Tent camping near Concord, Ohio offers accessible options within Dayton's Five Rivers Metroparks system and surrounding county parks. The region sits at elevations between 700-1,100 feet with gently rolling terrain that creates natural drainage for campsites after rainfall. Summer temperatures average 75-85°F with humidity that can make primitive sites feel warmer than their forest counterparts during July and August camping.
What to do
Hiking the Twin Valley Trail: Dayton Metro Parks (Five Rivers Metroparks) offers a challenging backpacking experience on the TVT. "There's a great backpacking trail that's challenging and an easy middle meeting place for friends/family from Columbus and Cincinnati that can meet in Dayton Metroparks/Five Rivers - Germantown and take on the TVT challenge, beautiful hike through hilly terrain, and great spots of overlooks," notes one camper.
Fishing opportunities: Multiple lakes within 30 miles of Concord provide fishing access for tent campers. The Possum Creek Metro park features "Argonne Lake but you will notice folks fishing at that lake and the other smaller lakes onsite." No fishing license is required at the designated fishing ponds.
Kayaking and water activities: The Little Miami River runs through several camping areas, making water sports accessible. At Constitution County Park, "Its literally right beside the river and it has a small ramp into the river. It's the perfect launching point for anyone wanting to take a kayaking trip down the river."
What campers like
Firewood provisions: Many Five Rivers Metroparks campsites include firewood with your reservation. As one camper noted at Possum Creek, "They provide a bundle of firewood for each night that you have reserved the site. In addition, you can easily purchase more wood that will be right there at the site for you."
Secluded camping options: Narrows Reserve offers primitive sites away from crowds. "Camp was in a meadow at the end of about an hour walk in. There was two fire pits provided within the meadow but enough space for quite a few tents."
Clean facilities: Despite being primitive, the facilities are well-maintained. At Germantown MetroPark, a camper mentioned, "The vault toilet was very clean and well stocked. Toilet paper was available and hand gel to get your hands clean."
What you should know
Water availability: Most tent camping options near Concord require bringing your own water. A Germantown camper noted, "If there is one complaint, it would be that there is a dearth of potable water stations, so all water needs to be packed in from trailheads with water, the Welcome Center, or pumped from non-potable sources, filtered and/or treated."
Walk-in requirements: Several campsites require hiking to reach them. Narrows Reserve campsites are "1.25 miles from the parking lot," which surprised one camper who hadn't checked ahead.
Privacy levels vary: Lizzy's Acres offers a wooded private tent camping experience, while Constitution County Park is "way to open for my taste. Anyone can pull in and see your entire setup just from the road or parking lot."
Tips for camping with families
Equipment rental options: For families new to camping, Five Rivers Metroparks provides affordable gear rental. "If you do not have camping gear but still want to get out and try it then you can rent it from them. A set of 6 is $50.00 for the weekend. This includes the tent, sleeping pads, and sleeping bag."
Educational opportunities: Twin Creek MetroPark features historical elements kids enjoy. "For those that need something interesting to look at you will find old abandoned items such as a pool and street car in the woods. The land has an interesting history you will want to explore."
Kid-friendly attractions: Several parks include animal viewing opportunities. "In addition to the lake, they also had a farm on the property that was enjoyable for the kids to see the animals. You can hear some of the animals but we enjoyed this aspect."
Tips from RVers
Reservation timing: Reserve well in advance for the limited number of campsites in the region. During peak season, "The campsites during peak season are $20 during week days and $28 for weekends," which offers good value compared to larger commercial campgrounds.
Site selection for privacy: Choose carefully if seeking seclusion. A camper at Twin Creek noted, "We picked this as the Twin Creek camp site only has 3 camp sites within the park. Even then they are out of side from each other. You can somewhat hear the other two camp sites (rarely)."
Weather considerations: The region can experience significant rainfall. "The creek runoff is managed by the Germantown Dam, and the park is upstream, so the heavy rains we'd been having had left the valley and banks very sloppy and muddy," shared one visitor, suggesting checking weather forecasts before booking tent camping sites.
