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Best Tent Camping near Manchester, OH

530 Reviews

Tent camping options around Manchester, Ohio include established sites and dispersed areas within an hour's drive. Paragon Dispersed Camping Area in Daniel Boone National Forest offers free primitive tent camping on Cave Run Lake about 45 miles southeast of Manchester. The Ole Cornfield provides riverside tent sites with amenities along the Licking River in Kentucky, approximately 40 miles southwest of Manchester.

Most primitive tent camping areas near Manchester have limited facilities. Paragon offers pit toilets but no potable water, requiring campers to bring their own water treatment supplies. Sites typically feature basic fire rings but lack designated tent pads. The Ole Cornfield provides more amenities with water and electric hookups, clean bathhouses, and fire rings supplied with firewood. Dispersed camping areas like Paragon have no reservation system, operating on a first-come, first-served basis. Tent campers should pack out all trash, as most primitive areas lack garbage collection services.

Tent campsites in the region offer varied experiences based on location and amenities. Riverside camping at The Ole Cornfield allows tent campers direct access to kayaking and wading in shallow water. One camper noted, "The grandkids love to play in the river, which is about 1 to 2 feet deep at this location. Great for wading and catching minnows, crawdads, and such." Paragon Dispersed Camping Area provides lakeside tent sites with opportunities for fishing and boating, though campers should be prepared for potentially crowded weekends during peak season. Sites at Paragon can be close together with limited privacy, but the lakeside views compensate for this drawback. Some primitive tent areas experience significant weekend traffic, with one reviewer warning about nighttime activity and suggesting caution when selecting camping dates.

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Best Tent Sites Near Manchester, Ohio (12)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Manchester, OH

8 Photos of 12 Manchester Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Manchester, OH

530 Reviews of 12 Manchester Campgrounds

  • E
    Jul. 15, 2019

    Kincaid Lake State Park Campground

    Hilly, beautiful and secluded

    My family stayed here because we were visiting the Ark Encounter.  I’m not sure if there are closer campgrounds, but we chose to primitive camp here for our visit.  We arrived with just enough time to set up up our tent and head back towards Alexandria for dinner and supplies at Walmart.  There is not much variety and choices very close.  The RV and tent area is very hilly.  Our tent ground sloped but it didn’t bother us very much.  The campsites are very close to each other but there was only two other tent campers and they were both over 4 sites over from us. The tent area has portable toilets.  I chose to drive to the shower house when I needed to use the restroom.  The shower house is typical of most campgrounds, a few cobwebs but generally clean with shower and toilet stalls.  There are two shower houses for the entire campground.  The lake is very pretty, a few camp grounds are right off the shore.  The only thing I didn’t like was that there was no water spigot in the main tent camp area.

  • Chris H.
    Oct. 27, 2020

    Twin Knobs Recreation Area

    Hidden Gem

    We've stayed at Twin Knobs twice now in our popup camper. First time was at F26, second was at F24. We love how the outer loop sites have such quick access to the water.

    Both sites are shaded very well and the sites themselves are huge. We could see other campers through the trees but we felt pretty well secluded.

    Each site has several tall poles with hooks for trash bags/food storage. as well each site has a large fire pit with flip-over grill for cooking.

    The firewood bundles are a bit pricey ($7) at the checkin shack, but I'm glad they are available. we purchased at least 7 bundles to have a pretty much constant fire through the day and night.

    The bathrooms are clean and easily accessible. There was a bit of an overflow issue our first day on site but it was resolved in less than an hour by the loop hosts.

    Pop's bbq was a hit both nights we were there. We ordered carryout (covid) and ate at camp on the provided picnic tables. The Dollar General is also adequately stocked.

    All in all a fantastic visit which we will repeat ASAP. it's too bad they close at the end of October. I bet winter camping there would be a treat.

    Cheers,

    Chris

  • Frank H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 7, 2021

    Sandy Springs Campground

    Nice campground

    This was the last campground before returning home from a month long camping road trip across the country and back. Picturesque camp directly on the Ohio River. Very level. Small campground with about 40 sites. Basically all sites are for RVs and equipped with electrical and water and most with sewer. We were tent camping and set up and a very soft & thick grassy space on one of the empty sites. The owners plan to install dedicated tent sites along the edge of the woods. There is a camp store with most needed items. Ice and firewood sold. Very spacious and individual toilet and shower & sink rooms. Good showers with plenty of hot water. Playground for children. Volleyball for anyone. Dumpster for trash. Great people. Easy to make reservations.

