Brittnee C.
Scout
ScoutGotta Getaway RV Park
Terrible campground
This is not a place to take your kids! Steer clear. We tried to have a joint family vacation but this place is a disaster and the owner can’t admit his own faults. We won’t be back!
Camping near Westlake, OH
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SUMMARY PRESENTED BY
The suburban community of Westlake, Ohio sits within reach of diverse camping options, with established campgrounds located primarily in surrounding counties. American Wilderness Campground in Grafton (about 15 miles southwest) and Findley State Park in Wellington (approximately 25 miles south) represent the closest developed camping areas, both offering tent and RV sites with hookups. Willow Lake Park in Medina County provides seasonal camping from May through October with both primitive and serviced sites. For RV travelers, several Ohio Turnpike service plazas including Vermilion Valley and Middle Ridge offer overnight parking with basic amenities. The region's camping landscape balances family-oriented private campgrounds with state-managed recreation areas, most within a 30-45 minute drive of Westlake, making it convenient to find quality campsites near Westlake for weekend getaways.
Most campgrounds in the area operate seasonally, with peak availability from April through October. Findley State Park remains open year-round but with reduced services during winter months. Reservations are strongly recommended during summer weekends and holidays when facilities frequently reach capacity. According to one camper, "Findley State Park was very welcome after our first two unlucky Ohio state park experiences. We had no trouble pulling in at 3 pm on a Sunday after Labor Day with no reservations and snagging a very nice spot." Highway noise affects some campgrounds, particularly those near the Ohio Turnpike. Poison oak has been reported at Findley State Park along woodland edges. Cell service varies significantly across the region, with better coverage at developed campgrounds closer to urban areas.
Cyclists and hikers can access unique camping opportunities along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath. As one reviewer noted, "Very few people know that there are MANY camping options along the towpath designed for cyclists and hikers!" These include Heritage Farms, Big Bend Trailhead, and other primitive sites. Water recreation features prominently in camper reviews, with fishing, canoeing, and kayaking available at several locations. Family amenities like playgrounds, camp stores, and organized activities are common at the larger established campgrounds. Sites at state parks tend to be closer together with limited privacy, though many feature wooded surroundings that help buffer noise. Campers frequently mention the convenience of these locations for exploring nearby attractions including Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Best Campgrounds near Westlake (110)
1. American Wilderness Campground
"We had nice woods behind us, neighbors to the right and vacancy on the left (jackpot)."
"Drive in sites are set back & not near the lake. They have back in & drive through sites. There is a small store. It is close to Cleveland & has Good Sam discount."
from $35 - $69 / night
Check Availability2. Findley State Park Campground
"Beware, the sites are close to these roads and quite shallow, but because each road dead ends in a cul de sac, traffic is very light, even when the campground is full, as when we visited."
"Lots of walking trails, lots of nature. Once off my favorite local ohio parks."
from $29 - $52 / night
Check Availability3. Willow Lake Park Inc
"Fishing lake and swimming lake are separate. Multiple bathroom/shower locations. Game room, snack pavilion and general store."
"Good price very kid friendly , swimming lake and a pool, also a fishing lake. Mostly RV but some tent. Old campground"
from $35 - $65 / night
Check Availability4. Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds
"Pulled in around midnight on a Wednesday and there were just two other vans parked overnight. Plenty of space if you just need to crash."
from $45 / night
Check Availability5. Cuyahoga Valley National Park - CAMPING NO LONGER OFFERED
"The Stanford House campground is the only one that's relatively easy to find online, but there are many other options."
"Tucked in between Akron and Cleveland, this quiet NP has numerous hiking trails, historic buildings and the remains of the Ohio and Erie Canal. Well worth the side trip or destination."
from $80 - $110 / night
Check Availability6. Silver Springs Campground
"Water close by and port a pottie style bathrooms close to the camp sites. There are flush toilets a walk away but we didn’t use them. Sites are big and grassy but not super level."
"Silver Springs Campground is a small 27 site campground in Stow, Ohio, a convenient 17 minutes from Cuyahoga Valley National Park and a bargain at $18/night for a site with electrical hookups. "
from $15 - $22 / night
Check Availability7. Vermilion Valley Ohio Turnpike RV Lot
"Dump station as you exit. Gas and convenience items are extra helpful. Safe environment to snooze overnight."
"Pulled in to the RV parking area around 9:45 pm, there was one other vehicle there. 3 more came and parked before midnight. Felt completely safe and not crowded by the campers on either side."
