Looking to get away and reconnect with nature? Glamping near Howard is the perfect choice. Glamping is not only a fun alternative to traditional tent camping, but also allows you to pack more or less gear as you see fit. Glamping offers quick access to one or more of Howard's most popular destinations.
Large campground features shady sites for all types of camping. Pets are welcome on designated sites.
An equestrian camp has 30 primitive sites available on a first-come, first-served basis.
286 electric campsites offer both wooded and sunny areas, some of which overlook the lake. Each site has 20-, 30- and 50-amp electrical hookup. 24 full-service campsites offer electric, sewer and water hookups Heated shower facilities with flush toilets and dump station Beach and boat ramp for exclusive use of the overnight guests Basketball courts, volleyball, miniature golf, horseshoe pits, and playgrounds Nature programs Equestrian camp has 30 primitive sites available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Mohican camping offers family camping in our Primitive Camping sites, as well as Full Hook-Up for RVs and Campers. Each camping site comes with a picnic table and fire ring. RV sites come full service with 30/50 amp electricity, water, and sewer. A dump station is also located on the grounds.
This recreation area is part of Dillon Lake
This recreation area is part of Delaware Lake
$27 / night
FREE WIRELESS INTERNET - PARK WIDE Giant projection screen summer weekend movies. Saturday Evenings in Season CLEAN! HOT Showers Restrooms - FLUSH Toilets Laundry Room Housekeeping Camp Store Game Room 24 Hour Park Staff 24 Hour Open Access On Site Canoeing, Kayaking, Rafting, Tubing Catering Large Pavilion, Tables, Fire Rings, Grills Volley Ball Courts Baseball Diamonds Basketball Courts Horseshoe Pits Soccer Field Playgrounds Sandboxes River Swimming Fishing Live Entertainment! The Great Mohican Pow-Wow Nearby Horse Back Riding Facilities Ecotourism Hiking
$10 - $35 / night
Traveler
Alum Creek is just beautiful, nice sites, most of them are at least partially shaded, lots of woods, hiking trails, the lake, it is what I think of when I think of State Park campground camping in Ohio. There are a couple problems. 1. Only ONE little dump station. This is a big campground, so if you're leaving Sunday, you better get up at the crack of dawn to get to the station, otherwise be prepared to wait in a long long line of RV's. We by-passed the long line and stopped at a different State Park campground on the way home and paid 10.00 to use their dump station. 2. They never answer their phone at the campground office. I mean NEVER. If you have a question you will just have to deal with the reserveamerica people who really know nothing other than what they read on the campground website. So basically you know as much as they do. It's maddening. We will go back, but it's a 2 hour drive so it won't be anytime soon.
Traveler
As usual, sites vary in size and flatness. I like the circle with the rentable yurts. Nice woods around, lake is walking distance, some trails. Bathrooms have flush toilets, and showers.
LegendThis state park spans over 2,000 acres and is just north of the cute Ohio town of Delaware. We stayed here for two nights while visiting friends in the area but wished we would have stayed to enjoy all that the park had to offer. The campground was really nice and quiet when we stayed there which was during the week and in the spring and not very crowded. We can imagine that this park is pretty full in the summer with all their amenities and close proximity to major Ohio cities.
The 'pod' layout of the campground made for large campsites (some sites are over 90 feet in length and well suited for large RV’s) with good separation between sites. There are 212 sites that have 50 amp electric. The campground also has yurts for rent (May through October) that are furnished with beds, table and chairs, a cooler, ceiling fan, outdoor charcoal grill and a picnic table with canopy. This is a great option for those wanting to stay in something more than a tent but don’t have an RV.
There is no sewer or water at individual sites but there is a dump station and water fill station near the park entrance. Roads and campsites are paved with grassy patios that feature picnic tables and fire pits. The park does not provide wifi but our Verizon hotspot and 4G phone worked well. There are centrally located bath/shower houses with coin-operated laundry facilities.
