Best Tent Camping near Circleville, OH

Several tent camping options exist within driving distance of Circleville, Ohio, with Scioto Grove Metro Park offering free backpacking tent sites along the Scioto River. Located southwest of Columbus, these hike-in sites require reservations and feature tent pads and fire rings. Zaleski State Forest, approximately an hour southeast of Circleville, provides multiple backpacking campsites along a trail system with more secluded tent camping opportunities in a forested setting.

Most tent sites near Circleville are primitive with basic amenities. Scioto Grove's backpacking sites include tent pads, fire rings with provided firewood, and access to toilets, but campers should note these are weekend-only sites that require advance reservation. Zaleski State Forest offers more rustic conditions with pit toilets and potable water at designated campsites. Both locations prohibit alcohol consumption and require campers to pack out trash. Access to Scioto Grove tent sites requires hiking in from parking areas, while Zaleski features walk-in and hike-in options along established trails.

The tent camping experience in this region offers a mix of accessibility and natural immersion. Scioto Grove provides an excellent introduction to backpacking with relatively short hiking distances to campsites, making it ideal for testing gear or weekend escapes close to urban areas. The sites are positioned along the river and spaced to provide privacy. At Zaleski, campers can experience more challenging terrain with multiple hills, ridgelines and valleys. A review on The Dyrt described Zaleski as "a great place for a first time backpacking trip" with "well maintained and marked" trails. Waters Edge Canoe Livery also offers tent sites with shower facilities for those seeking additional amenities while still enjoying tent camping.

Best Tent Sites Near Circleville, Ohio (21)

    1. Scioto-Grove Metro Park

    8 Reviews
    Grove City, OH
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (614) 949-1078

    "Free reserve ahead weekend backpacking campsites. All sites have 2 tent pads, a fire ring and firewood provided."

    "Scioto Grove is great if you're looking to test out some new backpacking gear."

    2. Geneva Hills - Camp and Event Center

    2 Reviews
    Rockbridge, OH
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (740) 746-8439

    $35 - $600 / night

    "Tent site was nice. We could make dinner and there weren’t any mosquitoes even though it was right above a swamp. It was a nice driving distance from Hocking Hills and a neat place to camp."

    3. Waters Edge Canoe Livery

    1 Review
    Chillicothe, OH
    22 miles
    Website

    $12 / night

    4. Zaleski State Forest

    17 Reviews
    Zaleski, OH
    39 miles
    Website
    +1 (740) 596-5781

    "There's a great loop hike in Zaleski State Forest. High quality trees, nice little hills, cool rock formations. Fine campground for tent-camping (my preferred camping method)."

    "Campsites fill up quickly & areas will be shared. Not all have fire rings. Camp 2 is very popular since it is the halfway point(ish) on the trail. Camp 1 is only a couple miles into the loop."

    5. SaltCreek Retreats

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    Adelphi, OH
    16 miles
    +1 (740) 415-5441

    $50 - $225 / night

    6. Rockwood

    Be the first to review!
    South Bloomingville, OH
    21 miles
    +1 (937) 776-3261

    $30 - $100 / night

    7. Lizzy’s Acres

    1 Review
    Bainbridge, OH
    35 miles
    +1 (740) 438-2678

    $25 - $35 / night

    "Lizzy's Acres is a new listing on the Dyrt, but they offer a great location for those looking to explore the area.  Check them out and show them some love!"

    8. Caveman's Retreat

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    South Bloomingville, OH
    25 miles
    Website

    $32 / night

    9. Old Stone Church Campground

    2 Reviews
    New Lexington, OH
    37 miles
    Website

    "Each pull-thru is set-up for horses, but RVs are allowed (according to NFS website)."

    10. Benton's on the Baileys

    4 Reviews
    Chauncey, OH
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (773) 837-0847

    $40 - $125 / night

    "Extremely private primitive camping surrounded by Wayne National Forest and steps from the Baileys Trail System. Fire pit, picnic table and handmade hammock supplied for comfort and convenience."