8. Heritage Farms
"Located about ½ mile off the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath, this campground is a part of a 5th generation working farm. "
"really lovely camp spot. beautiful views and surroundings. Extremely close proximity to CVNP. lots of room for kiddos to run wild."
from $35 - $55 / night
Check Availability9. Service Plaza - Middle Ridge Overnight Parking
"You can walk into the service plaza which has vending, showers, laundry. The sites are very wide, with 30/50 amp service. It's behind where all the cars and trucks go. 20/night paid with a kiosk. "
"The cons…lots of highway noise and trucks coming through but I like it if I am in a public place. The place was $20 for overnight. It was a full house. I felt safe!"
10. Middle Ridge/Vermilion Valley Rest Area
"This is a test area on the Ohio Turnpike. Rv owners can self pay $20 to stay overnight. Quiet area away from the semis and common parking lot, but super close still to the plaza."
"The location was in an suburban area."
Drive Time
- 12 min from Cleveland, OH
- 44 min from Akron, OH
- 44 min from Sandusky, OH
- 1 hr 3 min from Canton, OH
Recent Camping Photos near Westlake, OH
225 Photos of 110 Westlake Campgrounds
Jason D.
Riverview RV Park
Ro B.
Sunset Lake Campground
Shari G.
Heritage Farms
Shari G.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park - CAMPING NO LONGER OFFERED
Jeffrey L.
Findley State Park Campground
Kimberly L.
Maple Lakes Campground
Shari G.
Big Bend Trailhead Primitive Camping (Summit Metro Parks)
Horizon M.
Rvino - Camp Hiyo
Twin
Claremar Twin Lakes Camping Resort
Traci F.
Streetsboro-Cleveland SE KOA
Zachary A.
The West Woods
Gary G.
Silver Springs Campground
Recent Reviews near Westlake, OH
670 Reviews of 110 Westlake Campgrounds
Charles S.
GuidePerry Township Park
Great view of Lake Erie!
Gated and private campground. You can come and go as you please 24/7 with a gate card. Secure and clean bathrooms. Laundry room. Camp store and more. Wi-Fi is available. But the view on being right on lake Erie is the best. It's a must campground, at least once.
Meghan B.
LegendPerry Township Park
Perry Township Park and Campground
Another pleasant stay at this campground! We had made our reservations online prior to our stay and the process was super easy. And as always, the campground host was very friendly and helpful. Unlike a lot of city parks I've been to, this one is behind a gate and the showers/restrooms have codes you're provided with during check-in, so that helps keep things safe, quiet, and clean. I still haven't used the showers here, but the separate restrooms were spotless. The park itself is nice and was busy with families enjoying outdoor activities. Everyone was also respectful during quiet hours.
BK N.
TravelerEast Harbor State Park Campground
Great spot for a quick stop
Stopped off for the night en route to the UP of Michigan. As other user mention the sites on the D loop are great for a small van. Kind of a busy campground but fairly quiet midweek. Went for a walk at sunset and saw a bunch of deer and rabbits. Would definitely return if I'm in the area again.
- AAdam O.Traveler
Silver Springs Campground
Nice local park
Nice place to stay for the weekend. Inexpensive. No water hookups at the individual sites but potable water is available in the park. The downsides are the sights can get muddy if there is rain. Only portapotties nearby.
We had big storms roll through when we were there. Unfortunately a large branch broke off of a nearby tree and hit the engine hood of our RV and dented it in several places. It could have been much worse though and not the park’s fault. Could happen anywhere there are trees.
Zachary A.GuideHeadwaters Park
Campsite A
Had a nice stay at the Camp Site A tent site, which they label as their ADA Accessible site.
Overall me and the kids had a really nice time hanging atbthe site and exploring around the lake. Lots of friendly people too.
Pros:
- Tent site was generally good with a picnic table and fire pit on-site
- Pull in parking right next to the campsite (which seems to be true for all tents and leantos)
- Great walkable area with lots to explore with the kids
- A few nice things just a 10min drive away like the Eagle Park splash park and playground and the cute Burton town square.
- Tons of birds for all my bird watchers
- Right at the entrance to the tent site area and right next to the restrooms
- Sometimes people bring horses down there for a walk
- Can't see other campers tent from your site (which i like because Im out here to get away from people)
Cons:
- Being right next the restrooms and tent area entrance is a higher traffic area. Didn't bother us much but could get annoying if woken up by a late night driver or door slam
- The stump on the tent site has a snake in it. Didn't bother us at all, only saw it once as it was slithering away, but thought other might like to know.