The park is open year-round and great for outdoor activities; especially, those that are water-related. There are numerous boat launches, fully equipped marina, and swimming area. We launched our kayaks and had a great time paddling around the lake. Be aware that there is no horsepower limits for boats on the lake and weekends are very popular for anglers in high-powered bass boats. The northern portion of the lake is a “no wake zone” which makes for a more pleasant paddling environment. If you don’t have a boat, boat rentals are available at the marina.
For those wanting to hike there are plenty of hiking/biking trails for you to get out and explore the park. Many of the trails link together so you can decide how long you want to hike. The Lakeview Trail was perfect for us as our dog loved jumping in the water during our hike. Other amenities in the park include a nature center, 18-hole disk golf, hunting, archery, volleyball, horse shoe pits, picnic areas, and an 800-foot designated swimming area. At the camp store/office you can rent bikes as well as other sporting equipment.
If you decide to venture out of the park you are only about 40 miles from downtown Columbus and less than 20 miles to the world-renowned Columbus Zoo (which is definitely worth a visit). The nearby town of Delaware is really nice with downtown shopping, restaurants, a historic theater and brewery (Stass Brewing Company has great Belgian-style beer with a fun atmosphere).
Would definitely camp here again if we were in the area.
Scout
Salt Fork State Park of Ohio is for individual, couples or group camping. Salt Fork lake is natural spring fed water supply that fills this lake. Bring containers to put natural pure water in for home or camping supply. Trails that lead along shore line to old stone house built in early days of Ohio. Caves to be explored that are easy to access. Boating, fishing,hunting,swimming and a well appointed Salt Fork Lodge. Short drive to Cambridge, Ohio to enjoy local downtown.
GuideFirst off we have to say that Ohio State Park campgrounds are some of the best we’ve ever stayed in. Most Ohio state park campgrounds have spacious sites with trees or other foliage between campsites so lots of privacy and a feeling of being apart from other campers. Alum Creek is no different. The ODNR has upgraded a number of the sites to FHU though most are still electric only. Alum Creek Lake is a large reservoir (by Ohio standards) that has excellent fishing, plenty of undeveloped shoreline to explore from kayaks, canoes or paddle boards and a very large beach. Not as many hiking trails as most state parks but you’re not far from High Banks Metro Park in Lewis Center that is a beautiful park with miles of trails along the Olentangy River. We love Alum Creek and will stay again for sure.
Traveler
This is one of my favorite places. Clean, well maintained, many big lots, excellent facilities and lots to do in the kayak capital of Ohio. We’ve stayed twice in our rookie year and both experiences were tops. We did more hiking this time and enjoyed the variety. Be sure to check out the new swinging bridge.
GuideWhere the glaciers stopped and the hills of Ohio begin. I have always loved visiting and camping here. Rich in history, culture, and nature, it is very easy to spend days here and do it all. Camping, Fishing, hiking, canoeing, activities, programs, the list goes on. Some parts of the park do get crowded at certain times of the year but if you know where to go you feel like you are the only one there.
Guide
My wife and I spent the July 4 weekend here this year and loved our experience. At this time we were camping in our 16 ft pop-up camper so the restroom and shower house were very important.
The campground is right in the middle of Ohio’s Amish country with easy access to shopping and food and other great experiences like the large cuckoo clock in Sugar Creek (see video)
GuideThis is my favorite Ohio State Park to camp in so far. Good ATT coverage, look carefully at length of pad as some are shorter. Lovely beach nice views. Only problem was some street noise and the Trick or Treating and Halloween events first weekend of October meant there were a lot lot lot of cars and people and 1.5 hours with the streets closed for activities.
Guide
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). The staff are very nice, they escort you to your campsite and offer to guide you if needed. The pool closed Labor Day weekend so that was disappointing. Lots of things to do in the area, but again a bit of a drive to get there. We would absolutely return here. We also experienced the Mohican Pow Wow
ScoutVery lite camping with mostly Rvs and campers. I found the space to be a little cramped but other than that it is located in a very beautiful area that I wouldn’t think was Ohio. Plenty of fun hikes to go on and places to shop. I rented a canoe with my family which was very affordable and turned out to be very entertaining. Overall it is in a relaxing area with a very easy camping style that people who have not camped before will enjoy.
