Gates Mills is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Ohio camping has to offer. Find the best campgrounds near Gates Mills, OH. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
$38 / night
This recreation area is part of Michael J Kirwan Lake
Verified 8/19/2020 Camping is no longer offered here. Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a destination for millions of visitors each year who enjoy hiking, riding the scenic railroad, biking and picnicking. Whether you need an area large enough for a family reunion or just an intimate spot for two, Cuyahoga Valley is an ideal destination. Picnic areas are scattered throughout the park. Two rustic shelters, Ledges and Octagon, are available for reservation in the Virginia Kendall Unit of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Natural Features: The Cuyahoga River flows through the park for 22 miles, fed by more than 190 miles of perennial (permanent) and ephemeral (temporary) streams. The Beaver Marsh and other wetlands, many lined with cattails and dense patches of duckweed, provide a home for many of the parks reptiles and amphibians and help filter pollutants from the water. Recreation: With many different facilities and attractions in the park, there is something to interest everyone. Most shelter areas have open fields for games and nearby hiking trails.Visitors enjoy riding the scenic railroad, exploring the visitor centers, catching one of the summer concerts, attending one of the ranger-guided programs, biking the Towpath Trail or picnicking in one of the parks picnic shelters. Facilities: Cuyahoga Valleys two shelters are fully-accessible. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed them with American chestnut and locally quarried sandstone. The shelters are located near Ritchie Ledges, an area with approximately 2 miles of Sharon conglomerate stone cliffs about 30 feet tall. A large play field and hiking trails are available near each shelter. Ledges Shelter accommodates up to 75 people. It has two fireplaces and eight picnic tables inside, as well as eight tables in the outside pavilion and a large grill. Octagon Shelter accommodates up to 50 people. During the summer months its walls are removed; they are in place from about October 15 to May 1. Seven indoor picnic tables, two fireplaces and an outdoor grill are provided. Both shelters have electricity for normal two-pronged household appliances such as coffee pots and crock pots. Drinking water is available at a drinking fountain from May 1 to September 15. Restrooms with flush toilets are available year-round. Nearby Attractions: Visit Brandywine Falls, the historic Boston Store Visitor Center, Ritchie Ledges, the Beaver Marsh and the Everett Road Covered Bridge. These are some of the more popular attractions in the park.
Silver Springs Campground is owned by the City of Stow, and operated by the Parks and Recreation Department since 1976. Nestled in Silver Springs Park in the Northeast corner of Stow, it is one of only a few municipally-operated campgrounds in Ohio. The City has been providing outdoor recreational opportunities at this site for over four decades, and the public has really taken advantage of it. They appreciate being able to enjoy the outdoor camping experience so close to home. Campers have access to many amenities throughout Silver Springs Park while camping, including fishing at Heritage Lake, hiking on the trails in the woods, tot lot fun at SOAR playground, dog exercise at Bow Wow Beach, active recreation at the tennis and basketball courts, and throw-together games and activities in the many open fields. The campground is also adjacent to the Metro Parks’ Bike and Hike Trail. The facility has 27 campsites, some open and some shaded.
$13 - $15 / night
Located on Ohio's northeastern shoreline, 698-acre Geneva State Park reflects the character and charisma of Lake Erie. The shimmering expanse of the lake lures vacationers who enjoy fishing and boating at Geneva on the lake. Swimmers rejoice in the beautiful sand beach while nature enthusiasts retreat to the park's freshwater marshes and estuaries. Overnight accommodations include a family campground, cedar cabins, rooms at the lodge, and cottages.
$28 / night
$15 - $45 / night
$35 - $55 / night
This recreation area is part of Mosquito Creek Lake
Verified 8/19/2020 Camping is no longer offered here. Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a destination for millions of visitors each year who enjoy hiking, riding the scenic railroad, biking and picnicking. Whether you need an area large enough for a family reunion or just an intimate spot for two, Cuyahoga Valley is an ideal destination. Picnic areas are scattered throughout the park. Two rustic shelters, Ledges and Octagon, are available for reservation in the Virginia Kendall Unit of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Natural Features: The Cuyahoga River flows through the park for 22 miles, fed by more than 190 miles of perennial (permanent) and ephemeral (temporary) streams. The Beaver Marsh and other wetlands, many lined with cattails and dense patches of duckweed, provide a home for many of the parks reptiles and amphibians and help filter pollutants from the water. Recreation: With many different facilities and attractions in the park, there is something to interest everyone. Most shelter areas have open fields for games and nearby hiking trails.Visitors enjoy riding the scenic railroad, exploring the visitor centers, catching one of the summer concerts, attending one of the ranger-guided programs, biking the Towpath Trail or picnicking in one of the parks picnic shelters. Facilities: Cuyahoga Valleys two shelters are fully-accessible. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed them with American chestnut and locally quarried sandstone. The shelters are located near Ritchie Ledges, an area with approximately 2 miles of Sharon conglomerate stone cliffs about 30 feet tall. A large play field and hiking trails are available near each shelter. Ledges Shelter accommodates up to 75 people. It has two fireplaces and eight picnic tables inside, as well as eight tables in the outside pavilion and a large grill. Octagon Shelter accommodates up to 50 people. During the summer months its walls are removed; they are in place from about October 15 to May 1. Seven indoor picnic tables, two fireplaces and an outdoor grill are provided. Both shelters have electricity for normal two-pronged household appliances such as coffee pots and crock pots. Drinking water is available at a drinking fountain from May 1 to September 15. Restrooms with flush toilets are available year-round. Nearby Attractions: Visit Brandywine Falls, the historic Boston Store Visitor Center, Ritchie Ledges, the Beaver Marsh and the Everett Road Covered Bridge. These are some of the more popular attractions in the park.
