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Kera F.
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TravelerCross Creek Camping Resort
ALUM CREEK CAMPGROUND
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Camping near Howard, OH
120 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
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SUMMARY PRESENTED BY
The rolling hills of central Ohio surrounding Howard feature a mix of state parks, private campgrounds, and water-oriented recreation areas. Kokosing Valley Camp & Canoe operates directly in Howard, offering tent and RV sites with electric hookups from May through mid-October. Within a 30-minute drive, the Mohican region provides several additional camping options, including Mohican State Park Campground in Loudonville with year-round availability and accommodations ranging from primitive tent sites to full-hookup RV spaces and cabins. The area's campgrounds typically feature wooded settings near rivers and lakes, with many sites offering water access for fishing, kayaking, and canoeing.
Most campgrounds in the Howard area require advance reservations, particularly during summer weekends and fall color season. The camping season generally runs from April through October, though Mohican State Park and Pleasant Hill Lake Park remain open year-round. Winter camping requires preparation for potentially muddy conditions and freezing temperatures. Cell service varies throughout the region, with better coverage at developed campgrounds and spotty reception in more remote areas. As one camper noted about Mohican State Park, "It's not the most secluded spots but if you are looking for something tucked away there are a few sites. The ability to tube down the river and walk back to your camp site was so much fun."
Water recreation forms the centerpiece of camping experiences near Howard. The Kokosing and Mohican Rivers provide opportunities for paddling, fishing, and tubing, with several campgrounds offering canoe and kayak rentals or river access. Campers frequently mention the quality of hiking trails throughout the region, particularly at Mohican State Park where well-maintained paths connect directly to many campsites. Sites along waterways tend to fill quickly during summer months. Visitors appreciate the mix of natural settings and amenities, with one reviewer noting, "The forest is beautiful and trails well maintained." Campgrounds vary in privacy levels, with some offering spacious, shaded sites while others feature more open layouts with limited separation between neighbors.
Best Campgrounds near Howard (120)
1. Mohican State Park Campground
"It’s not the most secluded spots but if you are looking for something tucked away there a few sites. The ability to tube down the river and walk back to your camp site was so much fun."
"The tent sites (short walk from parking lot) and one car per tent site. Our site was not the traditional walk up/park camp site. It was a nice change of pace. More space and great neighbors. "
from $27 - $220 / night
Check Availability2. Mohican Adventures Campground and Cabins
"They also offered several bathroom locations and a shower house which were sufficiently clean. Definitely would recommend."
"If you like canoeing, kayaking, rafting, high ropes courses, mini golfing, go carting, hiking, swimming (indoor pool and in a lake), fishing, and paddle boating, then you will LOVE this place!!"
3. Mohican Wilderness
"We come back to MW each year and try to get the same sites (323-322) as they are very private with access to the water while still being super close to the store and walkable to the bathrooms:showers."
"They are full of amenities like: horse back riding, shooting sports, canoeing, playground, swimming lake, putt putt and more."
from $25 - $44 / night
Check Availability4. Kokosing Valley Camp & Canoe
"Perfect river location for kayaking or tubing. Fantastic fishing."
"We set up camp here and ride the kokosing gap trail into mt vernon and back. They keep the bathhouses very clean and the water is hot. Would love to go back once the apocalypse is over."
5. Pleasant Hill Lake Park Campground
"Positives: Lots are spacious
- Lots of activities: WhoaZone, boating, fishing, horseback riding, near Mohican Adventures for rafting, hiking
- Quiet and with friendly staff and seasonal campers
- Large"
"The bike/walking paths for kids/adults is a great addition for campers with young kids. The shower houses are clean as well as the grounds."
from $27 / night
Check Availability6. Rustic Knolls Campground
"Rustic is down a gravel road, well off the beaten path, and a little more remote than the boondocks. Frank, the owner, and his team are great."
7. Butler-Mohican KOA
"Campground is in a beautiful area of mid-Ohio near Mohican State Park. A bit of a drive to get anywhere that has a decent size store (Loudenville)."