  • Steve Z.
    Aug. 5, 2021

    Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park

    Great place for passers through or staycationers.

    We have stayed in four sites her during the past couple of month. There are two walk-in sites (10 & 51). Both were pleasant, nearly level, close to amenities, but were under no shade. [Site 10 is presently inhabited by a large family with a sign that says “Camp Host out front. I have not seen them do anything for campers here, and the site is kept in disgraceful cluttered condition.] we next stayed on Lot 13, which backs up to the primitive campground. Quite nice, but beware: this site as well as about half of the other sites at this campground require the use of electrical and water extensions because the connections are on the “wrong” side of the RV, and quite a distance away. For Lot 13, I needed over 50’ of extensions. We then stayed on walk-in lot 51. I was able to “self permit” at the gate…it’s first come first served, no online reservations. Nice, but no shade. Finally, we’re on Lot 47. Eureka! This is my favorite so far. It’s one of the “premium sites” with wooden deck and nicer picnic table for only $2 additional per night. View is phenomenal, and it’s close enough to dumpsters and gatehouse. Notice that I didn’t mention anything about sewer hookups. That’s because there are none. There is a single, very popular dump station near the entrance/exit.
    There are several miles of decent trails here, a swimming pool, putt putt golf, a pioneer museum, and a lodge with a good restaurant. The campground is easily accessible and is very kid and pet friendly. Nice sites for tent camping. Facilities are a bit dated, but clean and well maintained. All RV sites are back-in, and some are limited length. (Though some campers have rather cleverly managed to pull through a couple of the sites.) Some are quite unlevel.
    Overall good family campground on rich historical site.

  • J
    Sep. 19, 2021

    Kincaid Lake State Park Campground

    VERY much recommend

    My husband and I stayed for 2 weeks in a very large tent back in primitive camping area ... The campground we found to be very well maintained with a very kind and attentive staff who checked on us regularly. The sites were large enough for our liking with each having a picnic table and firepit but no water or electric. Primitive tent camping is back in its own little part of the park near the lake (there are a few lakeside sites if you have a small kayak or raft to use while there) and while we liked the privacy the one set back is this big hill you must climb to get to the bathhouse or anywhere else on the property .. the distance to walk to the bathhouse as well is a good little walk and not anything you want to be doing if you have health issues or limited physically at all .. the bathhouse was always being checked on by staff for cleanliness and stayed pretty fresh our entire stay (they have 2 bathhouses) .. you can't gather or bring your own firewood for whatever reason and the 6$ cost per bundle (as well as the 7$ per bag of ice if u should need it) isn't cheap. Most rv sites are in shade ...nice playground for the kids and just outside the campground is the rest of kincaid lake state park .. the state park area has a beautiful view of lake with Olympic sized pool as well as general store and many different shelter houses and grills to enjoy if you'd like.. they have a nice recreational area offering a big nice basketball court , playground, volleyball court and putt putt golf course .. NICE QUIET PEACEFUL PLACE TO GET AWAY TO FOR SURE. WE WILL DEF BE BACK

  • Melissa W.
    Sep. 17, 2021

    Grayson Lake State Park Campground

    Good location, ok campground

    Negatives: This campground is pretty hilly. Many of the spots don't have a great space for a tent. The flattest spots are in the middle of the circle with an open field behind them (but then you won't have any privacy or tree coverage). Even the RV camping on the inside of the loop across from us had its front tires suspended about a foot in the air to make it level though. Considering the flat spots are very limited, I don't think its a great tent campground and geared more towards RVs. One side of the campground runs against a golf course. If you're tent camping over a weekend, be prepared to have golfers tee-ing off next to you beginning at 7am. On Monday morning, be prepared for them to start mowing at 7am. The opposite side of the campground sits against a tree-line and therefore has much better spots. Many of the picnic tables are in pretty rough shape. The ones that have been replaced were done with the metal style that is dipped in plastic and are much sturdier. Likewise, some of the firepits are in pretty bad shape. I'd recommend having a grill grate with you just in case if you cook over the fire like we do. The firewood that is sold at the campground is kept in a shed but it was very wet, there also aren't any options around for buying wood outside the park. The office is supposed to be open until 6pm but one night it was closed earlier and the camp host wasn't on premises all weekend so we were stuck resorting to finding and burning downfall to get dinner cooked. 