Silver Springs Campground is owned by the City of Stow, and operated by the Parks and Recreation Department since 1976. Nestled in Silver Springs Park in the Northeast corner of Stow, it is one of only a few municipally-operated campgrounds in Ohio. The City has been providing outdoor recreational opportunities at this site for over four decades, and the public has really taken advantage of it. They appreciate being able to enjoy the outdoor camping experience so close to home. Campers have access to many amenities throughout Silver Springs Park while camping, including fishing at Heritage Lake, hiking on the trails in the woods, tot lot fun at SOAR playground, dog exercise at Bow Wow Beach, active recreation at the tennis and basketball courts, and throw-together games and activities in the many open fields. The campground is also adjacent to the Metro Parks’ Bike and Hike Trail. The facility has 27 campsites, some open and some shaded.
$13 - $15 / night
Located on Ohio's northeastern shoreline, 698-acre Geneva State Park reflects the character and charisma of Lake Erie. The shimmering expanse of the lake lures vacationers who enjoy fishing and boating at Geneva on the lake. Swimmers rejoice in the beautiful sand beach while nature enthusiasts retreat to the park's freshwater marshes and estuaries. Overnight accommodations include a family campground, cedar cabins, rooms at the lodge, and cottages.
$28 / night
$15 - $45 / night
Traveler
Stopped through for 1 night with no reservation. Called and the camp host was super helpful and friendly! Got in after dinner and luckily we were just car camping, because we got (in our opinion) the best site there! 23 has a great shot of the lake, nice cinder blocks built up to block any wind from the fire pit. Didn’t use showers, but the bathrooms were well maintained! The lake view was amazing! Very quiet and small location…perfect for what we wanted for the evening. Would highly recommend!
Scout
Very nice campground, convenient and clean. A lot of lake front camp sites
Scout
Stayed two nights mid September. Lovely weather. Clean bathrooms and showers with hot water. Firewood, ice, free drinking water, and trinkets available at registration booth.
RangerStayed here again while passing through the area. Facilities are still looking good and the host was very helpful with getting us settled in. Will visit again!
Guide
I don’t have much to say about this campground but to start off on a high note the pool was nice. Now the reasons for our low rating. WiFi was nonexistent, everything was dirty and run down. Our RV site was ok. Family rented a cabin and it was disgusting. Dirty furniture-dishes-run down. Toilet looked like someone died in it. For $250 a night our recommendation is get a hotel-cheaper and cleaner (which is what our family ended up doing). Oh and letting permanent sites fly all sorts of political flags makes this KOA unwelcoming and honestly a little scary. Do not waste your money here.
Scout
Pulled in around midnight on a Wednesday and there were just two other vans parked overnight. Plenty of space if you just need to crash. I believe there is a drop box for cash payment but I could not find it in the dark.
Guide
We recently stayed at the Yogi Bear Campground and, while the overall experience was fun, the condition of our cabin was absolutely unacceptable, especially considering the$900 we paid for just two nights. Upon arrival, we were shocked by the state of the cabin. There was hair all over the sink, toilet, and shower. The floors were filthy, with dog hair everywhere. It was clear that the silverware hadn't been properly cleaned, and the fans were caked with about a quarter-inch of dust. To make matters worse, we found trash and wrappers lying around, and there was a huge stain on the mattress protector. Crumbs were scattered throughout, indicating that the cabin had not been cleaned prior to our stay. I tried to clean the futon myself after realizing how dirty everything was, and the amount of dog hair and dirt I collected was appalling. When I spilled something on the floor and wiped it up with a paper towel, the towel turned black, showing that the floors likely hadn't been scrubbed in ages.
