Best Campgrounds near Lakeview, OH

Campgrounds near Lakeview, Ohio center around the 5,100-acre Indian Lake State Park, offering opportunities for tent camping, RV sites with hookups, and cabin accommodations. The region includes several established campgrounds within a 20-mile radius, including the Indian Lake State Park Campground with full amenities and the more primitive Kiser Lake State Park located approximately 15 miles south. Many sites feature electric hookups, picnic tables, fire rings, and access to drinking water, with varying levels of privacy and proximity to water recreation.

Camping is available year-round at several locations, though some campgrounds like Wapakoneta KOA operate seasonally from March through October. "The campsite is clean and the showers are spotless," noted one visitor about Delaware State Park, highlighting the well-maintained facilities found at many area campgrounds. Access roads throughout the region are generally well-maintained and suitable for most vehicles, including larger RVs at designated "big-rig friendly" locations. Summer weekends tend to be busiest, particularly at waterfront sites, while spring and fall offer quieter experiences with more availability. Cell service is generally reliable throughout the area, though coverage may vary at more remote campgrounds.

Lakeside camping represents a significant draw for the area, with Indian Lake and Kiser Lake offering water-based recreation opportunities including swimming, fishing, and boating. Most developed campgrounds provide showers, flush toilets, and sanitary dump stations for RVs. A reviewer mentioned that Indian Lake State Park features "a nice beach and a real swimming pool," distinguishing it from many other campgrounds in the region. Wildlife encounters are common at several parks, with raccoons being particularly bold after dark. Campgrounds like Back 40 and Welcome Woods RV offer more secluded alternatives for those seeking quieter surroundings away from the more popular waterfront destinations. The proximity to small towns provides convenient access to supplies and local attractions while maintaining a rural camping experience.

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Best Camping Sites Near Lakeview, Ohio (79)

    1. Indian Lake State Park Campground

    34 Reviews
    Lakeview, OH
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (937) 843-3553

    "This Ohio State Park is in a small quaint town. Good sites, nice beach + a real swimming pool. Many places for fishing from shore OR launching your boat !"

    "The campground was nearly empty so that was nice but the surrounding area was very crowded. There was nearly no area on the lake that didn’t have houses. The campground was clean and well maintained."

    2. Wapakoneta KOA

    7 Reviews
    Jackson Center, OH
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (419) 738-6016

    $42 - $55 / night

    "We stay here while visiting family nearby Ohio. Lots of shade and quiet even with families and usually pretty full, hosts are extremely nice and accommodating. Swimming pool is clean."

    "Great service and help getting the trailer positioned correctly. A few food options on site are nice. The actual sites are very small. Not much room to fit the trailer and vehicle."

    3. Kiser Lake State Park Campground

    13 Reviews
    Fletcher, OH
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (937) 362-3822

    "I may be biased, with it being close to home, but they have a lot for the kids to do. Beach, volleyball net, playground. Plenty of water locations. For me the bathrooms are unusable."

    "This park is know for the lake that is kayak and canoe friendly since it doesn’t allow any kind of boat with a motor. It also features a beach , 2 playgrounds and several hiking trails."

    4. Back 40 Campground

    3 Reviews
    Ridgeway, OH
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (937) 468-2267

    $40 - $45 / night

    "Nice admenities like a clubhouse with pool tables, clean flush toilets and shower areas, a nice small lake for swimming."

    5. Welcome Woods RV Campgrounds

    1 Review
    Lakeview, OH
    4 miles
    +1 (937) 843-2465

    "It was a grassy patch no actual pad to park but as we drove around there were plenty of areas that had gravel pads available."

    6. Ohio State Eagles Family Recreation Park

    1 Review
    Bellefontaine, OH
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (937) 593-1565

    "Great people who are not in your business every time you turn around. Extremely helpful with anything you need and they go the extra mile even if all you need is to dump your tanks."

    7. Venture Out Resorts Arrowhead Lakes Resort

    4 Reviews
    Jackson Center, OH
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (419) 738-5000

    "No hiking, significant highway noise, yes a couple big ponds, but a truck stop and truck storage is behind both - so no views. Most of the campers we saw were elderly or had young kids."

    "Therefore no pool or other water amenities except for the lakes. It seems that the 50 amp sights are very spread out and randomly located."

    8. Resting Roost

    1 Review
    Lakeview, OH
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (614) 301-2288

    $21 - $30 / night

    9. Ottawa Metro Park Campground

    6 Reviews
    Lima, OH
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (419) 221-1232

    $25 - $30 / night

    "Beautiful park with bike and walking paths. Camp hosts are very helpful. Bathrooms and showers are very clean."

    "The bath house has men's and women's bathrooms as well as a largish entry room with water fountains (one accessible to those in a wheelchair or child), a vending machine, information about the park, an"

    10. Love's RV Hookup-Bellefontaine OH 810

    1 Review
    Bellefontaine, OH
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (937) 565-6089

    $32 / night

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Recent Reviews near Lakeview, OH

323 Reviews of 79 Lakeview Campgrounds


  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 3, 2025

    Indian Lake State Park Campground

    Lots of sites

    Our pad was not level front to back so we had to adjust a little bit. The fire ring was nice but our picnic table was beat up. I went to move it and the seat pulled right off. We stayed on a Sunday night so it wasn’t packed. There are a ton of sites. Some had great shade and others didn’t have any at all. The bathrooms were flush toilets and they did have shower houses too. The camp store is really big and it’s right next to their pool. They have a dog park, place to dock your boat and a small beach. I would imagine this would be a pretty busy during the summer.