    The positives: Its a good location and there are plenty of kayaking spots on Grayson Lake. Going to "The Grotto" aka Clifty Falls is a must (4.5 mile round trip). The same boat ramp has a decent place to get in and swim. Lick Falls Loop hike can be done from the campground and was nice (4.5 miles). We also kayaked the Southern portion of Grayson Lake in Laurel Gorge and that was much quieter than the Clifty Falls area. The campground bathrooms were clean. Most of the campsites were a decent size.

  • D
    Jun. 11, 2022

    Paint Creek State Park Campground

    Premium sites are

    We paid extra to have a "Premium" site, which meant we got a deck. That deck held our picnic table,  but there was no room to put our camping chairs. And though we were close to the lake, you could not see it through the trees. We could barely get out of our trailer and into the driveway without falling into a ravine. The fire pit had to be put on the back side of our trailer next to the road as that was the only spot it could fit. We were told to check out other sites in case we want to come back. Ha. The staff knew no one who had ever been here would ever take this site! But... we won't need to check out other sites as we'll never come back.

  • K
    Mar. 27, 2023

    Carter Caves State Resort Park Campground

    Exceeded Expectations

    The night we arrived it was pouring rain. After sleeping in the car to stay dry we explored the park. The park really came alive with the rain, which really made the trip. Water was running over the edges of cliffs and boulders throughout the park into the river that flows through the park. The cave tours were cheap and interesting, although the self guided tour was closed due to flooding. We did the Three Bridge Trail which was moderately challenging but worth the unique geology and natural bridge formations.

    The tent campground was quiet but the RV campground was pretty full and lively. At site 110 we struggled to find a flattish spot—the sites closest to the road to the horse campground were much better. The bathrooms were randomly closed one night on a Saturday which was a little annoying. There wasn’t any clear communication of restroom hours.

    It was hard to find firewood nearby, we ended up seeing a sign of a guy selling firewood and we called him. It was $23 for 35 logs delivered to the site. This ended up being way more than we needed and we left some behind after giving some out for free to other campers, which was a cool experience.

    We left for the day on our second to last day and packed up most of the site in the car as we’d be gone a while. When we came back what we left was gone along with our reservation slip at the site entrance. It seems the rangers took it that we left and now I’m out a water jug.

    There was some scavenger hunt race going on too and people would come out of the forest and run through our campsite with no regard to us being right there which was a little odd.

    Overall I didn’t know what to expect as an out of stater but had a great time through the weather and all.

  • James W.
    Jul. 7, 2018

    Shawnee State Park Campground

    A Challenging Backpacking Loop

    We took a group of Boy Scouts on a five day backpacking trek of the entire Shawnee Loop. It was a very challenging five days with a lot of up and down hills.

    The entire loop is around 36 miles. There are seven campsites along the trail, and all but one has water access, which was really nice on our trek.

    The first day we hiked from the trail head parking lot to Camp 1. The camp was a small, secluded grove down in a valley. This made for a nice cool off from the day's heat. The camp has a large grassy area and several smaller campsite offshoots.

    The second day we hiked to camp 2 and stopped for water. Unfortunately the water supply seems to have been compromised since we found leaves in the water coming from the faucet. Luckily we have our water filtration system so we quickly filtered the water and were on our way. We then hiked to camp 3 which is very close to Camp Oyo. This was a nice, large camp right next to the creek. We had tons of space. The only bad thing about this campsite was it's proximity to the main road. We heard cars going by all night.

    The next day we found a beautiful view on top of the one hill just off a logging road where we stopped for lunch. There was even a picnic table. We then went on to camp 4 which, unfortunately, had been trashed. There was garbage everywhere, likely due to this campsite being close to a road. So, as good boy scouts we cleaned up the trash so that the next group could enjoy the camp. This camp was much like camp 1. Grassy area, small creek, lots of shade in the valley.

    We then went on to camp five and we quite disappointed. This is barely a camp at all. It's just a long trail to a small grassy patch. Barely enough room to set up a decent camp. I think this camp has not seen much use.

    When we hiked to camp 6 the next day we found the crown jewel of the trail. Camp 6 is absolutely beautiful. The camp is in a pine grove and has a substantial creek running through the middle complete with fairly large fish! Although there was no water access in camp six we were able to refill water thanks to the stream and our filters. We were very bummed to not be camping at camp six.