Guide
I have been extremely disappointed with Ohio State Park campgrounds. They have been congested, poorly maintained, badly landscaped, and staying at one felt like I was set-up in the middle of a mall parking lot.
However, Dillon has been a completely different experience. The people in the office are very nice, the pad is almost perfectly level, the grounds are well kept, and the buildings (while a bit long in the tooth) are well maintained.
I haven't made it down to the lake yet, but so far I'm a happy camper.
ScoutGreat state park to camp in to get away but still be near Columbus and some great things to do in central Ohio. We've camped here a couple of times and the campsite are always clean and the showers are spotless. Yes in the summer it can fill up pretty quick but during the week there are plenty of sites open. As have been mentioned boating opportunities, a free archery range, and plenty of trails to hike. The staff has always been great and helpful to answer questions. We'll be back, this is one of our go to parks.
GuideLots of great sites to pick from, lots of loops, shady sites , secluded sites, handicap sites and more. We go at least once a year for the Ohio Bigfoot Conference which draws people from all over the country. The bathrooms are good, the shower houses are good and the campground store has anything you may have forgotten. Friendly staff, hiking trails, boating and more. They have horse camping and trails further down the road and a primitive loop on Bigfoot Ridge. So much to see and do a weekend isn't long enough.
LegendSomeone cancelled and this amazing site fell into our lap. I always put a ridiculous amount of time into finding sites that match our wants/needs list. This campground has very few sites that make the cut, but F08 was perfect. Backed up to the woods, has a view of the lake, shade, privacy, hammock trees, medium size, electric, bathroom directly across the street, water and grey water dump directly across the street.
Everywhere we camp, we color code a campground map with sites we like/dislike. This campground had about 7 sites we liked out of over 200. There are almost no sites with shade or privacy, many are small and oddly angled towards the road. They do all have 15A, 30A and 50A hookups and newer, level pads. The bathrooms however are very outdated. They still have the spring loaded faucets that you have to hold open and the men's shower houses is still a shared room for your things and changing. Worst of all, the water pressure was terrible and constantly changing.
This campground is in one of Ohio's largest state parks and is very popular. Which is why a lot of these negatives are pretty shocking to us. Like the never developed D loop. You would think for such a large and busy park, they would want as many sites as possible and to update the facilities.
One of my complaints about all of Ohio's state parks is the lack of tree preservation. Almost all of the state parks just clear the land to install power/water. You'd think a Ohio State Division of Wildlife State Park would take a bit extra care and attention to preserve some of them which also makes for a much better camping experience.
Overall, the positive rating isn't for the campground but rather the almost 20,000 acre state park. It is insanely huge and has many, many places to see and explore. There are beaches (even a private one for the campground), boat launches, hunting roads, historical house/cottage that is a museum, a cave and more.
Lastly, The Dyrt never seems to map the campground correctly so I couldn't do their cell network tests. However, Mint/T-Mobile and Verizon had pretty strong 5G. It slowed down a few times but was there the entire time.
GuideI love Mohican State Park. There is so much to do- canoeing, kayaking, tubing, creeking, and great trails also.
This campground is nice but is crowded in the warmer months. Look for a site along the water, that's where the tree cover is. I stayed in a camper cabin which was very nice, with microwave and refrigerator.
There is running water in the toilets, which is nice for a state park in Ohio. The showers were decent, nothing to complain about there.
The primitive tent camping sites looked nice and peaceful- take care to get a shaded spot, though, as some were just exposed in a grassy field. There is a long bumpy walk from the parking area to the primitive sites, so bring a wagon or sled or something.
TravelerThis is a huge campground! I tent camped by myself--felt very safe. Happened to be next to the park host. No choice of where to locate my large tent. Showers/bathrooms were OK--older facilities. Wish this park had a laundry facility--another Ohio park I recently stayed at had a fairly new shower facility that included a laundry facility! Did not appreciate the waste management company emptying the dumpsters at 4:00 AM!!! There is a huge, lakeside beach that was just packed with people (no social distancing) and there was trash everywhere--not enough dumpsters. Near to shopping (Polaris), if you are interested. Will try to get a lakeside site next time.