"Very close to Mohican State Park for canoeing and scenery. Also cleanest restroom/showers that i've seen at a campground."
8. Mohican Reservation Campground & Canoeing
"Can go canoeing on the nearby river with canoe rental available and shuttle pickup at the end of your journey back to where you started."
"This location has great facilities and, if you get lucky, you might have a silent campsite."
from $10 - $35 / night
Check Availability9. Park and Pack Campsite 10 — Mohican-Memorial State Forest
"There’s no reservations, you show up, see what sites are available, sign in and drive to the appropriate parking area."
"Take a walk down a dirt beaten path with mature trees towering and hang a right and the path gets more eroded from rains, then you go up a slight steep hill and a big area is open for several tents to"
10. The Caves Campground
"Met with the host, very nice campground with electric and water - not full hookup, but there was a septic drain accessible near the site. Will definitely stay again!"
from $54 - $75 / night
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Drive Time
- 50 min from Mansfield, OH
- 1 hr 4 min from Columbus, OH
- 1 hr 20 min from Canton, OH
- 1 hr 25 min from Akron, OH
Recent Camping Photos near Howard, OH
195 Photos of 120 Howard Campgrounds
Candi G.
Butler-Mohican KOA
Andrea F.
Mohican Wilderness
Ender U.
Rustic Knolls Campground
Sami Jo L.
Mohican Reservation Campground & Canoeing
Gabrielle K.
Mohican Memorial State Forest Park and Pack Site 1
Andrea F.
Mohican State Park Campground
Anna S.
Park and Pack Campsite 10 — Mohican-Memorial State Forest
Bob M.
River Trail Crossing
Shelly S.
Kokosing River Campground — Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area
Lindsey
Mohican Adventures Campground and Cabins
Lauri J.
Toodik Family Campground Cabin & Canoeing
Libby W.
Lazy River at Granville
Recent Reviews near Howard, OH
627 Reviews of 120 Howard Campgrounds
Peyton L.
ScoutClay's Resort Jellystone Park
NO communication and severely lacking customer service skills
I won’t rate the other categories yet but I’ve been upset the whole process trying to plan my trip and the people have made it impossible. I’m constantly unable to get ahold of the park. I keep getting put on the“call back list” when trying to modify a reservation only for NO ONE to ever call back. I finally get ahold of someone after a MONTH… only to have zero customer service skills… they just said“oh we don’t even have a call list” so I ask for another form of communication I can have with me since my trip is in a month and I’ve had these issues for a month… they offer ZERO solutions and are not empathetic either. Another issue was last year I was hospitalized for several months due to an early twin birth so I had to push my trip to the following year… when I FINALLY got ahold of the park last year the women I spoke with trying to manage the rescheduling…was ZERO help surprise surprise… on top of that it took 13 calls and weeks before a manager got back to me…making the window to reschedule or get refunds closer to closing adding stress that you might not get to make your next move how you’d like… anyway…I simply asked for dates that matched the costs that we already paid for the trip so I didn’t have to pay more… I simply asked for it to be within the summer days since my previous reservation was during the summer time with all the extra water park and amenities that close at the end of August. I booked when my kid could use all amenities and there were no hour restrictions either due to still being in season. However the lady couldn’t accommodate or recommend any alternate dates to suite my trip that weren’t several hundred dollars more… now we started out with a trip all paid for last year with all amenities no hour restrictions to a weekend we had to pay more and are restricted hours wise on the summer amenities. As the person doing reservations you should be able to recommend dates and help me plan the trip accordingly to the money spent and not sit on the other end of the phone demanding I just give you dates…. After our trip we will never plan or schedule anything at this park again. Regardless of the amenities… for families traveling far distances you couldn’t make it anymore inconvenient, difficult, and time consuming for simply planning questions or just getting ahold of you in general. No sorrys…. Just a whole lot of…”hmm that’s weird well oh well, next” kind of attitude. Zero solutions just excuses. So that being first impressions not too excited to find out what we are in for when we arrive. Especially reading other reviews about deflated balls so you can’t use the hoops, broken a/c units that the property won’t even handle that their own employees have to give up their own personal comfort cause management won’t?… concession stands trash everywhere… broken hot tubs, WiFi not working in cabins for night time with children is tough…sad that my family’s first camping trip ever hasnt even happened yet and it’s been nothing but a headache to plan because of the staff. Yall make money to make the experience smooth for your consumers but somebody missed the memo.