- Toilet was out of hand sanitizer
FAQ:
- No electic
- No plumbing or showers (it is basically an outhouse)
Peyton L.ScoutClay's Resort Jellystone Park
NO communication and severely lacking customer service skills
I won’t rate the other categories yet but I’ve been upset the whole process trying to plan my trip and the people have made it impossible. I’m constantly unable to get ahold of the park. I keep getting put on the“call back list” when trying to modify a reservation only for NO ONE to ever call back. I finally get ahold of someone after a MONTH… only to have zero customer service skills… they just said“oh we don’t even have a call list” so I ask for another form of communication I can have with me since my trip is in a month and I’ve had these issues for a month… they offer ZERO solutions and are not empathetic either. Another issue was last year I was hospitalized for several months due to an early twin birth so I had to push my trip to the following year… when I FINALLY got ahold of the park last year the women I spoke with trying to manage the rescheduling…was ZERO help surprise surprise… on top of that it took 13 calls and weeks before a manager got back to me…making the window to reschedule or get refunds closer to closing adding stress that you might not get to make your next move how you’d like… anyway…I simply asked for dates that matched the costs that we already paid for the trip so I didn’t have to pay more… I simply asked for it to be within the summer days since my previous reservation was during the summer time with all the extra water park and amenities that close at the end of August. I booked when my kid could use all amenities and there were no hour restrictions either due to still being in season. However the lady couldn’t accommodate or recommend any alternate dates to suite my trip that weren’t several hundred dollars more… now we started out with a trip all paid for last year with all amenities no hour restrictions to a weekend we had to pay more and are restricted hours wise on the summer amenities. As the person doing reservations you should be able to recommend dates and help me plan the trip accordingly to the money spent and not sit on the other end of the phone demanding I just give you dates…. After our trip we will never plan or schedule anything at this park again. Regardless of the amenities… for families traveling far distances you couldn’t make it anymore inconvenient, difficult, and time consuming for simply planning questions or just getting ahold of you in general. No sorrys…. Just a whole lot of…”hmm that’s weird well oh well, next” kind of attitude. Zero solutions just excuses. So that being first impressions not too excited to find out what we are in for when we arrive. Especially reading other reviews about deflated balls so you can’t use the hoops, broken a/c units that the property won’t even handle that their own employees have to give up their own personal comfort cause management won’t?… concession stands trash everywhere… broken hot tubs, WiFi not working in cabins for night time with children is tough…sad that my family’s first camping trip ever hasnt even happened yet and it’s been nothing but a headache to plan because of the staff. Yall make money to make the experience smooth for your consumers but somebody missed the memo.
- HHolly B.Guide
Thompson/Grand River Valley KOA Holiday
Enjoyable
The staff here was excellent. We got a spot near the entrance that had the doggy play pen. It was a well built structure. I felt good about my dogs being in it. The campground is wonderful. So peaceful and pretty. As and added plus for anybody a fan of the band The Cars, Ben Orr’s grave is not far.
- JJill S.Traveler
Punderson State Park Campground
One of our favorites
We love this park! Unfortunately it’s been so booked this summer we haven’t been able to go. It’s literally 30 minutes from us. The sites are fairly nice. Some near the water are shallow and you have to be careful. The park surrounding it is lovely. There’s a beach, a golf course and even a lodge and cabins. We always get good internet with our hot spot. If I’m being honest though, the worst thing is the bath house. The showers suck! There’s no privacy and I would never use them. There’s a nice playground for kids and a little nature center. We love riding our e-bikes there. Lots of critters and I’ve even seen an otter! Give it a try if you can find an opening!
Guide to Westlake
Campgrounds near Westlake, Ohio typically operate within a temperate climate zone with humid summers and cold winters. Average summer temperatures range from 65-85°F while winter temperatures often drop below freezing. Most camping facilities close during winter months from November through March, with the exception of turnpike service plazas that provide year-round RV parking options for travelers.
What to do
Fishing opportunities: American Wilderness Campground offers stocked fishing lakes approximately 15 miles from Westlake. "We loved the fishing available here we also had the kids they enjoyed the arcade and gem mining we also liked the access to self serve laundry and camp store as well," notes Jessica J. about her American Wilderness Campground experience.
Hiking network: Silver Springs Campground provides access to wooded trails and natural areas. One reviewer mentions, "There is also a wooded walking trail network on the east and North sides of the campground." The trails connect to broader regional pathways making it accessible for day trips from Westlake.
Water recreation: Heritage Farms offers camping with easy access to water activities. "When the campgrounds in the National Park were filled and I needed a place to land for the night, I ended up at Heritage Farms in a sunny shelter with a beautiful landscape of growing Christmas trees and gorgeous sunset," writes Carolyn M. about her stay at Heritage Farms.
What campers like
Clean facilities: Campsites maintain good hygiene standards despite high usage. At American Wilderness Campground, John C. reports, "Nice clean campground with lots of activities and also amenities the bathrooms and shower house were clean as well felt so comfortable made lots of friends."
Quiet atmosphere: Many campgrounds provide peaceful settings despite proximity to urban areas. At Willow Lake Park, one camper appreciated the tranquil environment, noting "Stay here for the holiday weekend, they offer plenty of activities for everyone. Had a band each night! Bad Juju was definitely a favorite of mine."
