Best Tent Camping near Coshocton, OH

Blue Rock State Park is outside Zanesville, Oh off I70. Rt 60 takes you South and then you have a choice of routes in. Good Ohio farmland scenery.

Out of the way, small camping area with basic sites. A cool feature is a few of the sites have pavilion type covered patios that you can pitch your tent in to help stay dry during inclimate weather.

Otherwise the sites are close together. Though there are a few sites that are more off to themselves, they are still wide open with sparse tree cover.

The restroom is basic, the showerhouse is located at the reservoir beach as well as the camp store and boat rental.The staff was very knowledgeable about the area and conversational.

Several trails are in the area, the Horse Camp is up the road. In addition to this area there is the Blue Rock State Forest that offers several out door activities, check out their map and site online.

Make sure you get a reservation at the kiosk by the ranger station in the forest. Do not go to the state park as that is completely different. For the forest office I go to Co Rd 939, Perrysville, OH 44864

Do not camp illegally or without a reservation. They do post signs and ask other campers to report the illegal camping.  

The sunset photo is by the entrance of the parking lot to the campsite.  This is the 2nd easiest campsite to walk into out of the 10.  If you have any mobility issues this is the second best camp site to go to as most of it is along the wide access road and mountain bike trail. The parking lot was clean and easy to access. 

I had limited cell phone signal while here but this had the best signal out of the 10 sites. 

All of the Park and Pack camp sites do not have a bathroom. As you can see from this site I took the time to take a picture of the moon pole.  So do leave no trace of your bathroom habits. 

This site was great for both hammocks and tents.  You could have a small group here and not feel crowded. The camp fire set up is awesome. We had another camper over by that spot so I didn't take pictures of his gear.  He had a hammock and tent set up. He was camping at the spot for a week for his vacation. On our last night at this site another backpacker came through and set up.  Make sure you get a reservation and look closely at the board at the kiosk.  Our main camper at this site was gracious as he had booked the site for the week most folks didn't realize the site was taken as his name was so far up the clipboard.  We weren't alone in not realizing that and he enjoyed the brief company we provided as good neighbors to each other.

Booked 2 sites online using website. Upon getting to our sites the numbers listed on the site posts did not match the numbers on the site map used for booking. Section 4. Seasonal campers verified the campground constantly changes site numbers around.. It is very misleading. Should not offer booking online or should make sure all online booking locations have the site numbers and pictures accurate. The site we had was NOT the one pictured on the map online. Very small, muddy, and could not even have a fire on it. Got lucky no one was across from us. We used that site to build a fire. Make sure you don't forget anything or need gas, not much around.

We stayed in Cousins Cove. Everyone was raving about the newlyweds site so we walked over (when nobody was there, of course). That particular spot had a great fishing spot. Cousins Cove had plenty of shade and was close enough to the portable toilet that it wasn't inconvenient, but far enough to have to worry about smells or run off. The sites were primitive, which we liked and there were plenty of trees to hang hammocks. We used a truck bed and a roof top tent for camping, but the ground was relatively level. The site has plenty of kindling to walk around and gather up as well, so we didn't have to bring our own. There were other campers there, but everyone was so far away, we felt alone.

This was my second time enjoying Mohican State Forest’s Park & Pack sites. I took my daughter to site 10 for an overnighter.

If you’re unfamiliar w/ the Park & Pack system I found this PDF to be extremely useful.

http://www.backpackohio.com/etrails/bpo_mohican.pdf

As others have stated, make sure to sign in at the kiosk, you can find it here:

950 ODNR Mohican Road 60 (County Road 939), Perrysville, Ohio 44864

There’s no reservations, you show up, see what sites are available, sign in and drive to the appropriate parking area.

After signing in at the kiosk we drove and parked at the upper parking area for sites 8-10. The last 1/4 mile of the road is pretty rutted, so if you have a low profile vehicle you may need to park at the lower area (which isn’t much of a parking area and the Rangers don’t really want anyone parking there).

Site 10 is about 3/4 of a mile down the trail from the upper parking area. Well marked and easy to find. There are plenty of areas to set up shelter and hang hammocks. After my daughter and I set up camp near the fire ring we explored and found spots below the SE edge.

You can find a short “trail” at the NE edge of the campsite that leads down to a ledge where a couple unofficial fire rings have been built. You can also get there by continuing east past the last Site 10 trail marker. The trail is a bit over grown but was still easily followed. It will loop around towards the south then back west leading into the lower area.

The whole area is beautiful and scenic. I’d like to head back in the fall and or winter to enjoy the view of the gorge in different seasons. The site is fairly remote, we only saw a hiker while hiking in and heard mountain bikers riding down the trail NW of Site 10. The only con I would give the site is there’s no water source, so you have to pack in all your water needs. Being the middle of summer that was quite a bit for my daughter and me. Packs were much lighter on the way out.

I love Mohican State Park. There is so much to do- canoeing, kayaking, tubing, creeking, and great trails also.

This campground is nice but is crowded in the warmer months. Look for a site along the water, that's where the tree cover is. I stayed in a camper cabin which was very nice, with microwave and refrigerator.

There is running water in the toilets, which is nice for a state park in Ohio. The showers were decent, nothing to complain about there.

The primitive tent camping sites looked nice and peaceful- take care to get a shaded spot, though, as some were just exposed in a grassy field. There is a long bumpy walk from the parking area to the primitive sites, so bring a wagon or sled or something.

Saltfork is located about 45 minutes from my house, and makes for the perfect overnight trip. 

There are tons of things to do, and lots of space in which to do them. My favorites includes hiking trails, and the lakeside dog park. 

I stay in the primitive camping, it allows for more privacy and quiet. Although it also means you are relegated to the pit toilets. I personally don't mind them, but I know some campers will make the drive to the nicer shower house in the RV heavy side of the park. 

Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, the fire rings in the primitive section need some work, as the grates are very old and small.

The Atwood Lake Campground is a true gem in a beautiful area of eastern Ohio! We’ve visited the Atwood region many times in the past but have never camped - but after this visit we’ll be back for sure. The campground is relatively new, with the campground area being completely revamped beginning in 2017. There are two overnight camping areas with seasonal sites in a separate section; we stayed in “Camp H” which is the newest area. There is a huge bathhouse with two sets of men’s and women’s restrooms and shower facilities along with a very nice laundry area. Adjoining the bathhouse area is a beautiful pavilion and children’s playground - all of which overlooks Atwood Lake. The campsites are nicely spaced though if you’re in the inner loop as we were or even some of the outer ring sites you’ll be looking right into your neighbor’s site. All sites are FHU on level concrete pads and include a metal picnic table and fire ring. If needed there are two very well equipped dump stations if you prefer to use them instead of the sewer connection at your site. Many sites are on cul de sacs directly on the lake with docks and fishing areas adjacent to the campsites. Lots of hiking trails, paved bike paths, a swimming beach and restaurant are in a nearby area. We loved the campground and will return soon!