Best Equestrian Camping near Mansfield, OH

Alum Creek is just beautiful, nice sites, most of them are at least partially shaded, lots of woods, hiking trails, the lake, it is what I think of when I think of State Park campground camping in Ohio. There are a couple problems. 1. Only ONE little dump station. This is a big campground, so if you're leaving Sunday, you better get up at the crack of dawn to get to the station, otherwise be prepared to wait in a long long line of RV's. We by-passed the long line and stopped at a different State Park campground on the way home and paid 10.00 to use their dump station. 2. They never answer their phone at the campground office. I mean NEVER. If you have a question you will just have to deal with the reserveamerica people who really know nothing other than what they read on the campground website. So basically you know as much as they do. It's maddening. We will go back, but it's a 2 hour drive so it won't be anytime soon.

There are 10 free camp sites for backpackers in Mohican, each is about a mile hike in, no vehicles can reach these sites. There are 4 on the mountain bike trail and 6 on the horse trails, first come first serve, no reservations. love them!

Less than 30 minutes north of Columbus and you are in a rustic area with LOTS to offer. Besides the camping there is a sail boat dock and horse riding trails. The lake is big enough to spend hours on! It is rarely crowed here. Makes for a great community!

There are tons of trails to check out all throughout the park. Kayaking on the northern side of the lake would be recommended. It gets too busy with larger boats in the main area of the lake. Check out the mountain biking trails & horse trails. Lots of great fishing. Be careful around the old homesteads and dumping sites.

We arrived Friday late afternoon and set up in the rain. Didn’t see much of the park on Friday,  but Saturday we went exploring and saw the marina, beach, horse camp area, and walked some of the bridle trails. They also have playgrounds that are open and some food trucks in case you don’t want to cook.

 This is the second park we have stayed at that is part of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District and so far I am impressed. Large landscape sites that are full hookup with large concrete pads. Each with its own picnic table and fire pit. They also have a boat dock for the campers to use.   The lightning bugs even put on a nightly show.

This trip was memorable for so many reasons but the Chestnuts really make this park stand out.  The park has several Chestnut trees which is usually a rare find these days.  Later on, I found a sign explaining why the park had so many Chestnut trees. They are working to bring them back.  We used our grubstick to roast them over the open fire.  Many of us fondly think of the Christmas song but how often have you roasted your own Chestnuts while camping?

The tent sites (short walk from parking lot) and one car per tent site.  Our site was not the traditional walk up/park camp site. It was a nice change of pace.  More space and great neighbors. 

The camp store at this park had a lot of great things such as corn hole outside, a mining activity for the family, trikes you could rent, and most importantly ice cream.  

The camp store is right across from the pool.  The pool is currently closed but not many state parks in Ohio have a pool right in the camp ground area.  This is a rare treat. The pool had the traditional pool, kiddo pool, and small splash pad. You could also see where they had installed a curb cut for those in wheel chairs or needing ramps. No pool lift that I could see to help someone lower in and out of the pool. This may be put away for the season so call to find out. They also had a ramp installed that led up to the pool. One side the old steps and the other side a new  ADA ramp. 

 The fire wood was in a white bag and that made it easy to move and kept the car clean which I appreciated. They also had bait so if you wanted to walk behind the pool and continue to the river it wouldn't be far to go fishing. 

The shower house by us did not have an ADA bathroom and I didn't get a chance to look for the ADA shower.  

Behind the campsites (our section) you could grab a short trail to the river. This was a lovely surprise as I followed a foot path.   We opted not to do the overlook hike to the gorge as we had fellow campers with us that couldn't do a long hike for safety reasons.  It as a nice surprise to learn that one could also drive to the overlook if they need to and all parties could enjoy the view together. Two different ways to get to the same place which means if you need to split up your campers based on physical skills then you could do so and then eat at the shelter together. 

The camp ground has been FULL several times this season so make sure you make your reservations. This park also has a way for you to put on and take out of the river.  You will see folks walking around with their inner tubes as they will float down the small section.

We also drove 10 miles away to the Mohican Lodge to treat ourselves to some food and an OSU Football game at the bar downstairs. The bar has a great back patio and view of the lake.  It too has a variety of games in the back patio. They were awesome and turned on the closed caption feature for us.  Those of us that wanted to watched the game and others were able to play various games at the lodge (Ping pong, pool, read a book by the fire, go see the owls on site, and more).

The pool at the lodge is being redone at the moment. I may try to upload that information later.  So look for it to be new and improved. The pool also has a sauna for those that need some help to warm up/relax tight muscles. Usually, you can get a day pass for the lodge pool even when you are staying at the camp sites. This is a small fee but well worth it.

