Best Tent Camping near Friendship, OH

Tent camping near Friendship, Ohio provides access to several natural areas within Wayne National Forest and surrounding regions. Lizzy's Acres offers a secluded tent-only site with walk-in access and drive-in options, while Pine Knob Loop Campground in Pedro provides hike-in tent campsites within the Wayne National Forest. GrayWolf PayLake accommodates tent campers with basic amenities, and for those willing to travel slightly farther, Paragon Dispersed Camping Area in Kentucky offers primitive tent camping opportunities along Cave Run Lake.

Most tent campgrounds in the region operate seasonally, with Pine Knob Loop available from April to October. Tent sites typically feature basic amenities, with vault toilets available at most locations. Fire rings are provided at Lizzy's Acres and Pine Knob Loop, while firewood is available for purchase at select sites. Water access varies significantly between campgrounds, with no drinking water available at Pine Knob Loop and primitive sites. Campers should prepare for variable weather conditions, particularly during spring and fall when temperatures can fluctuate. Pack-in, pack-out policies are enforced at dispersed camping areas.

The backcountry tent camping experience near Friendship offers opportunities for solitude and nature immersion. One visitor to Pine Knob Loop Campground reported, "We hiked in at this point near Lake Vesuvius in the Wayne National Forest. Found a secluded spot up the trail." Walk-in tent sites at Lizzy's Acres provide wooded camping near state parks and small towns. At Paragon Dispersed Camping Area, campers noted wildlife viewing opportunities, with one visitor observing herons fishing and woodpeckers in the trees near their lakeside tent site. The primitive tent camping areas require proper preparation, including water treatment equipment and leave-no-trace practices. Tent campers should be aware that sites can fill quickly on weekends, particularly during summer months.

Best Tent Sites Near Friendship, Ohio (22)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Friendship, OH

6 Photos of 22 Friendship Campgrounds


Tent Camping Reviews near Friendship, OH

494 Reviews of 22 Friendship Campgrounds


  • 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.

  • Chris M.
    Jul. 17, 2020

    Yatesville Lake State Park Campground

    Great camping on the lake

    Camping: As far as camping goes there’s a little variety. On top of the hill there is camper sites with full hook ups which is actually quite spacious and spaced out from other sites compared to other campgrounds, but some sites are better than others of course. There is also primitive tent camping on top of the hill, but appeared slightly cramped. In my opinion the best sites are the boat in tent camping sites down the hill by the lake. The sites also run along a gravel rode that can be used to hike in. All sites throughout have fine gravel pad, picnic table, a fire ring and access to numerous bathrooms of which have a compost toilet and running water for the sink. Camp staff will deliver ice or firewood to any site if requested. Extras: The main attraction is the lake of course which is quite clean for swimming, boating or fishing, but can be a little busy at times. There are a few hiking trails near by, but I wouldn’t come here for that. There is a golf course and I did notice, but didn’t get to check out, there is a place called The Cove at Yatesville lake that has a beach for swimming with climbable inflatables in the water, kayak rentals and among other things. Conclusion: A great local place to have fun on a lake, but not somewhere I’d travel an extended distance to see.

  • Chris H.
    Oct. 27, 2020

    Twin Knobs Recreation Area

    Hidden Gem

    We've stayed at Twin Knobs twice now in our popup camper. First time was at F26, second was at F24. We love how the outer loop sites have such quick access to the water.

    Both sites are shaded very well and the sites themselves are huge. We could see other campers through the trees but we felt pretty well secluded.

    Each site has several tall poles with hooks for trash bags/food storage. as well each site has a large fire pit with flip-over grill for cooking.

    The firewood bundles are a bit pricey ($7) at the checkin shack, but I'm glad they are available. we purchased at least 7 bundles to have a pretty much constant fire through the day and night.

    The bathrooms are clean and easily accessible. There was a bit of an overflow issue our first day on site but it was resolved in less than an hour by the loop hosts.

    Pop's bbq was a hit both nights we were there. We ordered carryout (covid) and ate at camp on the provided picnic tables. The Dollar General is also adequately stocked.

    All in all a fantastic visit which we will repeat ASAP. it's too bad they close at the end of October. I bet winter camping there would be a treat.

