Several campgrounds and outdoor recreational areas surround Heath, Ohio, offering various accommodation types for visitors. Buckeye Lake-Columbus East KOA, located approximately 10 miles south, provides tent sites, RV hookups, cabins, and glamping options with seasonal availability from April through October. Dillon State Park Campground near Zanesville and Lazy River at Granville, approximately 15 miles north, offer year-round camping with facilities for tents, RVs, and cabin rentals. Most locations in this region maintain a mix of wooded sites and open camping areas, with several properties featuring lakes or rivers.
The camping season in central Ohio typically runs strongest from spring through fall, with some campgrounds remaining open during winter months. Limited cell service may affect certain areas, particularly in more remote sections of state parks. A review mentioned, "The park owners are great. All sites are good. Park fills up fast, go early." Many campgrounds in the area require advance reservations, especially during summer weekends and holidays. Facilities vary across properties, with amenities ranging from basic tent sites with picnic tables to full-service RV hookups including water, electric, and sewer connections. Weather conditions remain relatively mild, though summer thunderstorms can impact tent camping, and spring rains may create muddy conditions at some sites.
Family-friendly amenities represent a common feature among campgrounds in the Heath area. Campers report high satisfaction with recreational facilities like swimming pools, playgrounds, and fishing opportunities. According to one visitor at Lazy River at Granville, "We spent a weekend here with two other families and had a wonderful time! The kids loved the swimming pools and splash pads, the awesome playground and lots of playing in the creek." Several campgrounds organize seasonal activities and themed weekends to enhance the camping experience. Bathroom cleanliness and shower facilities receive consistent mention in reviews, with most developed campgrounds maintaining well-kept restroom facilities. The proximity to natural attractions, including Buckeye Lake and regional state parks, provides additional recreational opportunities for campers staying in the area.
"Then outside is the picnic table. Due to health code rules you have to cook and do food outside of the cabin. "
"Not as close to the lake as we first thought but close enough. Will probably be back."
$24 - $31 / night
"I camped at this state park in the very scenic rolling hills of central Ohio on a hot and sunny weekend and was happy to find plenty of shade."
"I have been extremely disappointed with Ohio State Park campgrounds."
"I probably wouldn't select site 20 again, as it is close to the pool and the basketball court, alot of youth noise, but understand."
"There was a huge thunderstorm one of the nights, where we initially retreated to our vans; but then decided to drive up to the store and got ice cream which made the kids super excited about the rain ("
$35 / night
"Happened to be next to the park host. No choice of where to locate my large tent. Showers/bathrooms were OK--older facilities. "
"First off we have to say that Ohio State Park campgrounds are some of the best we’ve ever stayed in."
$35 / night
"There are lots of caves, trails, camping options and activities in the area. Be careful, however, every year someone is injured or dies going off trail, often falling from a cliff."
"If you stay away from the main roads, you might feel like you're in a smaller campground."
"They have a nice walking trail, potlucks, holiday events, live entertainment and are putting in a new, bigger pool! They also redid the driveway."
"Great walking trail back through the woods. Pet friendly and the bathrooms were very nice. Well....I guess we did! We are now in a search for a Diesel pusher to go full-time!"
$20 - $40 / night
"They had a scavenger hunt which made us really experience the nature around us, going through the woods off trail, going to the lakeside, walking around looking for different things on a list."
"Marion State Park on this particular weekend because it's relatively close to home (Columbus area)."
$22 / night
"It’s not the most secluded spots but if you are looking for something tucked away there a few sites. The ability to tube down the river and walk back to your camp site was so much fun."
"The tent sites (short walk from parking lot) and one car per tent site. Our site was not the traditional walk up/park camp site. It was a nice change of pace. More space and great neighbors. "
$48 - $75 / night
"Not far from I-70, near the river, quiet and clean… almost too quiet."
"Doesn’t make sense to have quiet time at dark when bar nearby plays loud music outside till late."
TravelerRelatively flat; during OHV off season, one of the roads is closed, I believe to Dorr Run. This trailhead is mainly for OHV riders so there is space for a vehicle and trailer.
NOTE: I think they close the toilets every winter.
Ground is covered in snow, so I would scout it in the summer. Several parking areas along the road.
ScoutWe had a family reunion there, our camper and rented 2 cabins, made full use of the shelter house that day. It worked out so well we are booking again this year.
GuideDon't bother contacting them for tent camping. I did and they're one of those seasonal RV things.
ScoutWas a cool view at the top where the space is.
Close to hocking hills and Logan, right off 33 so it was easy to find
ScoutI'll start by saying I have a cattle dog and a lab. Both have a bit of anxiety but are otherwise well trained and medicated (after much consideration with vets behaviorist and trainers).
Campsite is clean, accessible, and accommodating.
This is my complaint:
Before making our reservation the dogs had been doing extremely well on their walks. Little to no reactivity for weeks. Still, I did my best to find a “more remote” site that still had electric.
I understood there may be some traffic, but I severely under estimated how much. I found the map and video tour very misleading and difficult to read.
We ended up very close to the main entrance and right next to the highest traffic road in the whole camp site. The dogs were very stressed and barked at every car that went by. We made every effort to reduce this with our training techniques including keeping them on short leashes in hand to redirect, and leaving the site entirely during prime check in hours.
The campsite staff asked if they would settle the first night and I had every reason to think they would after the first night, based on experience, but they did not. There was no other communication about the issue or trying to find a resolution. I acknowledge I probably could have been more proactive myself, but I had read the relevant materials and did what research I could ahead of time. Since I had not heard anything I believed we were within expectations.
