Best Tent Camping near Cuyahoga Valley National Park

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. 

While there isn't much to say about the privacy at this campground, because you are generally just staying in a field, the manager was absolutely wonderful and gave us all kinds of maps and information on Cuyahoga National Park when he came around to check us in. 

The campground can get very muddy during the wet season- the town offers a good description of each campsite on their website and we found the descriptions, as well as their warnings about flood potential, to be very accurate. Our site had a large mud hole, so we joked that we had a waterfront campsite and just rolled with it- the sites were large enough that we didn't have to park near the water. 

Despite having a dog aggressive dog, we were able to check out Bow Wow Beach nearby because we went early enough in the morning that nobody was around. The dog park is really fun and offered a great opportunity for our dog to run around before we got back on the road. 

We were really happy with this campsite and would definitely return at some point if we needed to visit Cuyahoga again.

This state park has a lot to offer with the highlight being a large 2,650-lake that appeals to fishermen, boaters, and swimmers. The park is over 5,000 acres and not only has camping but hiking, volleyball, fishing, playgrounds, picnicking, hunting, horseback riding, and more.

The campground is divided into three loops with nearly 200 sites. Campsites include those with full hook-up (50 amp), electric only (50 amp), and some with no electric. This campground is suitable for everything from large RVs to tents. Sites and roads are paved and each site has a picnic table and fire pit. In loops where there is no water directly at the site, water spigots are scattered throughout. The restroom/bathhouses in our loop were really nice, modern, clean, and had laundry facilities which is a real plus at a state park campground. Campsites can be reserved online up to six months in advance. Since we were here in April, the campground was practically empty and getting a site was no problem. But, if you want one of the 29 full hook-up sites in the summer, you better book early.

We really enjoyed the hiking trails and being able to leave our campsite and be right on the trails. There are approximately 12 miles of hiking trails and an additional 20 miles that are open to horses and snowmobiles. (Be aware that hunting is permitted in certain areas.)

The park is about 15 miles from Cuyahoga Valley National Park which is a fantastic place to explore with a lot going on for the whole family! If you are interested in football, the National Football Hall of Fame is just down the road in Canton. The town of Hudson has a pretty, historic downtown with a fun old soda fountain.

We would definitely stay at this campground again. It was a perfect place to stay while visiting family in the nearby town of Hudson. Loved having a paved site with full hook-ups especially since there was a lot of rain while we were there. The lake was perfect for kayaking and had we been able to stay longer we would have spent more time on the water.

Cuyahoga Valley national park is a lovely park outside of Cleveland. This campsite was a little confusing about where we were allowed to park and for the price we paid for the site (15 or 20) there weren't any amenities. After a big rain, a lot of the sites had some serious puddles making pitching a tent difficult. A plus of the site was that it's right at the beginning of the Stanford trail to Brandywine falls, the nicest feature in the park in my opinion.

Our family really enjoyed staying here, and our kids especially loved swimming and fishing in the lake. In the evening, we bought some firewood from the campground owners for our bonfire. They were so nice, they even brought it over to our camp site! We were camping in a tent and were really happy that the bathrooms were close to the tenting area. We will definitely come back again, hopefully before the end of the summer!

I loved staying at this farm! It is in the cuyahoga valley national park, so it is in a very central area if you want to explore! The views from the camp spots are incredible. We stayed in a lean to and it was so much fun! The bathroom was a Port o potty but it was very well maintained and clean.

Stayed in two different areas of West Branch State Park while visiting Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Very impressed with large, clean bath houses, including fully private showers. Sites were very large and spread out, visit bing lots of nice privacy. Though we did not take advantage, the park also offered horse bridle trails, mountain biking and water activities on the lake. What a gem!

Our non-electric campsite was on the corner, so very secluded on one side but we had to walk through our neighbors’ campsite to get down to the car. Had to walk up a small hill to get to the campsite which was not the most convenient, as we had to carry everything up and back down each time we needed it. Clean bathrooms, beautiful views, friendly people. Stayed here to make the trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which was about a 45 minute drive away. Unfortunately we got rained out and were unable to stay the entire time.

There are surprisingly limited camping options available at Cuyahoga Valley. This urban park, situated between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, serves its community in more of a day-use way, although they are home to a few camping options.

We chose to camp three nights at Stanford House. This historic inn is used for group reservations, but they have six campsites on their property which each have the capacity for two tents. Although the sites were very basic (picnic tables only, not overwhelmingly scenic) it provides a great base camp for out-of-towners visiting Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

And Cuyahoga Valley provides ample opportunity for exploring. With its popular waterfall hikes, its various free ranger programs, and its community services (such as a farmer’s market, historic sites, and wellness programs) Cuyahoga has something for every visitor.

During our four days here in October, we were able to get a great feel for this park. Our favorite must-sees include hiking The Ledges, attending ranger programs, biking the Towpath Trail, buying produce from the various farmer’s markets around the park, and watching the gorgeous sunset from the Beaver Marsh boardwalk.

You can read much more about our four days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Cuyahoga Valley)

Cutty’s is good old fashioned family at its best! They’ve been in the business for years and it shows! From catch and release fishing to laundry facilities, the staff at Cutty’s has thought of everything.

Nearby attractions are: The Hartville Kitchen (seriously worth it), Hartville hardware (again, worth it - believe me), Quail Hollow State Park, Football Hall of Fame, McKinley Museum, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

As far as the camping, you can expect a lot of golf carts, big campers, and a bit of evening noise. Big it’s really okay. Everyone is pretty friendly and there’s actually a real sense of “community” owing to the seasonal campers.

You can easily spend a week here without feeling bored - especially if you’re with the family :)

Quick tip: The welcome brochure mentions area attractions for a reason: Get out there and enjoy!

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a unique experience. Know going in that there aren't a lot of camping options inside the park boundaries. One of the spots you can camp is next to the Stanford house in the central part of the park. There are only 6 camping spots, but each spot allows two tents. A couple of sites are in the wide open field and on warm days can get very hot in your tent. It is very nice that there is a shed with campfire wood that you are free to use during your stay. There is also a water storage unit that you can get fresh water from and two port-a-potties. The parking lot that you can drive in to also serves as the trailhead for a trail to Brandywine Falls so you can expect to have some foot traffic past the camping area throughout the day. It isn't a bad spot to camp just don't expect to be too far into the woods or have much privacy at these spots. We were lucky enough to be there when the cicadas came out, but they do get loud, don't worry they only come out every 17 years.

Nice quiet and affordable tent sites. Ours was pretty private and spacious. Bath houses were fine, nothing exciting but they were clean. Tent sites were spacious. We had a great time!

We tent camp from our motorcycles & this is our favorite camp site! We have camped here 4 times & love the private, wooded site.

Great for fishing. Crammed and unlevel tent camping. People kept walking through our site to get to the bathroom which was annoying and rude. Few trails for hiking

The tent sites were nicely separated from the RV sites. Free showers. Set on a lake with a nice beach. Great for boaters.

The sites are RV and tent sites. They offer coupons for return campers. The suppounding area is nice and the owners are welcoming. Very clean.

Wwhile the campground is designed for mostly RV. camping, we have never had a problem finding a tent site. Has so many things to do.

The sites are huge. The dog park is amazing. Theres so much to do here. Swimming, boating, fishing. We love it. Only bad are no real bathrooms except at the front of the park. No place to wash dishes. Rough if you're tent camping. But we love the sites so much that we keep coming back.