The water situation was equally disturbing. The water smelled horrible, and both the shower head and faucet were caked with scum. My kids begged not to have to take a shower because of the smell. While I understand that water softeners and filters can be expensive, this was simply unacceptable, especially given how much we paid for the higher-end cabins. At the very least, the website should mention that guests might want to bring a shower head filter or be prepared for the poor water quality.
To add to our frustration, unlike the other cabins, ours didn't have a WiFi access code panel. Some of our friends stayed in nearby cabins, and only a few of them had the WiFi password. When we called to ask for the password, nobody ever called us back. This was especially concerning for our friends who had babies with them and needed WiFi to set up their baby monitors.
This level of cleanliness might be expected in a$50/night cabin, but for the price we paid, it is beyond ridiculous and incredibly disappointing.
Traveler
My 6 year old daughter lived her farm animal dream life for a week! The hosts were so accommodating. My daughter loved the free movie nights under stars, running wild with the goats, and the play grounds and play houses kept her busy for hours! The eggs were delicious, I spent time by the fire, in a hammock, and soaking up the sunshine. It was the rejuvenating experience I needed. I will definitely plan to stay here again!
GuideGets loud and crowded on the weekend as usual, the shower house is pretty nice. There are fire rings and electrics and nonelectric sites. Swimming and boating is nearby.
The water is muddy and the shoreline is sharp rocks.
Peaceful when the early morning lawn mower brigade has gotten past and the dumpster work isn't at full force near my campsite (B18) at 7:30 AM.
Ranger
Again it is a nice large place with activities all day for all ages. Pool was great due to temps being in the 90s. Not all sites are full hookup and 50 Amp. The street lights suck as they fully illuminated our sites. Fireworks were OK.
Traveler
We stayed here with our Coast to Coast membership, so it was good for that price. The main restroom/shower house is attached to the office. There are 5 restrooms with flush toilet and hand sanitizer scattered around the park. Most all of the sites are back in. We stayed at a site that shares a pole with water and electric hookups with 3 others. The first time I connected to the internet at our site, it connected right away with good quality. For about 30 seconds. I never got internet at our site again. It is good in the game room by the office, but there isn't anywhere with air conditioning to sit. AT&T has one bar of signal. Many problems getting internet with that. We did enjoy the indoor pool. Until it became crowded with kids. So, we went to the swimming pond. It was quite nice. We took out a paddle boat. They offer paddle boats, canoes, and rowboat to use for free. The one we had wouldn't steer. We went in circles to the right in the middle of the lake for 45 minutes before we got it back to the dock. I think it needs more trees.
Guide
Everyone at this campground is so friendly even the staff is great. The campground has season spots to daily and weekly spots along with yearly. Of course your stay length can determine your views. The campground has waterfront spots with tree coverage to no tree coverage to close up against one another spot where you can hear your neighbors. It’s the you get what you pay for. I have so far enjoyed my spot so far along with my neighbors. I have enjoyed the owner and managers despite other reviews on google. I would recommend and come back. My reasons for 4 stars is your are responsible for maintaining and cutting grass for your campground if you are seasonal to yearly, which is crazy since it’s not our grass and everywhere I have been before takes care of this. This campground does not have sewage and pumps you out twice a week if seasonal and yearly. If you need a pump out it 20$ for emergency situations.
Guide
We stayed for a quick overnight. Plenty of grass and good spacing between the sites. Most appear to be seasonal or full time living. You aren’t allowed to walk a dog around the park which was a very odd rule. Had to stay at your site.
Guide
Some days you just need peace and quiet sitting by the campfire and enjoying the creek and the woods. Other times you want to get up and go dance to the band, swim in the lake, join the bingo and other games or throw a grand picnic. Willow Lake Campground offers it all.
Traveler
Quiet park. Some road noise from campsite J100 but US route 322 is lightly traveled. Typical tent site with fire ring and picnic table. Across street from bath house with shower and toilet which was clean.
ScoutStay here for the holiday weekend, they offer plenty of activities for everyone. Had a band each night! Bad Juju was definitely a favorite of mine. During the band and the day they have a concession stand open with really good food, the girls that work in there are very lovely. The facilities were clean and staff members were respectful and friendly, really the whole park was. This is a great park for a weekend getaway for the family or even just for yourself.
