Best Tent Camping near Heath, OH
Tent campers in the Heath, Ohio area have several options ranging from established sites to more primitive setups within a 30-mile radius. Scioto Grove Metro Park offers free, reservable backpacking campsites along the REI Water Trail, providing tent-specific sites with tent pads and fire rings. Mohican-Memorial State Forest features ten "Park and Pack" tent campsites accessible via hiking trails, offering more secluded experiences for tent campers seeking primitive settings.
Sites at Mohican-Memorial State Forest require registration at the ranger station kiosk before hiking to the campsite. Most tent areas provide fire rings, and some supply firewood, though amenities vary significantly between locations. The Park and Pack sites have no bathroom facilities, requiring campers to practice leave-no-trace principles. At Scioto Grove, tent sites are available only on weekends during specific seasons, with reservations filling quickly. Monday Creek OHV area offers dispersed tent camping with vault toilets but no drinking water, making it necessary for campers to pack in their own supplies.
The walk-in tent sites at Mohican-Memorial State Forest offer varying levels of accessibility, with some sites requiring stream crossings while others follow relatively flat terrain. Sites 4 and 10 provide easier access for those with mobility considerations, following wide, relatively flat trails. According to one visitor, "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." Tent campers at Scioto Grove appreciate the backpacking-style experience close to Columbus, with one camper noting that "Site 5 was right on the river and away from the busier parts of the park - didn't see a single person." Most tent sites throughout the region provide good tree cover for shade and hammock camping opportunities.