While we were at the lodge an outside non-profit group was there with 2 owls.  We hope to drive up to Mansfield sometime to explore their property (90 acres) with birds they have rescued or are helping. https://www.ohiobirdsanctuary.com/  they come to the lodge usually on Sat evening at 7 PM. 

For those who are a fan of Shawshank Redemption the movie you are an easy day trip away from the Mansfield Reformatory. https://www.mrps.org/explore/tours

Alum Creek State Park is one of those parks with the main attraction in the middle and the different areas strung out along the outside. So you need to be careful going from one area to the next, busy road. Old State Rd is the main thoroughfare through the area. Off Oh I71, take either Cheshire Rd or Rt 36 to Old State Rd and follow the signage.

Plenty of sites to pick from in the large camping area. I liked A due to the space between camp sites. I also drove through J enroute to a boat ramp and the sites there are a little closer together. There are cabins also available. Showerhouse centrally located in each area.

The sites are mostly level, with gravel area and picnic table. There was a playground, basketball court and nature center on site. There is a internal roadway if you like to bike ride or run and trails.

In another section of the park is the beach, there is a paddling only area (north end), plenty of fishing and boating left to enjoy, horse trails, bike trails and hiking trails.

The dog park is awesome, they have their own beach!

As part of a nearly 200-mile bikepacking ride, this was our last stop! We spent 2 nights in their "Class B" area down in the Mohican River Valley and loved it.

The oddly named “Class A” camping area offers everything from full-hook up camping slots for campers large and small, as well as just electric sites and 10 “walk-in” primitive sites, and cabins -- all of which are reservable. This area has all the bells and whistles of a modern campground with an environmental learning center, a nice outdoor pool, clean showers and bathrooms, an extensive playground and hiking and mountain biking trails right out the front door.

The “Class B” area offers 25 primitive sites on a first-come, first-served basis. It is almost 6 miles by road from the “A” services, but only a 2-mile flatish hike along the river trail. At these sites, there are only pit toilets and a water pump. Each site has a picnic table and a small fire ring. There is also a large group camping area just a few miles away from the primitive “Class B” area.

Tubing and canoeing are available within the park, but there are also several canoe outfitters in the area which provide rental / pick up services. The sheer number of these businesses makes me think that summer time can be crowded!!

Beautiful shaded trails meander all throughout the park and they boast some of the most challenging mountain biking in the mid-west, so read your trail maps. Hiking, equestrian and winter snowmobile trails also offer some great opportunities to get out and stretch your legs throughout the year. There is also a safe and convenient, bike lane / bike path into nearby Loudonville, which has a small grocery story and the usual fast-food restaurants.

Note: The only reason why this park didn't get a 5 star was due to their customer service. It was absolutely lousy, confusing, and the young folks working behind the counter acted as if they didn't want to be there and/or hadn't been trained. We almost left, but since we had cycled 42 miles to get there that day, we chose to stay and enjoyed our time in their Class B sites.

First off we have to say that Ohio State Park campgrounds are some of the best we’ve ever stayed in. Most Ohio state park campgrounds have spacious sites with trees or other foliage between campsites so lots of privacy and a feeling of being apart from other campers. Alum Creek is no different. The ODNR has upgraded a number of the sites to FHU though most are still electric only. Alum Creek Lake is a large reservoir (by Ohio standards) that has excellent fishing, plenty of undeveloped shoreline to explore from kayaks, canoes or paddle boards and a very large beach. Not as many hiking trails as most state parks but you’re not far from High Banks Metro Park in Lewis Center that is a beautiful park with miles of trails along the Olentangy River. We love Alum Creek and will stay again for sure.

This is my favorite Ohio State Park to camp in so far. Good ATT coverage, look carefully at length of pad as some are shorter. Lovely beach nice views. Only problem was some street noise and the Trick or Treating and Halloween events first weekend of October meant there were a lot lot lot of cars and people and 1.5 hours with the streets closed for activities.

I love Mohican State Park. There is so much to do- canoeing, kayaking, tubing, creeking, and great trails also.

This campground is nice but is crowded in the warmer months. Look for a site along the water, that's where the tree cover is. I stayed in a camper cabin which was very nice, with microwave and refrigerator.

There is running water in the toilets, which is nice for a state park in Ohio. The showers were decent, nothing to complain about there.

The primitive tent camping sites looked nice and peaceful- take care to get a shaded spot, though, as some were just exposed in a grassy field. There is a long bumpy walk from the parking area to the primitive sites, so bring a wagon or sled or something.