Dog-friendly areas: Silver Springs Campground features specialized pet facilities. "Very nice, quiet city campground. Many unlevel sites. Only 3-30 amp hooks ups, the rest are 20 amp. No reservations. Fantastic dog park with a swimming beach for dogs only. Fun to watch them play even if you don't have a dog," states Judy F.
What you should know
Reservation requirements: Findley State Park Campground fills quickly during peak season. Jeffrey L. advises, "Very nice, comfortable campground, kids loved it. Only downfall is trying to find an open spot for reservations. Place is booked most of the time. If you're planning a holiday weekend you need to book 6 months in advance."
Site conditions: Many campgrounds have mixed terrain requiring preparation. At Silver Springs, Gary G. notes, "Sites are grass or overgrown gravel. Semi-level. Our first visit at site #1 was very difficult to level a 24 ft trailer and full sun. Returned a few weeks later to site #4, was much more level and full shade."
Water quality concerns: Some campers report issues with well water. At Willow Lake Park, Derek N. observed, "I'm not sure what's up with the water, but it smells like metal and you're probably better off bringing your own drinking water."
Tips for camping with families
Entertainment options: Campgrounds offer various activities beyond hiking. A camper at Willow Lake Park Inc shared, "This was a nice spot with lots of family activities. Lots were pretty large and well maintained. But this is more of a local hangout with a ton of permanent spots."
Budget planning: Service Plaza - Middle Ridge Overnight Parking offers affordable options for overnight stays. Brett reports, "It's nice for what it is. You can walk into the service plaza which has vending, showers, laundry. The sites are very wide, with 30/50 amp service. It's behind where all the cars and trucks go. 20/night paid with a kiosk."
Site selection strategy: At Findley State Park, campers recommend researching specific sites. Crystal A. advises, "I would recommend doing a some research on campsites as they range from small to large for the same price. The original site I booked was a tent site to small for 2 tents (one larger n one smaller) #131 non electric however I was able to switch to another sight #118 which was a larger."
Tips from RVers
Turnpike conveniences: Service plazas provide practical overnight options with amenities. At Vermilion Valley Ohio Turnpike RV Lot, Gayle N. shared, "Pulled in to the RV parking area around 9:45 pm, there was one other vehicle there. 3 more came and parked before midnight. Felt completely safe and not crowded by the campers on either side. The actual service station across the way was incredibly clean and comfortable."
Leveling challenges: Many campsites near Westlake have uneven terrain requiring equipment. Gary G. from Findley State Park notes, "Gave it an extra star for proximity to Cuyahoga Valley NP, bargain price for a site with electric hookups, quiet setting and helpful hosts. No road noise, other campers very considerate."
Seasonal considerations: Most RV campgrounds operate from April through October with limited winter options. Kimberly C. explains Findley State Park "is well maintained large park! We can easily get lost on 3 mile hikes in the woods and still be on marked paths! The roads are paved and excellent for biking and skating. About half the sites are for tent or dry camping. Half have electric and a few of those have full hookups."
Frequently Asked Questions
What campgrounds are available in Westlake, Ohio?
What campgrounds are available in Westlake, Ohio?
While there aren't campgrounds directly in Westlake, several options are available within a short drive. Middle Ridge/Vermilion Valley Rest Area offers convenient overnight RV parking for $20 with access to restaurants and clean facilities. For families, Kool Lakes Family RV Park provides affordable sites with a gravel road system connecting numerous camping spots. These locations are easily accessible from Westlake and serve as practical options for both quick overnight stays and longer camping trips.
Are there scenic tent camping options near Westlake?
Are there scenic tent camping options near Westlake?
Several scenic tent camping destinations await near Westlake. Findley State Park Campground offers a peaceful wooded retreat less than an hour from Cleveland with fishing, canoeing, and kayaking opportunities alongside numerous walking trails. Nature enthusiasts will appreciate Penitentiary Glen Reservation Campsite, which provides cozy sites with plenty of firewood and proximity to scenic gorge trails. Both locations combine natural beauty with convenient access from Westlake, making them perfect for weekend escapes.
How far is Thompson, Ohio campground from Westlake?
How far is Thompson, Ohio campground from Westlake?
Thompson is approximately 40 miles east of Westlake, typically a 45-55 minute drive depending on traffic conditions. While there isn't a specific Thompson campground mentioned in reviews, nearby West Branch State Park Campground offers a scenic camping experience within a similar driving distance. This park features clean facilities, hiking paths, swimming areas, and boat rentals, making it worth the drive from Westlake. For a different direction but similar distance, East Harbor State Park Campground provides clean facilities, lake trails, and a disc golf course.
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