Best Cabin Camping near Canal Winchester, OH

After being cooped up, we (3 young adults) decided to get out and decided on this campground that was new to all of us. The campground was very low key and made for an easy going weekend! We weren’t too keen on most of the parks amenities, but enjoyed just sitting around the fire the whole time. Pros: -staff was cleaning common areas (bathroom and showers) either once or twice a day -campsite 12 was incredible space and had an added bonus of a deck structure over the creek

Other notes: -WiFi available, but only right by the main office/general store -no service for AT&T or Verizon -Fire tower not accessible -Lake tested high for a bacteria and swimming is not recommended

Corona Virus Notes: -only Ice and Firewood available for purchase at General Store -putt putt, boat and bike rentals, and game box rentals not available -nearby Hocking Hills trails were closed

I stayed at this campground because they hosted a wedding I attended. I chose to stay in a cabin, which was pretty pricy for what it was. for $175, it was a basic cabin with a queen bed and 2 twin bunk-beds, a very small bathroom with a toilet and shower, and a small kitchenette with a microwave, sink, and mini-fridge. The cabin was somewhat dirty - dust on the floor and spider webs in the corner. It had no bed linens, or towels, and the bathroom didn't even have a mirror.

There is a "lake" (more of a large pond) on the property, with fishing, and large inflatables to play on in the summer. There is also a disc golf course. The nearby town Lithopolis is cute, with some local coffee and dining, as well as antique shops.

Awesome staff family owned for over 20 plus years. Extremely clean well maintained. Shower houses plenty of hot water facilities were very clean sites are well spread apart. Handicap sites available including cabin rentals fire wood and menu items delivered to your campsite from camp kitchen and store. Sites are reasonably level we had to use one 3/4 “ leveler under the wheels in one side. They have sites that are full hook up with wooden decks prices were 80.00 to 135.00 per night for those that were paved and with decks. All the others were water and electric. “ cable and WiFi “ included 70 plus channels. 50 /30 /20 amp power at all sites. Big Rig friendly. Close to all sites. Trails and state park Camp store was well stocked actually had what you needed if you forgot something. Prices were reasonable Definitely recommended to anybody traveling through the area Owner planning to stay open all year working g on some big upgrades to campground to accommodate winter weather camping. Nice swimming staff was very helpful restaurants gas stations groceries with in 10 min drive.

Stayed over Labor Day Weekend and was pleasantly surprised by the site we got for booking only a week in advance! Would stay again!

- Many sites are quite sloped and slanted, but this cannot be determined by pictures online. With that said, all sites appeared to have a spot for at least 1 tent cleared away and the picnic table and fire ring in a secure location.

- Most sites only had room for one car parked at the site

- Clean pit style restrooms! With running water restrooms dispersed through the campground.

- Lake Hope was a good size for kayaking (and rentals were open and only ~$10 per person per hour for various boating devices).

- Fishing allowed anywhere!

- Cool hiking trails throughout to see caves, The Hope Furnace, and water features!

- Only ~30-40min from all the must see attractions of Hocking Hills and surrounding area!

- Camp Store with wood, ice, etc.

This state park spans over 2,000 acres and is just north of the cute Ohio town of Delaware. We stayed here for two nights while visiting friends in the area but wished we would have stayed to enjoy all that the park had to offer. The campground was really nice and quiet when we stayed there which was during the week and in the spring and not very crowded. We can imagine that this park is pretty full in the summer with all their amenities and close proximity to major Ohio cities. 

The 'pod' layout of the campground made for large campsites (some sites are over 90 feet in length and well suited for large RV’s) with good separation between sites. There are 212 sites that have 50 amp electric. The campground also has yurts for rent (May through October) that are furnished with beds, table and chairs, a cooler, ceiling fan, outdoor charcoal grill and a picnic table with canopy. This is a great option for those wanting to stay in something more than a tent but don’t have an RV.

There is no sewer or water at individual sites but there is a dump station and water fill station near the park entrance. Roads and campsites are paved with grassy patios that feature picnic tables and fire pits. The park does not provide wifi but our Verizon hotspot and 4G phone worked well. There are centrally located bath/shower houses with coin-operated laundry facilities.  

The park is open year-round and great for outdoor activities; especially, those that are water-related. There are numerous boat launches, fully equipped marina, and swimming area. We launched our kayaks and had a great time paddling around the lake.  Be aware that there is no horsepower limits for boats on the lake and weekends are very popular for anglers in high-powered bass boats. The northern portion of the lake is a “no wake zone” which makes for a more pleasant paddling environment.  If you don’t have a boat, boat rentals are available at the marina. 

