The Kingston, Ohio area encompasses several established campgrounds within a 20-mile radius, including Hocking Hills State Park Campground and A.W. Marion State Park Campground. These mixed-use campgrounds accommodate various camping styles from tent sites to RV hookups, with several locations like Tar Hollow State Park and Sun Valley Campground also offering cabin accommodations. The southeastern Ohio region features rolling hills, forests, and lakes that create diverse camping environments ranging from developed facilities with full amenities to more secluded sites. Most campgrounds in this area maintain proximity to natural attractions including hiking trails, fishing lakes, and scenic woodland areas.
Campground availability varies seasonally, with many locations operating from early spring through late fall. A.W. Marion State Park maintains a season from early April to late October, while others like Tar Hollow State Park and Sun Valley Campground remain open year-round. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially for weekend stays during summer and fall when foliage attracts visitors. Most developed campgrounds provide electric hookups, drinking water, and sanitary facilities, though amenities vary significantly between locations. Cell service can be inconsistent throughout the region, particularly in more remote areas. A review noted, "There is no cell service in some areas. Be sure to give anyone who may need to contact you a heads up."
Campers consistently mention the natural beauty and relative seclusion as highlights of the Kingston area camping experience. The region's campgrounds provide access to numerous hiking trails, fishing opportunities, and scenic woodland areas. Several visitors noted the proximity to Hocking Hills as a significant advantage, allowing campers to enjoy the popular state park's attractions while staying in less crowded nearby campgrounds. Primitive camping options are limited, with most sites offering at least basic amenities. A camper described Lake Hope State Park as "the unsung hero of Logan county, Ohio. Hocking Hills State Park gets the crowds because of its amenities and closer proximity to Old Man's Cave...but each time I have stayed at Lake Hope State Park, I have marveled at why there are only a few stray campers in a state park of 190 sites." Many campgrounds feature playgrounds, swimming areas, and boat rentals, making them suitable for family camping trips.
$29 - $46 / night
"There are lots of caves, trails, camping options and activities in the area. Be careful, however, every year someone is injured or dies going off trail, often falling from a cliff."
"If you stay away from the main roads, you might feel like you're in a smaller campground."
$21 - $25 / night
"They had a scavenger hunt which made us really experience the nature around us, going through the woods off trail, going to the lakeside, walking around looking for different things on a list."
"October weekends in Ohio State Park campgrounds are super popular so we weren’t able to make a reservation here. "
$4 - $27 / night
"The campground is about 2-3 acres large, situated on a hill with a path dug out around the perimeter. "
"The drive there was a very interesting tour of trump flags Amish buggies and more. Would come back if I was stranded in Ohio, but overall great pit stop for cleaning up on a long journey."
$28 - $29 / night
"Some are smaller, close to neighbors while other have seclusion with trees. From past experience, if it rains, some of the sites do flood. We had great weather this weekend."
"There is a short walk to a comfort station and the shower house is just a few more steps. Both were kept clean even in this busy park."
"We were able to reserve a drive-thru site on the same day we wanted it. It looks like there are quite a few seasonal campers there. Sites have space between them, many are shaded. "
$25 - $30 / night
"We chose to camp at Scioto Trail State Park because of it's proximity to Salt Creek Kayak Adventures. While I had hiked at Scioto Trail in the past, this was our first visit to the campground."
"Walk-in sites with pit toilets and potable water. The map of how the sites are laid out online is extremely inaccurate, I would not have picked my site if it had been accurate."
"It’s located very close to Hocking Hills State Park. Some of the tent sites are on an incline, but the RV site we had (site 24) was very spacious. There’s a a nice pool and nature trails."
"There's a small pond for fishing and a church from the 1800s and all together a beautiful place to walk around. The best part is you can walk to ash cave from your campsite!"
"Nice scenic drive to campground only 7 miles off of Hwy 35. No"
"Has fishing, kayaking, golf cart trails, volleyball set up, basketball court, swimming pool and super nice cabins."
"Hiking trails head off from this park that cover many miles. A steep hike up Sugar Loaf will wake you up in the morning."