This is a huge campground! I tent camped by myself--felt very safe.  Happened to be next to the park host. No choice of where to locate my large tent.  Showers/bathrooms were OK--older facilities.  Wish this park had a laundry facility--another Ohio park I recently stayed at had a fairly new shower facility that included a laundry facility!  Did not appreciate the waste management company emptying the dumpsters at 4:00 AM!!!  There is a huge, lakeside beach that was just packed with people (no social distancing) and there was trash everywhere--not enough dumpsters.  Near to shopping (Polaris), if you are interested.  Will try to get a lakeside site next time.

This is another of our favorite Ohio State Parks.  The campground is setup in a nice layout with each of the separate sections having a spoke and wheel layout with a bathhouse in the middle.  Sites are roomy and we like the wooded feel.

The dog part was quite muddy and actually closed while we were there and we were a bit disappointed by that but there was plenty of space to walk the pups.

Located near the town of Delaware, you aren’t too far off the beaten path and we even had decent service with Verizon.

I also noticed that the6 had a nice storm shelter on the property that was well marked and easy to get to from any of the campground areas.

I found Malabar Farm in Lucas, OH on my way home from Mom’s house. Never heard of it before and I have been this way for over 20 years now. Louis Bromfield was a conservationist and among many other things (including winning a Pulitzer) he was in the forefront of organic and self-sustaining gardening. This place is amazing! ( and would be an excellent home schoolers camping trip!) Not your typical going hiking kinda campground (there are trails but they are not “major”) you come here to step away from city life and tour a working farm. Ohio countryside at its best. Primitive camping with a gravel parking pad and water, fire ring, picnic table and hitching post. No reservations, this is a first come campground. There’s also a small rentable cabin open year round. Definitely worth a visit and very family oriented events. ( your teenager will roll their eyes at you but probably secretly enjoy the visit)

This is a nice campground for Ohio because there are a lot of trees, making many sites secluded with privacy. I haven't camped here, I've just driven around because I boat on the creek, so I can't attest to the condition of the bathrooms.

Beware that sites close to the water may flood, or may be pretty damp in the spring.

The beaches are nice, the reservoir is nice for boating, but the horsepower allowed is too much if you want to kayak on the main water, in my opinion. There are nice inlets and coves where you can take smaller boats. Hopefully big boats observe the no wake zone, but they don't always. I don't think there is any hiking, the main attraction is the water and the beach.

This was the only park we’ve gone to this uear with both a large dog park AND a fenced in dog beach! Folks were friendly at the dog park with bunches of chairs set around like a conversation pit. Lots of water and dog tennis balls were available.

The dog beach was fenced so your dog can be off leash. There is even a fenced in area out in the water to keep the pooches from swimming across the Lake chasing geese.

The campground itself was quite nice and spacious. Some of the most private camping sites I’ve seen in Ohio. Shower facilities we a bit above average mad seemed to be looked after at least once a day (we were there in the off season).

IMHO, one of the nicest campgrounds in the state.

Everyone online is constantly raving about Alum Creek so we finally decided to try it out. Initially we had site A9 but when we arrived we realized the main road (55mph) was extremely close and loud. We ended up looking at all of the open sites and picking C3, which literally might be the best site in the park. Even still, the constant road noise and insane amount of small plane traffic is extremely annoying. The fire station across the street doesn't help either. The park seems to be roughly 80/20 mix of small sites to medium/ large sites. Usually my reviews are a ton of positives, then a few negatives. This one unfortunately is almost all negatives. The oddly places bathrooms have no parking, only the two shower houses on our half of the park did. I say oddly places because they are kind of in the middle of the woods with multiple paths going to them. You would definitely benifit by finding these paths before it's dark or you'll be lost like we were. Also you may not want a site with one of these paths if you don't like people walking through your site. Due to looking for a better site and it being October, it was dark by the time we finished setting up. One of the few nice things about the park is how dark it gets at night. Unfortunately, there are barely any signs around the park and the ones they have ahine green in your headlights and are almost illegible. Kind of like the light yellow site numbers on the grey electric box. The park does have many nice amenities like, miniature golf, a large dog park, many trails and a nature center. Down the road is a very large beach, a dam and parks. The absolute best part was the camp store. Literally the nicest people in the world were working here... I'm pretty sure we wouldn't stay here again, especially in the summer when it's probably crazy busy. Especially when Delaware state park is 10 miles away and literally our favorite park in Ohio. The two are complete opposites.