Guide
This campground was exactly what I was looking for, a quiet campground with a large campsite. I have very few complaints. We stayed over Memorial Day weekend and enjoyed our time there. Even with the holiday weekend, the campground was very quiet. Our site was lakeside and was probably the largest campsite I ever stayed in. Some areas where not as big, especially the pull through sites toward the front, but most of the sites on the back side were large. Most sites looked pretty level. Ours sloped up toward the road, but our trailer was not log enough for it to be an issue. The road are mostly dirt and dusty, but didn't bother me. I Site was large enough that there wasn't dust blowing and the traffic was pretty minimal. t was worse when it rained and everything was muddy when we were trying to leave. There are some seasonal campers with golf carts, but It wasn't overwhelming and we didn't feel like we were invading a private neighborhood. The larger lake was bigger than I anticipated and was big enough to paddleboard/kayak on. The pool as fine, nothing special, but good enough for a quick dip. We didn't' use the swimming lake, but it had a sand beach. The location is about 30 minutes from Geneva on the Lake. There are several wineries about 15-20 min away that we visited. My biggest complaint I had was the firewood rule. As another reviewer mentioned, they don't allow outside firewood and your have to pay$12 a bundle for theirs. This adds some cost to the stay, thought I'm not sure how much they enforce it. We saw some rather large fires going around the campground and I doubt they were burning that much wood at$12 a bundle. The other rules were reasonable and I think making people acknowledge them at booking and checking in reinforces it. It is nice to not have to hear your neighbor 3 sites away playing music at 10:00 at night. No sewer hookups that I saw, but the bathroom was clean. Only one main bathhouse with some port-johns in the back areas. Overall, we were happy and would consider going back.
Traveler
It was a nice location to the turnpike but the bathrooms are so out of date. We have a small TT and use the bathhouse frequently. The stall doors hit your knees and the well water stinks…couldn’t wash my hand in the sink. Only one shower stall in the one of 2 bathroom locations. It was nice to see an area designated for dog swimming area. The office closed at 6 PM so no late arrivals. Nice pond but it was a little murky.
Scout
Such a great place to camp. We had such an enjoyable trip. The campground was just incredible.
We visited with our family and really made
Some happy camping memories, which will always treasure. Our site was really pretty and we would visit again!
ScoutWe will definitely be back. The sites are very level, so setup is a breeze. There's plenty of spots to go fishing and hang out by the lake, plus different things to do in the area.
Scout
We enjoy camping in this local park. It's quiet, and everyone is very nice here. The park Mgr. is very nice and helpful as well.
Guide
Although my recent visit to do a recon for a seasonal site was in the off season, it was a really good first impression. Friendly staff, and found what I hope will be be good spot with reservoir in the distance and leaves on the trees.
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! We're excited to have this campground on the Dyrt and ready for you to book, check them out and make sure to leave a review!
Ranger
My wife and I stayed here in late September so it wasn't overly crowded. The camp sites were fairly spacious and level. There seemed to be water fill stations scattered around the campground for convenience. I was actually able to fill me fresh water tank from one near by. The campground is fairly large and we rode our bikes around quite a bit, including our to the campground store at the entrance. There were numerous playgrounds and activities for kids. They have full hookup sections, but most of the campground is electric only. All in all the best review I can give is to say that we would go back.
Traveler
My friends and I decided to stay here for the weekend. Even with the colder weather it was nice and cozy. Plenty of fire wood provided and a short distance away from the gorge to walk. The second night had lots of coyotes around, which is cool but can be dangerous if not careful of course. Coyotes were heard all around the general area. Other than that quiet and the roads close by are unheard. Overall a great experience and definitely recommend for a rustic experience.
ScoutWe booked a tent plot for two days in advance, once we set up camp though the weather report said 30% chance of rain it proceeded to rain nonstop all night long. Our tent leaked horribly bad and it was evident with the forecast we would not last another day in the tent. We had to pack up and leave. KOA was not sympathetic to us at all. In fact when I called to ask questions I was ignored on the phone then disconnected. We were packed up and checked out by the check out time and they refused to refund us for a night. There were plenty of spots open so it's not as though they would have been loosing money. Not only that but we bought$25.00 worth of firewood that was in plastic that we could not use because of the non-stop rain. They would not take it back for a refund. Then oddly advised us to take it if we wanted to, knowing firewood is not to be transported. We left the unopened firewood at the campsite which I'm sure they were able to resell. All in all we spent about$140.00 for one night of camping where we were stuck inside of our leaking tent. Never again will we ever stay at another KOA camp.
RangerThe hosts were very friendly and helpful during our short stay. The area was clean and safe. Would stay again!
Camping near Gates Mills, Ohio, offers a variety of experiences for outdoor lovers. From serene lakeside spots to family-friendly campgrounds, there’s something for everyone.
Camping near Gates Mills, Ohio, is a great way to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. Whether you're in an RV or tent, there's a spot for you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Gates Mills, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Gates Mills, OH is Punderson State Park with a 4-star rating from 32 reviews.
What parks are near Gates Mills, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 8 parks near Gates Mills, OH that allow camping, notably Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Michael J Kirwan Lake.
