Looking for an adventure where you can explore Howard and then fall asleep in your tent? Find the best information on tent camping near Howard, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Howard, Ohio's most popular destinations.
This recreation area is part of Mohawk Dam
Hidden Hollow Camp features a beautiful one-acre woodland pond and two nature trails. In geographical terms, a “hollow” is exactly as it sounds – a small valley or basin in the land. At the bottom of Hidden Hollow is the West Fork of the East Branch of the Black River. The rich soil of its floodplain is home to towering sycamore, black willow, and black walnut trees -- along with a diverse array of wildflowers. The trees and thickets here provide ideal habitat for migrating warblers. Visitors should plan on bird-watching during spring and fall migration.
The enclosed building at Hidden Hollow Camp offers the perfect amenities for an “indoor camping” experience for up to 75 people, including a wood-burning stove, scenic wraparound porch, movie screen, electric range, food preparation tables, and a refrigerator. Alcohol is permitted inside the enclosed building only when reserved for day-use or camping.
Although there is no indoor plumbing, the frost-proof water spigots with potable water are easily accessible at two outdoor locations. A gray-water pit for disposal of dirty dish water is located adjacent to the toilets. The site includes a campfire ring surrounded with plenty of flexible bench seating and a parade ground area with a flagpole for scout ceremonies. There are turf areas for outdoor recreation activities and a team-building challenge course.
Dillon Lake is approximately six miles northwest of Zanesville, Ohio, and twenty miles east of Newark, Ohio. Access to the lake is provided by State Route 146 via State Routes 16 and 586 from the north and US 40 and Interstate 70 from the south. The office is open from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, but the area is open 24 hours.
Plenty of recreation is available throughout this area including water sports on the lake, great fishing and hunting, biking, and extraordinary wildlife viewing. We offer an accessible fishing pier below the dam and a trail with exercise facilities.
The picnic shelter offers 10 accessible picnic tables. The facility also offers several barbeque grills and a large fenced-in playground. Other facilities include a gazebo and fitness trail surrounded by park benches, picnic tables and beautiful landscaping.
The picnic shelter/playground area is located above Dillon Lake, next to a large parking area. Visitors get a beautiful view of the lake, grass covered hills and wooded areas.
Other facilities around the area are provided by the Ohio State Parks and Division of Wildlife. These include several boat launches, plenty of hiking, biking, and horse trails, hunting areas, and a swim beach.
$45 - $50 / night
Legend
General: 214-site campground, all with electric hookups. Campsites are in four loops.
Site Quality: All sites are paved and appeared to be level. A fire ring, picnic table, and electric hookup complete each site. Generous foliage provides separation between most sites.
Bath/Shower: Fully contained all-gender units in the third loop. Each one has a bench and a baby changing station. Soap and air dryers. A more traditional bath/shower house was in the fourth loop (don’t know about the first two loops).
Activities/Amenities: Several hiking trails (but it was raining when we were there so didn’t explore), a small putt-putt course (free use of putters and balls), disc golf, shuffleboard, basketball, tennis, and a small camper store. Each loop has a playground and other recreational options (i.e. volleyball net). The marina offers water toy rentals.
My five-star rating is based on the possibility of what our stay might have been if the weather had cooperated! Unfortunately, it was cold and rainy during our stay in June. We will definitely be back again to take advantage of the marina rentals.
Scout
We tent camped. Loved the place. Loved the kayak launch. Some of the sites are super close together. We took a look around and got an idea of where we went to stay next time.
Traveler
The store and check in office weren't open to check in or get the wifi password.
TravelerHeated bathroom was nice.
Traveler
Sites are pretty close together and mostly permanent, but it’s in a good location and decent amenities. Our site needed maintenance but overall, it was a good week.
Scout
Bathrooms very clean. Loved the free games. Cabin was very clean and had comfortable beds. Doesn’t make sense to have quiet time at dark when bar nearby plays loud music outside till late.
Guide
We came here during the 2024 River of Fire Event. The campground was packed but you couldn’t tell because the sites were all so spacious! Half the sites are right on the river which gives a good view and great place to fish and kayak(too cold on this trip). The event was very well organized and very fun to participate in. Staff was all very friendly and helpful! After the event many campers cleared out(end of season and kids in school) so my husband and I basically had the whole campground to ourselves for 2 of the days. It was extremely peaceful there and we look forward to returning.
Traveler
More trails to add to the collection.
Traveler
I have camped here 3 times as an adult and most of my childhood here. It's quiet, the campers and staff and friendly. They have large shaded sites and a few tent sites in the back still. It's not going to blow your mind here, but I will continue to enjoy T&C because of its cost, how close it is to home, and how enjoyable of a time I've had here.
Traveler
Eagle point is more rustic than the campground by the marina. Gravel pads, many on sloping ground. No way to know which sites might work for you until you look when you arrive. Someone did answer the phone, though, and let us move to another site.We had electric-only, by choice, for 2 nights. Water nearby. Not very many transient campers, but lots of "seasonal" to permanent-looking larger trailers. Quiet in our loop because only a few sites were occupied. Very nice bathroom and shower building. The dump station here is set up for emptying totes- not much room to park a trailer/RV for dumping at it. We drove to the dump station by the marina to have more room to work. Rinse water hose at the sewer opening had no water hose fitting on it (just a skinny brass angled spout), so no way to rinse our blackwater tank. Potable water was 40 feet away, but all water came out of a backflow preventer, so no way to use a hose. Disappointed with the dump station. Overall, it was fine for 2 nights. If you have a boat, there are lots of covers to explore on the lake. The water is very silty, and rather shallow in most places.
