Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Athens, OH
Strouds Run State Park Campground allows pets throughout its established camping area while prohibiting them only on the swimming beach. The park features basic amenities including toilets, picnic tables, and trash service for campers with dogs. Sites cannot be reserved in advance and are available on a first-come basis with self-pay registration during the off-season. The bathrooms are functional but described as subpar in multiple reviews. Lake Snowden Campground provides a more developed option for pet owners, offering electric hookups and water access on spacious, grassy sites that accommodate tents, RVs, and cabin stays with pets. Several campers note that while Lake Snowden restricts pets from certain areas, the grounds are generally pet-friendly with sufficient space for dogs to exercise.
Multiple trail systems throughout the Athens area accommodate dogs on leashes. Strouds Run maintains hiking paths where many visitors bring their pets for exercise, though the beach area restricts dogs. Hocking Hills State Park Campground, located about 30 minutes from Athens, offers another pet-friendly option with more amenities including electric hookups, showers, and sewer connections for longer stays with pets. Some remote camping options like Wildcat Hollow Hiking Trail in Wayne National Forest provide free, primitive camping where pets are permitted but must be properly managed without dedicated facilities. During summer months, the campgrounds can become crowded, especially during special events like the Pawpaw Festival at Lake Snowden, which many reviewers mention as being particularly accommodating to pets and their owners.