    "Excellent campground that is tucked out of the way. You have to walk to the site, up a steep hill, but it is very private and quiet. The bathrooms are down the hill too, but very clean and private."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Circleville, OH

686 Reviews of 21 Circleville Campgrounds


  • Eira T.
    Jul. 5, 2015

    Burr Oak Cove Campground

    Quiet campground in Wayne National Forest!

    We enjoyed walk-in site #3 during a holiday weekend. The walk-in sites afford more privacy and tree cover than the drive-up sites, where you can see your neighbors on all sides. No showers or sinks, just several vault toilets. Potable water available throughout the camp. Camp sites are $10 a night.

    Neighbors were fairly quiet, and there is one trail that leads down to Burr Oak lake. The trail is 1 mile, but it seems to link up with some longer yellow and green-blazed trails that go around the lake. The campground is also a short drive from the Wildcat Hollow trail head in the Athens Unit of Wayne National Forest

  • Anna S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 9, 2024

    Scioto Trail State Park Campground

    Tent only sites - quiet, wooded

    I stayed in the non-electric, tent-only campground NOT the RV campground. Out of curiosity, I drove through the RV campground and it was so loud and cramped! But the tent-only area is separate. Walk-in sites with pit toilets and potable water. The map of how the sites are laid out online is extremely inaccurate, I would not have picked my site if it had been accurate. But there was only one other camper and we all had plenty of space - I could barely see them through the trees. All sites appeared to have a picnic table and fire ring. Many miles of trails / dirt roads for hiking and biking. Clear skies at night. Very relaxing.

  • Nancy R.
    Jun. 9, 2018

    Alum Creek State Park Campground

    Puzzled Campers

    We had reservations, but didn’t figure out how to check in. The site numbers were very hard to see and figure out. The numbers didn’t appear to be sequential. The worst part for us was that there were no tent pads for pitching the tent. We were there during a very rainy time and had to pitch the tent in a ditch. Water flowed under the tent so we had quite a bit of mud on the bottom of the tent when we packed up. Luckily our tent kept us dry inspite of its location. Space was extremely limited. The picnic table was on the driveway. There was poison ivy less than a foot from our tent. Restrooms and showers were adequate, but toilet paper rolls would fall in the floor if you weren’t careful. All three showers drained into the middle stall making it difficult to keep thing dry.

  • Dave V.
    Oct. 31, 2019

    Hocking Hills State Park Campground

    Close proximity to natural attractions

    Hocking Hills State Park, Oh-Site 89. https://thehockinghills.org/

    Hocking Hills State Park offers close proximity to most of the popular natural attractions...Old Man’s Cave, Ash Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, etc....but for a tent camper that prefers solitude and space, I found it unappealing.

    I did arrive late on a Monday evening, mid-October and got one of the last available sites. Packed on a Monday night!

    I found the camping sites a bit cramped both in depth and width. Site 89 and 90 shared the same parking pad. Limited flat locations existed for a tent and my tent footprint is fairly small. You do have a firepit and picnic table with all three in fairly close proximity, so you must be extremely cautious with wind direction when deciding for a fire, else you’ll have embers dotting your tent and picnic table. Even though the neighbors were trying to be respectfully quiet...you heard every conversation and saw their every move.

    No electric, which is fine in my book...the water spigot is centrally located on the loop and happened to be next to my site.

    The restroom/shower facilities were not well cared for upon my visit. The floors were very muddy and trash was piled up in the corner of one stall and out of necessities.

    Construction and dump truck noise started early with a project behind the restrooms.

    The visitor’s center was well-stocked and the employee was pleasant. Cell service is unavailable and even sketchy at the visitor’s center. Wood can be purchased at the visitor’s center.

    Close proximity to local attractions and a swimming pool are likely the big draw.