$40 - $70 / night
"Stacked Stones has a very nice location and the camp hosts/owners are wonderful. They truly make you feel like family."
TravelerRelatively flat; during OHV off season, one of the roads is closed, I believe to Dorr Run. This trailhead is mainly for OHV riders so there is space for a vehicle and trailer.
NOTE: I think they close the toilets every winter.
Ground is covered in snow, so I would scout it in the summer. Several parking areas along the road.
ScoutWe had a family reunion there, our camper and rented 2 cabins, made full use of the shelter house that day. It worked out so well we are booking again this year.
ScoutWas a cool view at the top where the space is.
Close to hocking hills and Logan, right off 33 so it was easy to find
ScoutI'll start by saying I have a cattle dog and a lab. Both have a bit of anxiety but are otherwise well trained and medicated (after much consideration with vets behaviorist and trainers).
Campsite is clean, accessible, and accommodating.
This is my complaint:
Before making our reservation the dogs had been doing extremely well on their walks. Little to no reactivity for weeks. Still, I did my best to find a “more remote” site that still had electric.
I understood there may be some traffic, but I severely under estimated how much. I found the map and video tour very misleading and difficult to read.
We ended up very close to the main entrance and right next to the highest traffic road in the whole camp site. The dogs were very stressed and barked at every car that went by. We made every effort to reduce this with our training techniques including keeping them on short leashes in hand to redirect, and leaving the site entirely during prime check in hours.
The campsite staff asked if they would settle the first night and I had every reason to think they would after the first night, based on experience, but they did not. There was no other communication about the issue or trying to find a resolution. I acknowledge I probably could have been more proactive myself, but I had read the relevant materials and did what research I could ahead of time. Since I had not heard anything I believed we were within expectations.
Upon leaving we were approached by a member of the campsite staff that told us we were not welcome back, and the dogs should have stayed home, that they had numerous complaints through out our stay and we had been a nuisance to everyone due to excessive noise (I'm paraphrasing). I was apologetic as I was under the impression it was being managed well enough since we had not heard anything.
When we got home I sent a note to the management to let them know I found the conversation with the staff member to be unprofessional and unhelpful. I offered a few ways they could make things more comfortable for everyone. I had a neutral tone and was focused on solutions and preventing another circumstance like this for them. Their response was about the same as the staff member and actually I had violated several policies I was unaware of and had not seen until their mention in this email.
I say all of this to say, based on my experience, they expect dogs to be practically silent and extremely obedient. Also, if you are bringing dogs that need any kind of special accommodation to stay relaxed, I HIGHLY recommend calling ahead and ensuring you have what you need at your site and have understood the policies and map (etc) correctly.
The staff will not be proactive about offering solutions or communicating potential conflicts early which could prevent your visit from being as quiet and relaxing as you may have liked.
Scout2nd time here, this time we booked for 10 days we liked it so much, very conveniently located for us. We would like to see more planned activities on weekends.
TravelerBig property with every site type. Complete with KOA amenities. EV chargers on-site. Bathrooms were excellent individually separated rooms with showers and toilets. We were escorted to our site upon arrival. Very poor Verizon coverage but the Wi-Fi on site worked fine. Plenty of food spots just north on the highway exit we stopped at Milstone BBQ. Plenty of fun hikes in Hocking Hills State park.
ScoutWhile we are not horsemen, my husband and I so enjoyed our stay at this remote and picturesque campground. The property reflects great pride and financial investment: nicely-appointed and immaculate bathroom facilities; well-spaced campsites; classy equine stalls; and accommodating service second to none. Highly recommended!
TravelerI drove an hour and a half to get here because dyrt showed that we had full AT&T service here that is not the trucks we have between one and two bars of AT&T service so we’ll see if we drove here for me to be able to work for a couple days and be out in God’s creation
ScoutCamp sites are very tightly packed together and feels like I'm in someone's backyard that is having trouble growing grass.
Camping sites near Kingston, Ohio offer varied terrain from rocky woodland areas to lake-adjacent spots across the southeastern Ohio region. Most campgrounds sit between 600-1,100 feet elevation, with summer temperatures averaging 75-85°F during peak camping months. Fall temperatures drop to 45-65°F by October, when many campgrounds transition to reduced services or seasonal closures.