GuideWe drove to Salt Fork from North Carolina on our way to Maumee Bay State Park and the birding festival at Magee March. It was just a quick overnighter, but we did take a little time to walk and bird. The campground was 80% empty, very quiet except for some late-night traffic on the county road nearby, loud pickup trucks. The park is well cared for but is showing its age. I noticed online that Ohio had set aside $88M for upgrades in 2016. It looks like they have not started yet. We stayed here again on the way home. It is a very good birding hotspot in the spring!
GuideThis is another of our favorite Ohio State Parks. The campground is setup in a nice layout with each of the separate sections having a spoke and wheel layout with a bathhouse in the middle. Sites are roomy and we like the wooded feel.
The dog part was quite muddy and actually closed while we were there and we were a bit disappointed by that but there was plenty of space to walk the pups.
Located near the town of Delaware, you aren’t too far off the beaten path and we even had decent service with Verizon.
I also noticed that the6 had a nice storm shelter on the property that was well marked and easy to get to from any of the campground areas.
GuideThis is a nice campground for Ohio because there are a lot of trees, making many sites secluded with privacy. I haven't camped here, I've just driven around because I boat on the creek, so I can't attest to the condition of the bathrooms.
Beware that sites close to the water may flood, or may be pretty damp in the spring.
The beaches are nice, the reservoir is nice for boating, but the horsepower allowed is too much if you want to kayak on the main water, in my opinion. There are nice inlets and coves where you can take smaller boats. Hopefully big boats observe the no wake zone, but they don't always. I don't think there is any hiking, the main attraction is the water and the beach.
GuideThis was the only park we’ve gone to this uear with both a large dog park AND a fenced in dog beach! Folks were friendly at the dog park with bunches of chairs set around like a conversation pit. Lots of water and dog tennis balls were available.
The dog beach was fenced so your dog can be off leash. There is even a fenced in area out in the water to keep the pooches from swimming across the Lake chasing geese.
The campground itself was quite nice and spacious. Some of the most private camping sites I’ve seen in Ohio. Shower facilities we a bit above average mad seemed to be looked after at least once a day (we were there in the off season).
IMHO, one of the nicest campgrounds in the state.
Legend
I found Malabar Farm in Lucas, OH on my way home from Mom’s house. Never heard of it before and I have been this way for over 20 years now. Louis Bromfield was a conservationist and among many other things (including winning a Pulitzer) he was in the forefront of organic and self-sustaining gardening. This place is amazing! ( and would be an excellent home schoolers camping trip!) Not your typical going hiking kinda campground (there are trails but they are not “major”) you come here to step away from city life and tour a working farm. Ohio countryside at its best. Primitive camping with a gravel parking pad and water, fire ring, picnic table and hitching post. No reservations, this is a first come campground. There’s also a small rentable cabin open year round. Definitely worth a visit and very family oriented events. ( your teenager will roll their eyes at you but probably secretly enjoy the visit)
ScoutSpent the weekend here while visiting Amish country in Ohio. For the most part it is just a place to park your camper in a big open area while visiting the area. I have a popup camper without a toilet or shower, so I was put into one of the spots without sewer hookups. These are actually the only spots with any shade. Good dry firewood is available for $3 a bucket ( basically a dollar a stick) which, I thought, was a pretty good deal. Restroom/shower facilities are excellent. There are three showers in each of the mens and womens sides. Each shower has a locking door and a sink. Everything was very clean. The owners are extremely nice and helpful. My only complaint (and it’s very minor) is that you are not allowed to put any outside rugs down. Their afraid you might kill the grass. But the weather was beautiful, so it wasn’t a problem. I will definitely return!
Legend
Blue Rock State Park is outside Zanesville, Oh off I70. Rt 60 takes you South and then you have a choice of routes in. Good Ohio farmland scenery.