Jeff H.ScoutWally World
great place along the Mohican river lots of close activities to do .
i have been going to Wally World Riverside Resort for the past 15 years always a great time ,clean camp ground well maintained .On the week end they have activities for the children and movies on Saturday most of the time on the week end it can get busy.
Ravi G.ScoutThe Caves Campground
Dyrt didn't pay for reservation, no refund
Caves is great campground. However they do not honor dyrt reservations. Had to pay at the campground. Sent email to dyrt, no reply. They owe me 400 dollars, and I have not heard back. Dyrt, if you honor, I will update this review- until then, DO NOT USE!!!
- AAndy B.
RangerMohican Wilderness
Return campers
We return to Mohican wilderness a few times each year and love the sites we choose right on the river.
Most sites here are wide open field sites and would not suite our style of camping.
Bathrooms are typically clean.
- Kimberly N.
GuideClay's Resort Jellystone Park
Overpriced under managed. Great potential.
I have to agree with all the other reviews. It’s a great facility with a ton of potential it just seems poorly managed. The sites are not up to par with other campgrounds in the same price bracket nationwide. The staff does not have great attitudes and are put off being asked to assist. They say no scooters or electric bikes but there’s a thousand golf carts flying around because realistically it’s not a walkable park. They would benefit from a tram or trolley on busy weekends to go from camping areas to activities. Check-in was rough after hours especially trying to navigate to find your site is extremely difficult. We drug a few trees across the top of our unit. We were originate to have friends take us to our spot or we would not have found it until morning. Underwhelmed for the $180/night camp spot.
- David C.Scout
Hidden Acres Campground
Excellent campground
Friendly staff. Quiet campground sites. Extremely sociable neighbors. Participated in bingo. Has a great lake, fishing catch and release, and can rent a kayak. Nice size pool. Firewood is available. Highly recommend this campground.
Brian T.ScoutDelaware State Park Campground
Delaware ohio state park
We love this park. Nice camp sites. Lots of wooded areas. Very nice lake. Has lots to do, put put golf, shuffle board, disk golf. But our last camp there was disappointing. 3 of the campers in area D where we were did nothing all day and evening smoking Marijuana. We had to smell the skunk smell all day long from them as well as them letting there kids ride around on a golf cart all day and night with no head lites not even tagged for on road.I brought it to the camp stores attention and they said there's nothing they can do, we don't enforce the rules here . They said if I had a problem to call odnr. There was a camp host at the restroom area and watched a lady take her dog inside and said nothing to her.what are the parks rules for if the host won't even enforce them. Not one ranger through the park for 3 days..
- B
Baron H.TravelerSalt Fork State Park Campground
4 Day stay site C 12
The site is full hook-up. 30/50 amp. This site is partial tree covered and at the end of the loop. Shower house very short walk across the road. Trash dumpster across the street. This is a short site 23 foot max for RV. Has a double pad with concrete Picknick table area. Best spot on C loop.
Guide to Howard
The Howard, Ohio area sits along the Kokosing River, with elevations ranging from 900-1,100 feet in this portion of central Ohio. Summer temperatures typically reach 80-85°F with winter lows often dropping below freezing. Camping options include both full-service facilities and primitive sites within a 30-minute drive radius, with several locations providing direct river access for water recreation.