Hiking trails: Access multiple difficulty levels from Tar Hollow State Park Campground. The park connects to the Buckeye Trail with "Part of the Buckeye Trail runs through the park. They also have a thriving Timber Rattlesnake population. Watch your steps."
Lake activities: Rent boats at multiple locations around Pine Lake in Tar Hollow. "Pine lake is a beautiful little spot to fish, rent a paddle boat, or just relax. There is also a pretty spacious beach area."
Trail connections: Walk directly to Ash Cave from Top O' The Caves Campground. "The best part is you can walk to ash cave from your campsite! There is a connecting trail right at the front of the campground. It was a fairly simple hike too."
Nighttime stargazing: Head to higher elevations at the North Ridge primitive campground in Tar Hollow. "If you're lucky and have no clouds, there is virtually no light pollution and you can see the Milky Way."
Seclusion levels: Varying privacy options between different campground sections at Scioto Trail State Park Campground. "The primitive section is located far from the electric sites, which is desirable for us. It's also a walk-in campground, which wasn't really made clear when making reservations."
Proximity to attractions: Easy access to main parks while avoiding crowds. "Our site is big and spacious and backs up to trees. Only electric and vault toilets are available in the winter."
Seasonal accessibility: Year-round camping options at Campbell Cove Camping. "Most of the campers are year round. Friendly bunch of people. There is a beautiful spot to access the lake on the back of the campground."
Site features: Waterfront camping options with multiple activities. "Our site was waterfront and also set away from other sites. We had a great time here and it felt like we were in the woods but there was a business district about 3 mins away which was really convenient."
Cell service: Coverage gaps throughout region at A.W. Marion State Park Campground. One camper noted "There is no cell service. Enjoy the outdoors! You are off the grid!"
Bathroom facilities: Significant variation between campgrounds. "The bathrooms are pit latrines. Normally, I wouldn't be too concerned about this (you're camping! it's cool to rough it a bit!) However…these are some of the dirtiest I've experienced."
Water quality: Check before using at some locations. "The water spigots were well, of course, but you better let it run for a long bit! I've never seen such brown water at camp."
Site selection: Research ahead for topography. "Many of the campsites are situated on pretty intense slopes. 106 wasn't too bad. I would guess 105 is probably the most level site in the campground."
Kid-friendly amenities: Check facility schedules at Hocking Hills State Park Campground. "There is a swimming pool and even an outdoor theater. Clean bathrooms and heated showers."
Site accessibility: Verify walking distance from parking to sites. "You cannot park your car directly at your campsite. There is a parking lot at the bottom of the campground hill. You have to carry your items to your campsite."
Entertainment options: Pack accordingly for campground activities. "This Campground was pretty great! The campground put on a free BBQ for all of the guests one of the nights! It was very good and well thought out."
Site spacing: Request specific numbered sites when possible. "Site #9 has plenty of room for a few small tents and it's also close to the flush toilets. There are no showers in this campground of which I am aware, but the flush toilets and sinks are a nice change from pit toilets."
Site leveling: Check campground descriptions at Sun Valley Campground. "This is a beautiful campground, well maintained. We were able to reserve a drive-thru site on the same day we wanted it. Sites have space between them, many are shaded."
Electric service: Verify amperage before booking. Some campgrounds offer only 30-amp service rather than 50-amp hookups, which affects which appliances can run simultaneously.
Dump station access: Plan accordingly for facilities without sewer hookups. "We have tent camped here three times. Small but nice campground. Nice lake close to the campground just down an access road."
Road conditions: Prepare for rural access roads leading to campsites. "Stacked Stones has a very nice location and the camp hosts/owners are wonderful. They truly make you feel like family."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Kingston, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, Kingston, OH offers a wide range of camping options, with 94 campgrounds and RV parks near Kingston, OH and 7 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Kingston, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Kingston, OH is Hocking Hills State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 109 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Kingston, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 7 free dispersed camping spots near Kingston, OH.
What parks are near Kingston, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 23 parks near Kingston, OH that allow camping, notably Deer Creek Lake and Paint Creek Lake.
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