  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 2, 2025

    Van Buren State Park Campground

    Small and peaceful

    We stayed one night on our way to IN. We’ve never been here before and wanted to check it off our list. It’s a small campground with one side as equestrian and the other side not. All sites had electric and water, no full hookup. There were only drop toilets and no showers. They were clean but I don’t think I’d want to do more than a weekend there. It had a nice playground for kids and plenty of trails to hike or go horseback riding. They also had a dog park and small wildflower garden. The check in cabin had ice and wood for sale but no store. Our site was really nice. The pads were recently paved and had a huge bumper at the end. The fire ring was nice and the site had plenty of space for tents.

  • Lisa M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 30, 2025

    Resting Roost

    Okay for one night I guess

    We were kind of stuck, looking for a place to stay as we didn’t have reservations during Labor Day weekend so found this place that was listed on Hip Camp. Near Belle Center. PROS- was relatively cheap, $24,out in the middle of fields so pretty quiet, host seems pretty nice. CONS- had to back up a 100 yard driveway, lots of bugs, smells as they just fertilized the fields (not the owners fault). Okay for setting up a tent or a small rig but wouldn’t advise for trailers. Electric was an extension cord. I think water is available. Owner could have mowed the place a bit.

  • Lisa M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 30, 2025

    Buck Creek State Park Campground

    Quiet park with level spaces

    This park was pretty packed over Labor Day weekend, but it still felt like it wasn’t super crowded. Our space was nice and level. Nice hiking trails in the area. Showers were very nice and clean. Several water spickets throughout the park if you needed to access them. It was a bit of a drive back into the campground, probably 3 1/2 miles.

  • Megan M.
    Aug. 27, 2025

    Grand Lake St. Marys State Park — Grand Lake St Marys State Park

    Campground is fine but the lake reeks of POO

    First the good: the campground is big and spacious. Some areas were like RV parking lots- no trees, no shade, but there was a grassy area in the middle with nice big trees and shade. There is a nice pool and splash pad. Weirdly, the pool closed from 4 to 5, leaving us with nowhere to go on a 90+ degree day. 

    Now, the not-so-good: we stayed in a camper cabin and it was very shabby and dirty. It had bunkbeds, a full size fridge, and a folding table and folding chairs, which was nice (and rare in Ohio state park camper cabins). The bathrooms were average. Not new, not especially sparkling clean, but fine. Not gross, at least.

    Now, the terrible: the entire lake stinks of pig poop. All the air smells like poo. You feel like you are breathing feces when you approach the water. We were right on the water so we couldn't escape the smell. 

    This lake is notorious for having algae blooms that prohibit swimming. So I did a google search before our trip and the Ohio Department of Health reports that the bacteria level in this lake is dangerously high, and no one should swim in this lake. However, when we walked to the campground beach, there was no sign or warning or anything indicating the bacteria in the water- and people were letting their children and dogs swim in it!! 

    We opted to not kayak or paddleboard in the lake because it was clear that it was full of poop. So we had nothing to do at the park except go to the pool (it was too hot to do anything else). We ended up driving around the country roads and seeing the sights so we could escape the smelly lake and hot poo fumes. Neil Armstrong was born in nearby Wapakoneta so there are some sights to see there, and the towns of Celina and ? one other are cute too. 

    Overall, I will not return to this lake or this part of the state. If you can't get in the water, paddle board or kayak, the only thing left to do is ride around in a boat and hope the water doesn't get anywhere near your mouth or your skin. No thanks.

  • d
    Aug. 19, 2025

    River Trail Campground II

    Just So-SO

    We stayed 3 nights. Our site was a dirt pads. There are mostly full-time residents. There is the smell of a massive Chicken coup at our site. THERE ARE A TON OF FLIES!!!!! We had flies for days!. We kill 3 and 5 more would pop-up in our trailer. I was so happy to leave this fly infested site. 

    It's very hard for me to give them less than 5 stairs because, everyone was so nice. We had them filled up our propane tanks and they actually brought them to us and hooked them up while we were gone. Someone even brought us wood planks for stabilizing our trailer. However, truth be told…. our spot was horrible-right next to the laundry room in direct sun and it stunk! The women's shower was gross too. ( I ended up, not using their shower room.)

    We never used their pool.

  • Paula  S.
    Aug. 11, 2025

    Blue Water Campground

    Our stay at bluewater

    The staff is extremely friendly, and try to accomadate with anything you could need. The campesites are fairly large with gravel pads. They offer water and electric hook-up for 30&50 amps. There is not a sewer hook up but they do offer a weekly pump out for a small fee and a dump station on the way out. The pool, ponds, playground and pavillion are all within walking distance from almost any site.