    Cheers,

    Chris

  • Frank H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 7, 2021

    Sandy Springs Campground

    Nice campground

    This was the last campground before returning home from a month long camping road trip across the country and back. Picturesque camp directly on the Ohio River. Very level. Small campground with about 40 sites. Basically all sites are for RVs and equipped with electrical and water and most with sewer. We were tent camping and set up and a very soft & thick grassy space on one of the empty sites. The owners plan to install dedicated tent sites along the edge of the woods. There is a camp store with most needed items. Ice and firewood sold. Very spacious and individual toilet and shower & sink rooms. Good showers with plenty of hot water. Playground for children. Volleyball for anyone. Dumpster for trash. Great people. Easy to make reservations.

  • Melissa W.
    Sep. 17, 2021

    Grayson Lake State Park Campground

    Good location, ok campground

    Negatives: This campground is pretty hilly. Many of the spots don't have a great space for a tent. The flattest spots are in the middle of the circle with an open field behind them (but then you won't have any privacy or tree coverage). Even the RV camping on the inside of the loop across from us had its front tires suspended about a foot in the air to make it level though. Considering the flat spots are very limited, I don't think its a great tent campground and geared more towards RVs. One side of the campground runs against a golf course. If you're tent camping over a weekend, be prepared to have golfers tee-ing off next to you beginning at 7am. On Monday morning, be prepared for them to start mowing at 7am. The opposite side of the campground sits against a tree-line and therefore has much better spots. Many of the picnic tables are in pretty rough shape. The ones that have been replaced were done with the metal style that is dipped in plastic and are much sturdier. Likewise, some of the firepits are in pretty bad shape. I'd recommend having a grill grate with you just in case if you cook over the fire like we do. The firewood that is sold at the campground is kept in a shed but it was very wet, there also aren't any options around for buying wood outside the park. The office is supposed to be open until 6pm but one night it was closed earlier and the camp host wasn't on premises all weekend so we were stuck resorting to finding and burning downfall to get dinner cooked. 

    The positives: Its a good location and there are plenty of kayaking spots on Grayson Lake. Going to "The Grotto" aka Clifty Falls is a must (4.5 mile round trip). The same boat ramp has a decent place to get in and swim. Lick Falls Loop hike can be done from the campground and was nice (4.5 miles). We also kayaked the Southern portion of Grayson Lake in Laurel Gorge and that was much quieter than the Clifty Falls area. The campground bathrooms were clean. Most of the campsites were a decent size.

  • D
    Jun. 11, 2022

    Paint Creek State Park Campground

    Premium sites are

    We paid extra to have a "Premium" site, which meant we got a deck. That deck held our picnic table,  but there was no room to put our camping chairs. And though we were close to the lake, you could not see it through the trees. We could barely get out of our trailer and into the driveway without falling into a ravine. The fire pit had to be put on the back side of our trailer next to the road as that was the only spot it could fit. We were told to check out other sites in case we want to come back. Ha. The staff knew no one who had ever been here would ever take this site! But... we won't need to check out other sites as we'll never come back.

  • K
    Mar. 27, 2023

    Carter Caves State Resort Park Campground

    Exceeded Expectations

    The night we arrived it was pouring rain. After sleeping in the car to stay dry we explored the park. The park really came alive with the rain, which really made the trip. Water was running over the edges of cliffs and boulders throughout the park into the river that flows through the park. The cave tours were cheap and interesting, although the self guided tour was closed due to flooding. We did the Three Bridge Trail which was moderately challenging but worth the unique geology and natural bridge formations.

    The tent campground was quiet but the RV campground was pretty full and lively. At site 110 we struggled to find a flattish spot—the sites closest to the road to the horse campground were much better. The bathrooms were randomly closed one night on a Saturday which was a little annoying. There wasn’t any clear communication of restroom hours.

    It was hard to find firewood nearby, we ended up seeing a sign of a guy selling firewood and we called him. It was $23 for 35 logs delivered to the site. This ended up being way more than we needed and we left some behind after giving some out for free to other campers, which was a cool experience.

    We left for the day on our second to last day and packed up most of the site in the car as we’d be gone a while. When we came back what we left was gone along with our reservation slip at the site entrance. It seems the rangers took it that we left and now I’m out a water jug.

    There was some scavenger hunt race going on too and people would come out of the forest and run through our campsite with no regard to us being right there which was a little odd.