What to do
River recreation: At Kokosing Valley Camp & Canoe, campers enjoy various water activities right on site. "Perfect river location for kayaking or tubing. Fantastic fishing," notes reviewer Ann H. The Kokosing River provides opportunities for beginners and experienced paddlers alike.
Mountain biking: Several trails wind through the region, particularly around Mohican Wilderness. "We have camped here 3 times now and even though it's a large park the sites are huge so you still feel like you can kick back and relax," writes Andrea F., who appreciates the combination of trails and river access.
Primitive camping: Free backpacking sites in Mohican Memorial State Forest offer a more remote experience. "There are 10 free camp sites for backpackers in Mohican, each is about a mile hike in, no vehicles can reach these sites," explains John H. These sites require signing in at a kiosk but offer solitude not found at developed campgrounds.
What campers like
Large sites: Campers consistently mention appreciating spacious camping areas. At Mohican State Park Campground, one reviewer noted, "Well maintained campground with roomy camp sites. Nice heated pool and many activities in the area. Hiking, canoeing, biking, etc." The extra space provides privacy even during busy periods.
Amenities for beginners: First-time campers often find Howard area campgrounds accessible. "As far as tent camping goes, it does not get any easier than this. Everything is clean and well organized. Perfect for first time campers," writes Jenny K. about Mohican State Park.
Winter options: Some campers specifically seek off-season experiences. "Camping in the off season is our favorite time of year. This particular park has potable water on by the dump station and the dump station is open. The water at the full hook up sites are turned off. No cell service with Verizon at this park," notes Andrea F. regarding late-season camping.
What you should know
Cell service limitations: Mobile phone coverage varies widely throughout the Howard region. Several campgrounds have little to no service. One camper at Rustic Knolls Campground notes, "If you are looking for a quiet little place to relax, this is it. Rustic is down a gravel road, well off the beaten path, and a little more remote than the boondocks."
Registration requirements: Many primitive sites require on-site registration. For backpacking sites, one camper advises: "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."
Weekend crowding: Summer weekends bring significant crowds to popular campgrounds. During peak times, visitors report difficulty finding available sites, especially along the river. Holiday weekends often fill months in advance, requiring early reservations.
Tips for camping with families
Pool access: Pleasant Hill Lake Park Campground offers swimming amenities beyond river access. "Fun times during Covid-19 on Memorial Day Weekend. The bike/walking paths for kids/adults is a great addition for campers with young kids," reports Tina D. The lake beach area provides a good alternative to river swimming.
Activities beyond water: For families seeking variety, consider campgrounds with multiple recreation options. "Super super big place as far as campsites go and quantity. They do have a suspension bridge which is pretty cool, some trails to hike on and camp spots right on the river," shares Katie Jo B.
Kid-friendly amenities: Some campgrounds specifically cater to families with children. "Amazing campgrounds, with great amenities, clean and updated restrooms & shower house. Indoor pool perfect for the super hot summer months. So much for the kids to do!" writes Nicole S. about Mohican Adventures Campground and Cabins.
Tips from RVers
Site leveling: Several campgrounds have terrain challenges for RVs. One camper at Mohican Adventures notes, "Nice clean and friendly staff the only complaint is that the sites are not flat." Bringing leveling blocks is recommended for most locations.
Off-season accessibility: Winter camping near Howard requires preparation but remains possible. "We went for a Bluegrass Festival and spent most of the time in the campground because it rained a lot. They do have a suspension bridge which is pretty cool, some trails to hike on and Camp spots right on the river," reports one camper about shoulder season conditions.
Full hookup availability: Limited full hookup sites exist in the area, so early reservations are essential. "Large landscape sites that are full hookup with large concrete pads. Each with its own picnic table and fire pit. They also have a boat dock for the campers to use," writes Andrea F. about Pleasant Hill Lake Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Howard, OH?
Which is the most popular campground near Howard, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Howard, OH is Mohican State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 48 reviews.
What parks are near Howard, OH?
What parks are near Howard, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 15 parks near Howard, OH that allow camping, notably Dillon Lake and Alum Creek Lake.
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