    Knowing that I prefer solitude and distance when camping, I’ll likely not return but choose nearby Lake Hope State Park for my local visits.

  • A
    Oct. 18, 2020

    Burr Oak State Park Campground

    Nice trails, not so nice campsites

    Most of the sites at this state park campground are very small and don’t have much level ground. Even the sites meant for RVs and trailers are right on top of each other. It’s almost like they took what should have been one site and made it two. There’s a handful of sites that offer a little space and level ground for tent campers. You may or may not have a picnic table and fire ring with a grill at your campsite when you arrive. According to staff, people take the fire rings and I guess there’s nothing they can do. Bathrooms were clean. The lake view trail was nice and accessible from the campground.

  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 3, 2020

    A.W. Marion State Park Campground

    A Good Place to Meet is in the Middle

    A new site for us at this campground, site 59 which is an inside site. We also had friends who booked 2 inside sites very nearby so we were able to all set up in the middle and share a large space for 10 people and 7 dogs. We were able to be socially distant, have space for cornhole and lots of room for the dogs. Our site pad was pretty level. My husband went over the pad just a little onto the grass, as the other side sloped. So when we stepped out of the camp, we wouldn't be stepping down on a slope. This is one of the quietest campgrounds we go to even though there is plenty for kids to do (playground). Had the weather been better, we would have brought our kayaks for the lake. You have three different types of restrooms. The ones closest to use are the drop toilets, a little further is a porta potty and the furthest was the flush toilets (no showers). It's our little slice of heaven so we like to try a new site each time if we are able. We take our dogs with us so we have to be a little more picky so we don't bother anyone.

  • Ruby W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 12, 2019

    Zaleski State Forest

    Ranger Review: Banner & Oak Firebiner at Zaleski South Loop

    Campground Review: With a close friend coming to visit from Spain, I wanted to show her a cool backpacking location in Southeastern Ohio. Zaleski State Forest seemed like a good choice for a new backpacker. There are multiple loops to trek, averaging about 10 miles per loop. Overall the trails are well maintained (minus a few dense areas). There was almost an excessive amount of blazes. Campsites are plentiful along the trails. We stayed at Campsite C. Each site has access to communal well-water and a restroom. Each site usually has a small fire ring and logs to sit on. Overall, the campsites were pretty decent and secluded, but nothing special view wise aside from the typical Ohio forest. I would say pretty overall, but nothing quite outstanding.

    Product Review: The Banner & Oak Firebiner is a neat little tool that has some really fun features! Most notable being the fire starter. The Firebiner uses a small spark wheel and replaceable ferro rod to create sparks. The sparks are pretty large for the little tool. I now use my Firebiner to start my MSR stove quickly and with zero plastic waste! I haven’t used it to try to start a straight up fire, but friends have successfully before. Most importantly, the spark wheel is just darn right fun to play with. The device has other little uses like a bottle opener, utility blade, and screwdriver. I absolutely love this device! Only complaint would be that I wish it came in different colors, but who really cares.

    Here is a link to check out the Firebiner yourself: https://bannerandoak.com/products/banner-and-oak-firebiner?variant=9696793034788&currency=USD&gclid=CjwKCAjwnMTqBRAzEiwAEF3ndu9CmerLos5Y1yvjGHJ2L4FG732wg9bMpyPAJRa3m8dxlxffZ6Nt-RoC6LQQAvD_BwE

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 4, 2022

    Hocking Hills State Park Campground

    Beautiful scenery!

    General: 172-site state park with a mix of full hook-up, electric, and no hook-ups in separate areas plus a 33-site family hike-in camp, two group camps, and three cabins. All sites need to be reserved – no walk-ins are allowed. There is a beautiful visitor center, and the camp office has a small store as well. There is a very nice coin-operated laundry room. Don’t count on cell service– with a fleeting one bar of Verizon, it was just enough to tease us, but the break was also a welcome respite. 