Guide
We arrived and were able to upgrade to site #1 due to a cancellation, overlooking the Ohio River. No one between us and the river, and we had a grand view.
The campground is very well kept, all sites would have been a good spot to call home for a couple nights. It was also a pretty quiet camp, compared to others, but they had their usual weekend events during the day for kids, to keep them occupied. Saturday evening they had a pot luck and then live music, which was good enough being a free event.
The only complaint is that one of the campers had a white standard poodle and though leashed, they didn’t control the dog out of others personal space. Very irritating. The camp owners were there and we didn’t see them communicate with the dog’s owner about controlling their dog either. The dog seemed to still be in a puppy mode and just wanted to play, but that doesn’t excuse the owners.
All in all, a great camp that we’ll likely return to.
Scout
Excellent campground with fantastic staff and owners. Nice swimming pond with inflatable attractions. Well stocked camp store. Lots of activities for the whole family.
TravelerRoads are pretty tight and spots are on the smallish side but not too bad. Most sites are seasonal campers and the non-seasonal sites are kept up very good. We stayed at a Premium pull-thru and the brick patio was very uneven causing me to trip several times. The brick fire ring was overgrown with weeds and grass coming thru the bricks and half of it was a 6-8 inch drop-off.... imagine falling off at night! This was site#133 the neighboring sites didn't look as bad. We would consider staying again at a different site. We camped at Cross Creek Camping Resort in a Fifth Wheel
TravelerDated, but pretty clean bath\shower building with clothes washer and dryer ($2). Sites in C-loop are far enough apart to not feel too crammed together. Power pedestal has 20, 30 and 50 amp service. 30 amp worked fine. Lots of trails, allowing dogs on leash. True, other amenities are a drive of at least a couple miles to get to. ATT service was fine for streaming using ROKU and my phone as a hotspot. Paved, level pads, but not long enough for largest trailers. Check size if you have one. Sites at South end of loop get the most shade
Ranger
First time visiting this state campground and we only stayed one night, did not explore entire park. Grounds well maintained, clean and decent amenities. The sites are well placed and a good size. But no water view on any of the “premium water view” sites in loop L, other than one L17 (the picture with view) Same for loop K. Guests and hosts were friendly and welcoming. Quiet except for the road noise due to nearby busy roads. The boat launch to lake access is very nice with plenty of parking and space. Not bad for a stop when traveling through or a weekend. We stayed with 34’ camper. Site L15 (picture with red truck)
GuideAshland fairgrounds has $20 tent sites or $35 full hookups. You may need an extension cord. All back in sites. Bathrooms are open and close by. No showers. Very clean and quiet. There were 4 others staying here. All were nice. If you arrive after hours grab an envelope and drop payment in an envelope. If you stay in the grass parking lot while no other events are going on you can stay for free.
Scout
Truly a quiet, nice, meticulously cared for, and perfect place to stay. This place will be a regular destination from now on.
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.
TravelerAlways love going to salt fork. Bathrooms are always clean and I appreciate having wash racks for the horses. If i had a complaint it would be that the campground is always pretty busy
Traveler
Very quiet campground with little to no other riders around. Only complaint would be the non equestrians staying in the equestrian area
Guide
I didn’t see much of this park because I only stayed overnight, but I got a good nights rest and felt safe. A few of the spots are not level and it appeared that not all of them had tables or fire pits. It didn’t appear that anyone did drive throughs to monitor noise or who was there, but I didn’t mind. There were quite a bit of teens camping out and while they were pretty loud late into the night, it made me happy to see them camping and floating the river. The pit toilet shelters were large and clean too.
Traveler
Decent sites with a waterpark, historic Roscoe Village, canal boat, and plenty of hiking/ walking/ biking trails and paved paths. One of our favorites
Traveler
The campsites are not as private as the pictures make it look. There are a LOT of campers and tents; it feels busy and crowded. We did like the paved pull-through site and were close to the river. Electric was good and people were friendly. Bathrooms close to all campsites. Showers not clean and broken; hot water questionable. We liked being close to the hiking trails this morning and it was dog friendly.
Scout
After booking online, they changed my reservation site to a small spot no where near the bathrooms as I asked. She told me it was right across from the site. Not true. No fire pit in this spot and the site was so small, (my driveway is bigger). Not the picture that supposedly represented what I was paying for. We went home very disappointed. The kids were so excited to go camping and it wasn't worth paying for. We will NEVER reserve a spot at this campground again.
Guide
First time at this park booked last minute so options were limited wasn't sure what leftovers we would get but ended up with 2 great sites. We lucked out and had 2 trees just right for hammock relaxing but it seems like lots of sites have no trees just depends on the section of park not alot of privacy between. Sites but there huge so you don't feel stuffed in next to everyone. Shower houses are limited 1 in each section but plenty of flush bathrooms located all over and kept very clean. Internet works very well verizon and att.
RangerAfter a few years of trying, I finally got into Mohican State Park. Our first visit to the park was early in the camping season, and on a warm and beautiful spring weekend. The atmosphere was amazing in the park. Everyone in the campground seemed to be relaxed and having a great time. The campground itself is very well laid out. It's long and just a few rows deep with trees throughout, so you don't feel over crowded. You're never far from a restroom no matter where you are. They have a very nice campground store and a pool that wasn't open for the season yet when we were there. It's the kind of campground that you never need to leave if you don't want to. They have regular electric and full hookup sites.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Howard, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Howard, OH is Park and Pack Campsite 10 — Mohican-Memorial State Forest with a 5-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Howard, OH?
TheDyrt.com has all 12 tent camping locations near Howard, OH, with real photos and reviews from campers.
