The best DISPERSED camping near
Jackson , OHIO

This campground is nice.  They are all designated campsites but they are first-come-first serve. They are hike-to only.  

It is great for hiking and backpacking camping but if you are looking for car style camping, this is not it.

The trail is challenging terrain, especially when backpacking.  It can be very wet and muddy in the spring (or after any rains), so be prepared for that.  

The road to it is difficult also (as are most with dispersed camping).

There are no amenities except for an outhouse in the parking lot.

This is pack in/pack out.

Great spot for walk in or hike in camping! There are a couple of campsites at the trailhead and quite a few all along the trail. There is a 5 mile loop or a longer ~15 mile loop that you can hike and there are campsites every couple of miles. The sites themselves are just semi-cleared areas with stone fire rings so it is totally primitive camping. The trails can be a bit muddy after it rains and probably take a long time to dry out down in the valleys. While there is water in the valleys I wouldn’t use it even with a filter. There are signs posted at the trailhead that advise against it plus there is still active oil drilling in one of the hollows (the only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars) There is cell service when you’re up in the ridges but there are a lot of dead zones in the valleys and even at the trailhead. Overall, it was a beautiful, quiet place and I only saw 2 other people in the trail while I was hiking out the second day.

Cool little campground. First come first served with no reservations accepted. The sites are clean with picnic tables and fire rings and can accommodate small RVs. There are a couple of vault style outhouses, dump stations and a couple of water stations as well. No electric or water hookups, though. Came on a Thursday and there were only two sites occupied so it was nice and quiet even though there is a bit of road noise from the nearby roads. There’s also an easy 1 mile trail down to Burr Cove proper. The sites are $15 ($10 in the off season when the water is turned off) and you pay at an honor box at the entrance once you pick your spot.

Most of the sites at this state park campground are very small and don’t have much level ground. Even the sites meant for RVs and trailers are right on top of each other. It’s almost like they took what should have been one site and made it two. There’s a handful of sites that offer a little space and level ground for tent campers. You may or may not have a picnic table and fire ring with a grill at your campsite when you arrive. According to staff, people take the fire rings and I guess there’s nothing they can do. Bathrooms were clean. The lake view trail was nice and accessible from the campground.

We arrived late at night wishing we had better cell reception and a paper map of the National Forest. We were grateful to have the Dyrt's info downloaded on my chromebook. Even still, Wayne National Forest is a maze of public and private land. The Ironton Campground has been closed during 2020 as part of a water main line break. We initially tried the Hanging Rock OHV trailhead, but locals used that area for partying when we were there and it wasn't ideal to camp at the trailhead with about a dozen cars speeding along the gravel roads around midnight. We found the Sand Hill Trail head and pitched camp not too far from where we parked. The NF website says fires are allowed if you make a stone ring. We just skipped it. It is a very pretty area along Vesuvius Lake with trees and bluffs. We saw a ranger in the morning and he suggested next time we just camp at the horsecamp. The pins on the Dyrt's map were inaccurately located when we were using it with multiple entries. Next time I will purchase a paper map before I go because Wayne National Forest has alot of private lands interspersed and it is not all that clear without an official map. Hopefully the Dyrt will get better at hyper locating those lines.

Site 41 with a paved pad and electric. We were across from the shower house and bathrooms. The office is closed but a staff person was on site. Our site was perfect for us with trees on either side to help with shade. Across our site was also a big green space to walk our dogs. Not all the electric sites have shade especially if you are up top. The lower electric is much better however some of the sites hardly have a space for tents and would be better for a camper. Lots of places to hike and a lake to kayak or canoe. There’s a big playground for the kids as well. The tent only sites are a little less desirable as they are all downhill and mostly uneven. They have flush toilets and sinks but you’d have to come up to the main campground to shower. Pick your site wisely!

We enjoyed our 3 night stay here! Some sites are full hook up, some sites are electric and water, and some are primitive. The dump station is easily accessible if you need it. 5 acres with everything we could need. The owners were amazing. Very friendly and helpful! They had only owned the campground for 2 weeks and were in the process of making several improvements. The shower house and bathrooms were clean and adequate. There is a small playground for kids. It is pet friendly. There is a nice sized pool for summer (we camped in October so it was closed for the season). Located within a short drive (about 10 miles/15 minutes) from everything Hocking Hills has to offer. There is even a restaurant close by that will deliver to your campsite. Kroger and Walmart are within 5-7 minutes driving for supplies. The only downside is that it is close to a highway so at night you can hear the traffic. This didn’t bother us so much but might be a problem for some.

Several campsites are on a slope so this calls for being creative with placement of tent.
Firewood available for purchase on site. Lake Hope lodge provides great warm and dry spot for delicious food.

Several activities available, fishing available anywhere on the lake, kayak rental for $10 and good size lake.

Very clean pit toliets and running water available dispersed throughout the park. Several hiking trails, zaleski is nearby, hocking hills is 30 minutes away. Moonville tunnel and iron furnace in the area.

Arrived in the Athens area very late. Camp ground at the state park gave me an eerie feeling so I stayed here instead and it was decent.

Single human, car camping. I stayed in the lot. In the morning every passersby was kind from a covid-distance. Yard signs on the way out advocated civil rights.

Felt safe here. Would return especially for the hiking!

We stayed at site 11. It is not at all private but very level. The “outhouse” near these sites was simply a latrine and covered in mosquitos. However, the bathhouse a short walk away is really clean lovely. If I returned, I’d camp at sites 81-93 (rustic) because they are shaded, near the bathhouse, and lead to a trailhead. Don’t forget: You are here to see tinge majesty of the caves! And this campground is the closest you can get!