For those wanting to hike there are plenty of hiking/biking trails for you to get out and explore the park.  Many of the trails link together so you can decide how long you want to hike. The Lakeview Trail was perfect for us as our dog loved jumping in the water during our hike. Other amenities in the park include a nature center, 18-hole disk golf, hunting, archery, volleyball, horse shoe pits, picnic areas, and an 800-foot designated swimming area.  At the camp store/office you can rent bikes as well as other sporting equipment.

If you decide to venture out of the park you are only about 40 miles from downtown Columbus and less than 20 miles to the world-renowned Columbus Zoo (which is definitely worth a visit). The nearby town of Delaware is really nice with downtown shopping, restaurants, a historic theater and brewery (Stass Brewing Company has great Belgian-style beer with a fun atmosphere).  

Would definitely camp here again if we were in the area.

The KOA was what one expects of the KOA lots of features and not very secluded. The Kabins were lovely.  

The design is nice as the bunk beds are in their own separate room. This means the back room will sleep four individuals. They also included little tables and benches so you can organize yourself in the room.  The front room has a large bed that sleeps two.  Then outside is the picnic table.  Due to health code rules you have to cook and do food outside of the cabin.  

Our first cabin some of the light bulbs were dead and as a result they moved us to another cabin. Problem solved. 

The bathrooms were very clean and the folks at the camp store were very helpful. I will say that my friend that took a shower was frustrated as one shower was scalding hot and the other was cold.  The floors were slippery as they didn't have a way to stop the water from going beyond the shower (no rim or lip).  She didn't get to use the Family Shower as you have to get the key from the store.  Shower time was usually before bed time with two little ones as they would get dirty playing during the day.  Since the camp store closes at 8 PM she would just use the standard shower with her kiddos. We thought this was a great feature and would have liked to get a look at the family shower set up. 

At the camp store, they would drop off the wood via golf carts as you purchased it.  I was able to buy three bundles for $18.00 as it is cheaper that way.  I also purchased two bags of ice.

The cabin was fun and we were able to keep our trip simple by packing less due to the cabin.  Buckeye Lake State Park is close by and if you don't have a boat they really don't have a lot to offer non-boaters unlike other lake state parks.  We didn't see any trails.  We did go to the "beach" but opted not to swim. Our time was spent at the near by Dawes Arboretum and Newark's Earthworks (mounds). 

**Will try to come back and upload more photos and videos later as tonight many of my posts are not fully uploading.

We paid extra to have a "Premium" site, which meant we got a deck. That deck held our picnic table,  but there was no room to put our camping chairs. And though we were close to the lake, you could not see it through the trees. We could barely get out of our trailer and into the driveway without falling into a ravine. The fire pit had to be put on the back side of our trailer next to the road as that was the only spot it could fit. We were told to check out other sites in case we want to come back. Ha. The staff knew no one who had ever been here would ever take this site! But... we won't need to check out other sites as we'll never come back.

I highly recommend pop's place.  I stayed there Aug 2024 and as of that date the rustic tent camping was $20.  This is an ideal base camp for riding your motorcycle on the scenic roads in that area of Ohio such as the triple nickel.  The owners are very nice people and helpful.  The porta john and shower were very clean.  The shower uses an on demand water heater.  The narrow cabin you see in some photos is now a gravel pad for RV type camping with electric.  The wider cabin in the photos is still there, but was currently rented so he couldn't take me on a tour of it.  He took me on a tour of the new cabin he is building and it will be a nice play to stay when he is done.  They sell firewood for $5.  The common grass area has wood lounge chairs, common fire ring, playground,  and cornhole boards.  If you are tent camping and need to charge your phone he has no problem with you using the electric outlet at the RV site if no one is there.  I forgot to suggest to him that maybe add an external electric outlet at the shower house since electric is there for the water heater.  There is a spigot on the outside of the shower house to get drinking water.  There is a basketball backboard near the current cabin if you happen to bring a basketball for your kids to use.  There is good verizon cell service there, I did not expect it because of the location and hills in the area.  I don't hammock camp, but it looked like there were trees far enough apart in the line of pines for hanging 2 hammocks.  One of the photos showed 3 picnic tables for tent campers.  There was only one when I stayed, but I assume it's a temporary or cyclical thing and I was the only tent camper and would have shared it anyway.

Of note for motorcyclists is that the road the campground is on is paved (good riding to the north of it) and the campground drive is decent gravel for street bikes.