, naturalist programs, a wading beach for swimming, and an amphitheater for special events.
144 Lake Rd, Chillicothe, OH 45601, USA, Phone: +1 740-887-4818
Scioto Trail State Park is surrounded by hectares of pristine forests and a wooded refuge that offers campers the chance to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Scioto Trail State Park by Don O’Brien / Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0.
Shawnee State Park
Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains near the Ohio River in Scioto County, Shawnee State Park is surrounded by the 63,000-acre Shawnee State Forest and offers a wealth of recreational activities, including camping.
Once the hunting grounds of the Shawnee Indians, the region boasts beautiful landscapes, including erosion-carved valleys and wooded hills, and is one of the most picturesque in the state, earning its nickname of ‘the Little Smokies.’ The state park features a campground with electric and non-electric campsites and cabin rentals, restrooms with flushing toilets and hot showers, picnic tables, and fire rings, and a dump station.
Other facilities include an amphitheater, an 18-hole golf course, a beach and boat launching ramp, a fish cleaning station, a comfort station, a children’s playground, and activities such as swimming, boating, and fishing.
4404 OH-125, West Portsmouth, OH 45663, USA, Phone: +1 740-858-6652
Campers can enjoy a range of outdoor activities at Shawnee State Park such as boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, picnicking, golf, and more. Shawnee State Park by George Barner / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 2.0.
South Bass Island State Park
South Bass Island is a small island in western Lake Erie and the third largest island in the Lake Erie Islands.
Perched on top of the white cliffs of South Bass Island, three miles from the south shore of Lake Erie South Bass Island State Park is a 33-acre park and favorite recreation spot with a variety of outdoor recreational activities on offer, including boating, sailing, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, golf, hiking, mountain biking, and camping.
The wooded campground and scenic lakeside picnic area offer a quiet retreat from the bustling town of Put-In-Bay and offer electric and non-electric campsites and cabin rentals, restrooms with flushing toilets, and hot showers, picnic tables, and fire rings.
1523 Catawba Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456, USA, Phone: +1 419-285-2112
South Bass Island State Park is a park based on South Bass Island close to Lake Erie that offers a variety of outdoor recreational activities from boating, fishing, and sailing to kayaking, canoeing, hiking, camping, and golf by James St. John / WikiCommons / CC BY 2.0.
Tappan Lake
Tappan Lake, also known as Tappan Reservoir, is a vast reservoir in Harrison County that covers 2,350 acres of water and is surrounded by 5,000 acres of picturesque landscapes that form part of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District.
The lake offers an array of water-based recreation such as boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming, while on land visitors can enjoy hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and camping. The quiet campground offers electric and non-electric campsites and cabin rentals, restrooms with flushing toilets and hot showers, picnic tables, and fire rings.
Harrison County, Ohio, United States
Camping on the shores of the Tappan Reservoir, also known as Tappan Lake is great for enjoying an array of outdoor activities such as swimming, fishing, boating, skiing, canoeing, kayaking, and pedal boating. Tappan Lake by Brian Rawson-Ketchum / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 2.0.
West Branch State Park
Located on the west branch of the Mahoning River, east of Ravenna, West Branch State Park is a state park that encompasses 5,352 acres of land and 2,650 acres of water and offers an array of recreational activities, including boating, fishing and swimming, and camping.
The park includes a family-friendly campground with full service sites with electric hook-ups, and non-electric sites, as well as hot showers and flushing toilets, laundry facilities, and a dump station. Visitors can enjoy miles of hiking, bridal, and mountain trails, as well as boating, fishing, swimming, hunting, and wildlife watching throughout the year.
5570 Esworthy Rd, Ravenna, OH 44266, USA, Phone: +1 330-296-3239
West Branch State Park is set on the shores of the Mahoning River and boasts a family-friendly campground for RVs with full facilities and plenty of fun outdoor activities for the whole family. West Branch State Park by Mike Steele / WikiCommons / CC BY 2.0.
Jill Miller is the founder of Your RV Lifestyle. Trading corporate America for the open road, Jill, along with her partner Jose, began their RV journey, making an unconventional start by wintering in New Jersey. A natural adventurer, she was motivated by a desire to explore the USA and beyond, embracing the varied landscapes, communities, and cultures across the country.
For Jill, the allure of RV living was not about material accumulation, but rather the pursuit of an adventurous, fulfilling lifestyle. A lover of golf, bicycling, hiking, and line dancing, she has carried her passions across the country, engaging with them in diverse settings. Jill’s commitment to the RV lifestyle came after years of careful research, numerous consultations with RV owners, and personal trials, including living in a rental RV.