Out of the way, small camping area with basic sites. A cool feature is a few of the sites have pavilion type covered patios that you can pitch your tent in to help stay dry during inclimate weather.
Otherwise the sites are close together. Though there are a few sites that are more off to themselves, they are still wide open with sparse tree cover.
The restroom is basic, the showerhouse is located at the reservoir beach as well as the camp store and boat rental.The staff was very knowledgeable about the area and conversational.
Several trails are in the area, the Horse Camp is up the road. In addition to this area there is the Blue Rock State Forest that offers several out door activities, check out their map and site online.
GuideDelaware State Park is a gem in the Ohio state park system. What is amazing to us is how few people seem to know it exists! this state park is only 15 to 20 minutes away from Alum Creek State Park and yet there are virtually no crowds at all. The park is very large and the campground is adjacent to Delaware Lake, a reservoir a few miles north of the small town of Delaware. The lake offers boating with unlimited horsepower but it seems most of the boats on the lake were either fishing boats or kayaks. There is a very nice swimming beach, a beautiful marina with a full service store and two very good disc golf courses. There is also a youth fishing pond for the youngsters and plenty of hiking trails throughout the park. The campsites all have asphalt pads and are quite spacious; all are electric only as far as we could tell. The biggest con is also this park’s greatest pro and that is the campground requires a long drive to get to it - but that makes it feel more “out there.” The town of Delaware has a very vibrant downtown with lots of quality local restaurants and bars plus grocery stores and fuel to keep you well stocked for your camping trip. Highly recommended!
Legend
Campsite number 3 is also on a short creek crossing. Nothing to worry about with your pack on this August sunny day. It had plenty of space for tents and hammocks. It was close enough to hang out by the creek if you wanted.
No cell phone service for Verizon. On this post for the Park and Pack I focused on the forest postings. Do register before you do the long walk out here (depends on which way you do the loop).
You don't want to do illegal camping at the Park and Pack sites as they do keep an eye out for it. They also want folks to call it in to discourage bad behaviors. I spoke to such a guy in the Park and Pack parking lot as illegal campers had taken up a spot for another park and pack camper that did register.
It is nice no official check in and check out time like you have at the state park campsites. However, the early bird does get the worm or in this case the camp site. It is harder for folks that live further away to get their hands on a site. As there are only 10.
The ranger office is closed at this time. Make sure you go to the Mohican Memorial Forest office and not the Mohican State Park office. They are located close to the covered bridge in the park. I use the GPS address Co Rd 939, Perrysville Ohio to locate the ranger office. That being said going here you can register and see where everyone is going by looking at the clip board.
As always keep the local numbers handy and take photos of the map. They do have a few at the trail head kiosk but no maps were at the registration kiosk.
TravelerI camped at this state park in the very scenic rolling hills of central Ohio on a hot and sunny weekend and was happy to find plenty of shade. There are 183 electric sites in this campground, many shady, and almost all having at least partial shade. Pets are permitted in all sites except 1 through 32. These electric sites are divided into three sections with restrooms with flush toilets, shower houses and playgrounds in each. The restrooms and shower houses I used were very clean.
There is also a walk-in section of non electric sites that are different than what I usually think of as walk-in sites because parking was just yards away.
The camp store was well stocked and probably has anything you forgot. They also sell firewood.
The huge 18 hole disc golf course seemed to be a popular attraction.
I enjoyed the five well marked hiking trails through the woods. These trails range from easy to difficult, the longest being 4.4 miles.
From the campground, you will have to drive to the beach or hike a couple miles though the woods as I did. My only complaint about this campground is the beach. There are no lifeguards or concessions and I am told, that after a rain, this beach can look uninviting. Near the beach is a wading pool with a fountain for younger children. Adjacent to the beach area there are tennis courts, basketball courts and a very shady picnic area with tables and pavilions.
There are boat launches for your boats at the marina but the only watercraft that can be rented are kayaks and canoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Howard, OH is Mohican State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 43 reviews.
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