    We then went on to camp 7 for our final night. Camp seven is just like camp 1. It's down in a cool valley with an open patch for tents and lots of good trees for hammocks.

    Overall it's a good hiking trail, and very challenging. The only thing I would like to have seen more of would be a more interesting trail. Which cant be helped, really. There aren't any interesting rock formations or caves along the trail. And the views are OK. Nothing too spectacular. My thought is that you do the Shawnee trail for the challenge of the distance, terrain, etc. It's a good training trail for longer treks. I enjoyed it greatly, but don't see myself coming back for some time.

Guide to Manchester

Tent camping options surrounding Manchester, Ohio extend beyond established sites to include primitive areas within state parks and national forests. The region's forested terrain creates natural camping zones with elevations between 500-1,000 feet. Many primitive sites lack amenities but compensate with proximity to hiking trails, fishing spots, and woodland views.

What to do

Kayaking the Licking River: The Ole Cornfield campground offers direct kayak access with rental service and shuttle options for personal watercraft. "The ride from the dam down to the campground is beautiful and serene. It is great for beginning kayakers," notes camper Karen P.

Lake fishing: Paragon Dispersed Camping Area provides access to Cave Run Lake with multiple fishing spots. A camper observed, "The view of the lake from our camp site was amazing. Very picture worthy! Our first morning a heron was fishing in the lake less than 100 feet from us. We saw him catch a fish."

Wildlife watching: Many tent camping areas near Manchester support bird watching opportunities. At Paragon, one camper reported seeing "woodpeckers, hawks and several other birds I did not recognize" during their stay.

What campers like

Clean facilities: Despite primitive conditions at many sites, some campgrounds maintain excellent bathrooms. At The Ole Cornfield, campers appreciate "bath/shower houses that are really clean and with heat/air."

Helpful staff: Campground hosts often go beyond expectations. "Justin our camp host stopped by that evening dropped us off a fire ring and firewood. This is included in the price of the campsite," reported one camper at The Ole Cornfield.

Privacy options: While some sites offer more seclusion than others, campers can find quieter spots. One visitor to The Ole Cornfield noted, "We pulled in late, around 7:30pm and had been in contact with Justin prior to arrival. He was waiting for us with a colleague and escorted us to our site. We were camped right on the river with nobody around us."

What you should know

Weekend crowds: Popular sites fill quickly, particularly on weekends and holidays. At White Sulphur Horse Camp in Daniel Boone National Forest, campers report using horse camps when traveling with larger groups "since they have more space and are not always used."

Cell service limitations: Many remote camping areas have minimal connectivity. White Sulphur Horse Camp offers "slight cell service for Verizon & AT&T, enough for maybe text but not very consistent."

Security concerns: Some dispersed camping areas experience nighttime traffic. A Paragon visitor warned that "cars came and went all night" and suggested selecting camping dates carefully to avoid busy periods.

Trash management: Pack-out requirements exist at most primitive sites. One Paragon camper noted, "We arrived right after a busy holiday weekend, and found our site full of extra fire rings and heaps of trash. We spent a good hour cleaning up the area, and filled one section of our truck bed with it when we left."

Tips for camping with families

River activities for children: Shallow water access makes some sites ideal for kids. The Ole Cornfield provides river access that's "about 1 to 2 feet deep at this location. Great for wading and catching minnows, crawdads, and such," according to one frequent visitor.

Wildlife education opportunities: Lizzy's Acres offers wooded camping near state parks, providing opportunities for nature education. Located near small towns, it creates a balance between wilderness experience and access to supplies.

Site selection considerations: When tent camping with children, prioritize locations with restroom access. One camper at The Ole Cornfield noted that "the grandkids love to play in the river" while appreciating the clean bathrooms nearby.

Tips from RVers

Site spacing: For RVs requiring additional space, select campgrounds with ample room. The Ole Cornfield offers "wide spots" where campers report being "able to put up a 20 x 10 canopy outside of our camper canopy with plenty of extra room."

Level sites: Look for campgrounds with flat terrain. The Ole Cornfield features "level and pull through" sites with 50 amp service, city water access, and a dump station.

Primitive preparation: For best tent camping near Manchester, Ohio without hookups, bring portable power solutions. At Free Spirit Homestead, tent campers must arrive fully self-sufficient as no water or electric hookups are available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Manchester, OH?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Manchester, OH is Eagle Creek Marina with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.

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