    Overall I didn’t know what to expect as an out of stater but had a great time through the weather and all.

  • James W.
    Jul. 7, 2018

    Shawnee State Park Campground

    A Challenging Backpacking Loop

    We took a group of Boy Scouts on a five day backpacking trek of the entire Shawnee Loop. It was a very challenging five days with a lot of up and down hills.

    The entire loop is around 36 miles. There are seven campsites along the trail, and all but one has water access, which was really nice on our trek.

    The first day we hiked from the trail head parking lot to Camp 1. The camp was a small, secluded grove down in a valley. This made for a nice cool off from the day's heat. The camp has a large grassy area and several smaller campsite offshoots.

    The second day we hiked to camp 2 and stopped for water. Unfortunately the water supply seems to have been compromised since we found leaves in the water coming from the faucet. Luckily we have our water filtration system so we quickly filtered the water and were on our way. We then hiked to camp 3 which is very close to Camp Oyo. This was a nice, large camp right next to the creek. We had tons of space. The only bad thing about this campsite was it's proximity to the main road. We heard cars going by all night.

    The next day we found a beautiful view on top of the one hill just off a logging road where we stopped for lunch. There was even a picnic table. We then went on to camp 4 which, unfortunately, had been trashed. There was garbage everywhere, likely due to this campsite being close to a road. So, as good boy scouts we cleaned up the trash so that the next group could enjoy the camp. This camp was much like camp 1. Grassy area, small creek, lots of shade in the valley.

    We then went on to camp five and we quite disappointed. This is barely a camp at all. It's just a long trail to a small grassy patch. Barely enough room to set up a decent camp. I think this camp has not seen much use.

    When we hiked to camp 6 the next day we found the crown jewel of the trail. Camp 6 is absolutely beautiful. The camp is in a pine grove and has a substantial creek running through the middle complete with fairly large fish! Although there was no water access in camp six we were able to refill water thanks to the stream and our filters. We were very bummed to not be camping at camp six.

    We then went on to camp 7 for our final night. Camp seven is just like camp 1. It's down in a cool valley with an open patch for tents and lots of good trees for hammocks.

    Overall it's a good hiking trail, and very challenging. The only thing I would like to have seen more of would be a more interesting trail. Which cant be helped, really. There aren't any interesting rock formations or caves along the trail. And the views are OK. Nothing too spectacular. My thought is that you do the Shawnee trail for the challenge of the distance, terrain, etc. It's a good training trail for longer treks. I enjoyed it greatly, but don't see myself coming back for some time.

  • Anthony I.
    May. 3, 2022

    Zilpo Campground

    Nice and quiet.

    A lovely campground that is well-maintained and very peaceful. We opted for a site with electricity and it had a nice level pad for our trailer and truck, a fire ring, a picnic table and post for our lantern. The campground itself is quite large, taking up the whole peninsula, there are not many public areas to access the beach for swimming, but there are a few moderate to easy hiking trails and during our visit other than ice and firewood there was nothing available as the store was closed. We were at our campsite at the beginning of May, and I will say be very careful as I pulled more ticks off of myself and my dog than I ever have in my life, so be sure to triple check.


Guide to Friendship

Tent camping near Friendship, Ohio offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying various amenities and activities. With several campgrounds in the area, you'll find options that cater to different preferences and needs.

Local Attractions and Activities

  • Explore the scenic trails at Pine Knob Loop Campground, where hiking enthusiasts can enjoy beautiful views and a peaceful atmosphere.
  • The Lake Vesuvius Horseback Riding System offers horseback riding trails that are perfect for equestrian lovers looking to experience the outdoors in a unique way.
  • For a secluded getaway, consider GrayWolf PayLake, which provides a tranquil setting for fishing and relaxation.

Tent Camping Prices

  • Tent camping at Hidden Trails Campground is available year-round, making it a flexible option for campers.
  • Prices for tent camping can vary, with some locations offering affordable rates around $20 to $30 per night.
  • At Pine Knob Loop Campground, you can enjoy a budget-friendly camping experience without sacrificing the beauty of nature.

Amenities and Features

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Friendship, OH is GrayWolf PayLake with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 22 tent camping locations near Friendship, OH, with real photos and reviews from campers.