Join the fun near Carey. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Carey. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
"Since Van Buren State park is an easy 20 minutes away from home for me, i visit there often. it is clean and quiet, they dont get too busy and loud."
"It’s a small campground with one side as equestrian and the other side not. All sites had electric and water, no full hookup. There were only drop toilets and no showers."
"This state park spans over 2,000 acres and is just north of the cute Ohio town of Delaware. "
"Delaware State Park is a gem in the Ohio state park system. What is amazing to us is how few people seem to know it exists!"
ScoutSince Van Buren State park is an easy 20 minutes away from home for me, i visit there often. it is clean and quiet, they dont get too busy and loud. the horse camp is nice with some new pens to keep your horse instead of them having to be tied up. They keep the restrooms clean, but no flush toilets, which dont bother me. My only complaint about Van Buren State park is that there are no shower facilities.
LegendThis 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.
RangerDelaware State Park is a gem in the Ohio state park system. What is amazing to us is how few people seem to know it exists! this state park is only 15 to 20 minutes away from Alum Creek State Park and yet there are virtually no crowds at all. The park is very large and the campground is adjacent to Delaware Lake, a reservoir a few miles north of the small town of Delaware. The lake offers boating with unlimited horsepower but it seems most of the boats on the lake were either fishing boats or kayaks. There is a very nice swimming beach, a beautiful marina with a full service store and two very good disc golf courses. There is also a youth fishing pond for the youngsters and plenty of hiking trails throughout the park. The campsites all have asphalt pads and are quite spacious; all are electric only as far as we could tell. The biggest con is also this park’s greatest pro and that is the campground requires a long drive to get to it - but that makes it feel more “out there.” The town of Delaware has a very vibrant downtown with lots of quality local restaurants and bars plus grocery stores and fuel to keep you well stocked for your camping trip. Highly recommended!
GuideThis is another of our favorite Ohio State Parks. The campground is setup in a nice layout with each of the separate sections having a spoke and wheel layout with a bathhouse in the middle. Sites are roomy and we like the wooded feel.
The dog part was quite muddy and actually closed while we were there and we were a bit disappointed by that but there was plenty of space to walk the pups.
Located near the town of Delaware, you aren’t too far off the beaten path and we even had decent service with Verizon.
I also noticed that the6 had a nice storm shelter on the property that was well marked and easy to get to from any of the campground areas.
LegendWe stayed one night on our way to IN. We’ve never been here before and wanted to check it off our list. It’s a small campground with one side as equestrian and the other side not. All sites had electric and water, no full hookup. There were only drop toilets and no showers. They were clean but I don’t think I’d want to do more than a weekend there. It had a nice playground for kids and plenty of trails to hike or go horseback riding. They also had a dog park and small wildflower garden. The check in cabin had ice and wood for sale but no store. Our site was really nice. The pads were recently paved and had a huge bumper at the end. The fire ring was nice and the site had plenty of space for tents.
TravelerWe stayed during the week for one night. Campground was clean and quiet, had electric hookups at most sites. Host was very friendly. They also have a camp area for horses. Only criticism is you have to drive to another area of the park for an RV dump.
TravelerCampground is small but well maintained. Hiking is great. Probably better for people with horses. Electric did not work at all sites. Pit toilets did not seem sufficient for all camp sites.
LegendWow!! We happened to stumble across this campground while making an ohio map of campgrounds to visit. For some reason this place is not known to most. Every time I ask people if they've been here, no one ever knows about it. Even my parents didn't know it existed, and we did a lot of camping growing up. Delete state park is in the middle of corn county and has very little around it. Just the drive from the entrance of the park to the sites takes ten minutes. But it is a beautiful drive. The park is huge, gas multiple playgrounds, beach, tornado shelter, etc. The campgrounds have brand new roads and pads that are very level, very long and extremely wide! The absolute best site pads I've seen. The sites are large mostly spread out. Many of the bathrooms are updated to the private seperate bath/shower stalls that were amazing to use. We booked at the last minute and honestly didn't have the highest hopes for the place based on some older reviews. We really lucked out with the ONLY site that was open. Amazing site 197!!! This site was probably the best site in the entire campground. It was huge, backed up to the woods, lake, hiking trails and a huge picnic area in the woods. The fire pit, which was at least 20 feet behind our camper, had a circle of trees around it where we hung our two hammocks and had room for more. All of the fire pits were the newest ODNR model with the swing away and adjustable cooking grate. Sounds like a small feature, but it is actually amazing compared to all the others. This site seemed like it was twice as big as the others. When we plan our trips for the summer, we usually prefer going somewhere new each time. We have a limited number of places we put on our return trip. This one has made it to number 2, behind Kelly's Island and Maumee Bay. We would highly recommend!!!!
RangerVan Buren State Park is very easy to access from I-75. It has tons of trails and a pond. There are a few places to car camp or RV camp nearby. I love getting out of town and visiting Van Buren State Park, and I have lots of good memories. It gets 4 stars because I now live in Montana and Montana camping outshines Ohio, but I can't bash on Van Buren State Park at all.
Horse camping in Ohio offers a unique experience for equestrian enthusiasts, combining the beauty of nature with the joy of riding. With several well-reviewed campgrounds catering to horse camping, you can find the perfect spot to enjoy the great outdoors with your equine companions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Carey, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Carey, OH is Van Buren State Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 12 reviews.
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