Upon leaving we were approached by a member of the campsite staff that told us we were not welcome back, and the dogs should have stayed home, that they had numerous complaints through out our stay and we had been a nuisance to everyone due to excessive noise (I'm paraphrasing). I was apologetic as I was under the impression it was being managed well enough since we had not heard anything.
When we got home I sent a note to the management to let them know I found the conversation with the staff member to be unprofessional and unhelpful. I offered a few ways they could make things more comfortable for everyone. I had a neutral tone and was focused on solutions and preventing another circumstance like this for them. Their response was about the same as the staff member and actually I had violated several policies I was unaware of and had not seen until their mention in this email.
I say all of this to say, based on my experience, they expect dogs to be practically silent and extremely obedient. Also, if you are bringing dogs that need any kind of special accommodation to stay relaxed, I HIGHLY recommend calling ahead and ensuring you have what you need at your site and have understood the policies and map (etc) correctly.
The staff will not be proactive about offering solutions or communicating potential conflicts early which could prevent your visit from being as quiet and relaxing as you may have liked.
TravelerThis was our first time here and we loved it!! We did get rained on a little but we knew that. Seems like this was the last fall weekend before winter.
Checked in at 3pm and got our pass to our site. The drive through is gorgeous, can be very dark at night just a heads up. Very quiet with decent amount of space between campsites. We tent camped and everyone else around us had trailers. If you enjoy the cul-de-sac style this is where you want to be.
The showers and bathrooms were extremely well taken care of!! There’s huge trees around which provides great privacy from trail hikers as well. There was a huge playground with swings, disc golf course, putt putt and a dog park all around the entrance area. There was a shop at the entrance as well but we didn’t purchase anything.
Campground was only 12 minutes from the nearest store and gas. We didn’t have enough light to explore but we will definitely on our next stay.
Scout2nd time here, this time we booked for 10 days we liked it so much, very conveniently located for us. We would like to see more planned activities on weekends.
TravelerBig property with every site type. Complete with KOA amenities. EV chargers on-site. Bathrooms were excellent individually separated rooms with showers and toilets. We were escorted to our site upon arrival. Very poor Verizon coverage but the Wi-Fi on site worked fine. Plenty of food spots just north on the highway exit we stopped at Milstone BBQ. Plenty of fun hikes in Hocking Hills State park.
ScoutWhile we are not horsemen, my husband and I so enjoyed our stay at this remote and picturesque campground. The property reflects great pride and financial investment: nicely-appointed and immaculate bathroom facilities; well-spaced campsites; classy equine stalls; and accommodating service second to none. Highly recommended!
Camping options near Heath, Ohio range from developed state parks to family-oriented private campgrounds within a 20-mile radius. The region sits at approximately 1,000 feet elevation with rolling terrain that creates varied campsite topography. Central Ohio campgrounds typically experience summer highs in the 80s with occasional thunderstorms that can affect tent campers even during peak season.
Fishing opportunities: The ponds at National Road Campground near Zanesville are stocked with fish and require no license since they're on private land. "Clean and comfortable. There are plenty of things to do. The ponds are stocked with fish and because it is private land no fishing license is required," notes camper Terry F.
Hiking trails: At A.W. Marion State Park Campground, a 5-mile loop trail surrounds the lake for both hiking and mountain biking. "There was also a path directly from our site that led to one of the hiking trails. Yay for us and our easy access," states Shannon G., who visited site #56.
Water recreation: Beyond fishing, many campgrounds offer swimming options. "We didn't make it down to the lake yet, but so far I'm a happy camper," writes Ron A. about Dillon State Park Campground, located about 10 miles west of Zanesville in a heavily forested area.
Clean facilities: The condition of bathrooms and showers stands out in reviews. At Wolfie's Campground, David notes the campground is "peaceful sitting on top of a hill. Laundry and clean showers. Includes a pool, cornhole game, pool table and a nice pavilion."
Quiet atmosphere: Many campers appreciate the peaceful settings available. "Beautiful campground, well kept up. It's our get-away quick weekend campground destination," writes John H. about Dillon State Park Campground.
Site spacing: Some campgrounds offer more spacious sites than others. At Tree Haven Campground, Mark G. reports, "Great little campground. My wife and I spent a month out there in a fifth wheel to see if we like the lifestyle. Very nice pool (clean). Great walking trail back through the woods."
Reservation requirements: Most campgrounds fill quickly during peak season. At Lazy River at Granville, Michael J. cautions, "The park owners are great. All sites are good. Park fills up fast, go early."
Seasonal closures: Operating seasons vary across the region. Tree Haven Campground operates from May 1 to November 1, while Buckeye Lake-Columbus East KOA runs from April 1 to October 31. Some state parks remain open year-round with limited amenities.
Weather considerations: Central Ohio camping can be affected by rain, particularly in spring. Shannon G. noted at A.W. Marion: "Our site was muddy when we arrived and only got worse due to only having 2 days with no rain."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Heath, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, Heath, OH offers a wide range of camping options, with 139 campgrounds and RV parks near Heath, OH and 6 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Heath, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Heath, OH is Buckeye Lake-Columbus East KOA with a 4.2-star rating from 12 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Heath, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 6 free dispersed camping spots near Heath, OH.
What parks are near Heath, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 17 parks near Heath, OH that allow camping, notably Dillon Lake and Alum Creek Lake.
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