    Site Quality: Standard issue for state parks with paved driveways, picnic table, and fire ring, however, there are a few things to note: Some sites are decidedly not level (#105 is very sloped). 103 and 101 meet at a V at the back end and this impedes the separation between the sites. Our site (103) had a drop-off between the driveway and the rest of the site that could pose a tripping hazard if you are not careful. All of the restrooms emit a hum, but the wastewater treatment facility is very loud and is located directly behind the first 9-10 full hook-up sites. 

    Bathhouse: The restrooms were clean, but the showers were just adequate (not the worst camp shower but definitely not the best I have experienced) but at least there was hot water. 

    Activities: We came for the hiking, and we were not disappointed. This park is gorgeous! We hiked the Blue trail (Grandma Gatewood Trail) to Cedar Falls, taking in Upper and Lower Falls, and Old Man’s Cave along the way, and returned via the Rim Trail, which was much easier (fewer roots and up and down). We received a color-coded map of the trails upon check-in but had difficulty deciphering it, especially the mileage. We went to the Camp Office before starting our hike to get clarity. Once on the trails, they were well-marked with either signs or blazes. While you could do a long hike (12 miles one-way) from one end of the park to the other), don’t miss Ash Cave – we drove there the next morning before leaving. There are also mountain biking trails, two playgrounds (the one more centrally located is a bit dated and does not look very safe but there is a newer, larger one at the very end of the road (near the lake trail) and there are also horseshoe pits and a volleyball net there. In season, there is a large swimming pool. 

    The campground itself gets 3 stars for some of its flaws but the scenery is so beautiful, 4 stars are merited, in my opinion. I would recommend reserving in one of the “spurs” as there would be less traffic.

  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 7, 2020

    A.W. Marion State Park Campground

    Inside Campsite and Pleasantly Surprised on the Fourth of July!

    After staying one night in non-electric we were able to transfer to an electric site thanks to our great camp hosts. They let us know that one had opened and recommended us to call in the next morning. We were able to get an electric site that was on the inside, a site we would have never chosen otherwise as we have dogs and try to find a space with no one behind us. The site was actually really nice. There was grass and some partial shade. We had room for our ez-up tent, our pop-up bathroom and still room to set up our chairs and walk the dogs without bothering our neighbors. Our friends had the site next to us and they were able to use the trees to hang their hammocks. There was a nice fire ring and the pad was easy to level our a-frame camper. We had another set of neighbors who were in a class A motorhome (it was huge!). Everyone we talked to were very friendly. We were closer to the vault toilets (they were kept clean) and the playground. It was Fourth of July weekend and the campground was really quiet. If you have kayaks, you can drive them down the hill next to the campground to get into the lake. If you like to hike or mountain bike there are trails to use as well.


Guide to Circleville

Tent camping near Circleville, Ohio offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying various amenities and activities. With several well-reviewed options, campers can find the perfect spot to set up their tents and explore the great outdoors.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • Experience the beauty of the Scioto River while camping at Scioto-Grove Metro Park, where you can enjoy peaceful hikes and fishing.
  • Waters Edge Canoe Livery offers exciting kayaking and canoeing opportunities, making it a fun spot for water enthusiasts.
  • Explore the scenic trails and natural beauty surrounding Old Stone Church Campground, ideal for hiking and horseback riding.

Unique features of local campgrounds

  • SaltCreek Retreats allows pets, making it a great choice for those who want to bring their furry friends along for the adventure.
  • At Caveman's Retreat, you can find electric hookups, providing added convenience for your camping setup.
  • Lizzy’s Acres features a wooded setting, perfect for those looking to escape into nature while still being close to local attractions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Circleville, OH?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Circleville, OH is Scioto-Grove Metro Park with a 4.3-star rating from 8 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Circleville, OH?

TheDyrt.com has all 21 tent camping locations near Circleville, OH, with real photos and reviews from campers.