  • Don H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 6, 2025

    Ottawa Metro Park Campground

    Most Excellent Municipal Campground

    This is a beautiful, peaceful campground that's not a parking lot like many city campgrounds. It's clean as clean can be, including the bathrooms. The bath house has men's and women's bathrooms as well as a largish entry room with water fountains (one accessible to those in a wheelchair or child), a vending machine, information about the park, an event calendar, and brochures. While we were there, there was a Blue Grass music event scheduled at the nearby amphitheater.

    I was very impressed with the design of the restrooms regarding accessibility. I don't have a physical disability, but I always consider what the experience would be for someone who does. Everything in the bathrooms was intentionally designed for accessibility, not a thoughtless retrofit. The accessible shower is amazing.

    The campground is first-come first serve, but don't worry about getting a site. There are plenty. Pick up a registration envelope from the mailbox at the entrance sign, complete the triplicate form and follow the instructions. Money and form goes into an envelope and is dropped into the payment slot at the bathhouse.

    If you need firewood, there is an open shed to get some, and instructions on how to pay for it. This is so smart to keep people from bringing in and using their own possibly infested firewood.

    There is a dumpster and water available between sites. Each site comes with a picnic. And the fields around the park are filled with bunnies!

    The sites are well spaced and beautifully maintained. We picked site 30 because it had ample trees on its west side to create nice shade in the afternoon.

    A very relaxed, nice park host lives onsite. The entire vibe is chill. It seems to be run more like in an honor system, but they do have rules. Honor the rules to keep this campground special.

    This campground is only one part of a larger Metro park with lots to offer. Pick up a copy of the booklet (in the bath house) about the entire park system and what it offers.

    The price when we stayed was $30/night with a $5 discount for seniors, and a limit of 30 days (which is incredibly generous).

    We stayed for 11 nights and will return again next time we're traveling through this area.

  • Allie H.
    Aug. 3, 2025

    Huggy Bear Campground

    Overall a great experience

    Clean! Tons to do especially for kids, pet friendly, definitely get rowdy on the weekends- book ahead to snag the best sites. We stayed 5 days and it was awesome. Mini golf, fishing, 3 pools, inflatable in the water, they have a whole schedule for the weekends here. It’s great!


Guide to Lakeview

Camping near Lakeview, Ohio, offers a mix of beautiful nature and fun activities for everyone. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled weekend, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.

What to do:

  • Boating and Fishing: Enjoy the water at Alum Creek State Park Campground. One camper mentioned, "Amenities include boating, fishing, disc golf, MTB trails, live music select evenings, etc."
  • Hiking: Explore the trails at John Bryan State Park Campground. A visitor said, "The location is awesome adjacent to Clifton Gorge and Yellow Springs. Lots of great hiking."
  • Disc Golf: Test your skills at Delaware State Park Campground. One reviewer noted, "They put in a putt-putt course recently, had disc golf."

What campers like:

What you should know:

  • Raccoon Activity: Be cautious of raccoons at John Bryan State Park Campground. One camper warned, "The sheer number and boldness of raccoons...freaked the kids and new campers out."
  • Site Proximity: Sites can be close together at Indian Lake State Park Campground. A visitor noted, "The sites are very close together."
  • Reservation Fees: Some campgrounds, like Indian Lake State Park Campground, have additional fees for reservations. One camper said, "The online reservation system is clumsy to use at best."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Playgrounds: Look for campgrounds with playgrounds, like Grand Lake St. Marys State Park. A camper mentioned, "This was our second time here... proximity to playground."
  • Family Activities: Choose places with activities for kids, such as Kiser Lake State Park Campground. One visitor said, "It was absolutely stunning overlooking the water with the trees turning colors."
  • Group Sites: Consider booking a group site for larger families at Kiser Lake State Park Campground. A camper shared, "We booked a group site which was perfect for us."

Tips from RVers:

  • Electric Hookups: Many campgrounds, like Buck Creek State Park Campground, offer electric sites. A visitor noted, "The electric sites (where we stayed) are bigger and a little more spread out."
  • Space for Big Rigs: Look for campgrounds that accommodate larger RVs, such as Dayton KOA Holiday. One camper said, "Plenty of length for our 45’ fifth wheel and dually truck."
  • Quiet Hours: Be aware of noise levels, especially during busy weekends at places like Indian Lake State Park Campground. A visitor mentioned, "No one seemed to care about the 10 pm quiet time."

Camping near Lakeview, Ohio, has something for everyone, from families to RV enthusiasts. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Lakeview, OH?

According to TheDyrt.com, Lakeview, OH offers a wide range of camping options, with 79 campgrounds and RV parks near Lakeview, OH and 1 free dispersed camping spot.

Which is the most popular campground near Lakeview, OH?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Lakeview, OH is Indian Lake State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 34 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Lakeview, OH?

According to TheDyrt.com, there is 1 free dispersed camping spot near Lakeview, OH.

What parks are near Lakeview, OH?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 9 parks near Lakeview, OH that allow camping, notably Clarence J. Brown Dam and Reservoir and Delaware Lake.