Best Glamping near Massillon, OH

Upon arrival friendly staff greeted us. Bath houses are clean and well maintained.  Our site was not clean and ready.  Picnic table looked like it was not cleaned since last season and the fire pit was full of rubbish.  Had campers behind us who played music so loud we couldn't hear each other talk.  I asked the gentleman to please turn it down and they did slightly. Another camper also asked them to turn it down and again it was very slight.  Well after midnight music continued.  No park ranger made rounds until Saturday morning and throughout the day.  

The lake is gorgeous this weekend and we enjoyed riding bikes and walking the park.  

May be back to try again.

Stayed a night here near the end of June after a rainstorm. A few quick highlights:

1. Because there are a ton of sites, you can expect one thing: variety. There are plenty of aluminum Airstream, Winnebago, fifth wheels, pull behind, and tents. You can expect to find a little bit of everything here.

2. If you’re looking for peace and quiet, Mill Creek might not be for you. Most of the sites seem to be typically pretty packed. Generally, people respect quiet hours, but with sites so close to each other, noise is a factor.

3. The surrounding area seems to be pretty spartan. There’s a grocery store about 10 minutes up the road, a bait shop about three minutes away, and a drive-through (with some light groceries and drinks) about two away. Nice enough folks in all three :) Super helpful and accommodating.

4. Berlin lake seems to be the big draw. Plenty of boats, jet ski‘s, kayaks, and swimming opportunities. If that’s your thing, plan accordingly and you won’t be disappointed.

Overall, Mill Creek is a pretty solid site within driving distance of Akron / Canton. I’ll be back, with adjusted expectations.

Quick tip: My particular site was pretty muddy upon arrival. Granted, that was after a bit of rain. But it wouldn’t hurt to bring an extra pair of shoes ;-)

Pros: closest camping to Cuyahoga National Park, safe, professional (labeled envelopes with information at check-in and wood delivery) Cons: bathrooms weren’t cleaned or restocked as frequently as necessary (overflowing trash cans, TP empty by 5 pm), shower curtains/showers had mildew, truly dirty bathroom floors, had to drive 1/4 mile to the one trash dumpster, unlevel sites

One more thing: there’s a significant raccoon and skunk problem along the section with water/electric back-in spots. We got to know our neighbors very well over two nights as we helped each other fend off multiple raids by entire families of raccoons and one very large, very bold skunk. We lost two camping chairs to the skunks because there was no way to fight them off once they moved into our shelter and, even without spraying, skunks tend to leave a scent behind on anything that’s fabric.

The price is okay in that it is the closest to the national park and the next closest campgrounds are the state park campgrounds (West Branch and Mosquito Lake), but the state park grounds are MUCH nicer and about $15 less per night. If you have the time to drive and can plan your trip months in advance to get reservations, West Branch is a better alternative.

My family and I had never gone tent camping before together, since my husband and I were kids. I have chronic pain and was terrified to go due to my difficulties. This place was amazing!

PROS:

The shower houses are individual big rooms to use that include a shower with a seat and toilet. They do also have handicap parking&camping spots right by the shower house, no smell even being 89 degrees.

They also have amazing prices for renting out a pontoon, it’s only a max 10 mph. I was able to comfortably fish for 4 hours on this. For the boats we were allowed to park down below right by the docks so I wouldn’t have to walk the hill.

When you book online it needs to be done 2 days out, from where we live (Columbus Ohio) the reception at the camp was very very hard to hear on the phone. It is easier to book online then see them at the office when you arrive, they close at 7 pm. Checkin is at 4 pm and checkout is 2pm for camp set up(you can set up sooner if no one is there)

We were lucky to get a walk up electric spot, although hilly it was beautiful! We were right by the private dock and the residents were very kind, some offered us worms or help with our fire. Even though we were by the public outhouse you could not smell anything until right by the outhouse.

You do need a special plug for the electric, we didn’t realize this and did not bring one. I was panicked at first since I needed a fan to get through the 89 degree weather in a tent but the front office has spares you can borrow! They are a lifesaver up there and so kind, if we could have tipped we would have.

We caught plenty of fish up there for all 3 of us, including my 1 st grader, all we used were worms and was surprised how much we caught.

All in all we were really happy and even convinced my parents to come up with us next year 😊

CONS:

The drive up was very hilly and lots of buggies. Be careful sometimes the road disappeared and you don’t see the buggy until right there; the road speed is 55mph but we only went between 35-45.

There is no cell service up there so be prepared, we lost it for about 20 minutes before the camp site. We have sprint. Make sure to pack a old school map so you can get around, there is a family dollar store in town, about 4 mile drive, if you forgot anything.

Most neighbors you have our yearly members, this is great for peace but limits the spots they actually have open to rent out by the lake and have electric. We were hoping to get a better spot in the future but they only have a couple of non yearly spots available even a year out.

Shhhhhh…these campsites seem to be the best kept secret! Located near the Bridgeport Quarry Trailhead about 2.5 miles north of Massillon, OH in the Stark County Parks District. These sites are specifically designed for hikers/cyclists. Camping is dispersed in a small grassy field and is FREE! There is room for maybe 6-8 small backcountry tents. There is one picnic table, campfire ring, and a small cooking prep area for the whole area.

Just across the towpath, you will find a pit toilet in the parking lot. There is no drinking water available, so plan a head from nearby sources. About ½ mile north of this camping area is a cross street where you will find drinking water fountain on the towpath. And, just about 1.5 miles south along the towpath, you will find Ernie’s Bicycle Shop (super helpful staff) which has both restrooms and drinking water. On the same property, you’ll find a Canoe Livery to rent canoes to use on the adjacent Tuscarawas River.

Reservations are not necessary as it is first-come, first-served, but they want you to register at the kiosk and call the listed number when you arrive.

More info here: https://centurycycles.com/articles/camping-along-the-towpath-trail-pg1342.htm

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 was a Fall camping experience in a cabin as we knew it would be cold in the evenings.  We also had a non-camper with us so this was a nice compromise.  We had a cozy cabin with 2 bathrooms.  We also had a small kitchen where we could cook when we didn't want to cook over the fire.  This was another way for us to social distance as COVID-19 was still an issue. 

I also took photos of the camping bathrooms as each KOA does it a little differently. You will notice that the bathroom is unisex.  It is a single bathroom (toilet and shower).  This is in the center of the campground.  The bathroom photos below are not of the cabin. 

The cabin you see here is the Deluxe. "Deluxe Cabin(More than two Bathrooms), Patio Deluxe Cabin(w/ Bathroom)- Evergreen KL8-9-10 Perfect for large family or two couples with two queen bedrooms, sleeping loft, 1 1/2 baths, kitchenette, 3 tvs located in quiet corner with shade trees. Sorry, Not Pet Friendly! Linens are included in all seasons except Winter. Please bring pool towels." Taken from Reservation Email. 

For 2 nights it totaled $153.00 which is a good price compared to other cabins we were looking at within the region.  We could have had others camping in the tent section of the campground so it is an easy way to have a mixed crowd for a camping outing. 

I did type in some information into the Special Requests within my reservation booking online, as I had a question about who had to pick up the key as a friend lived closer.  No one responded and I had to call them. 

Cabins Check in is at 3PM and Check out is at 12 PM

We were able to buy firewood from the KOA camp office. They bring it to your campsite and we were able to grill hotdogs and other food items on our camp fire.  Do read the general information closely and look at number 15 for a free scoop of ice cream. 

https://www.whitehousefruitfarm.com/donuts  We did a donut run and explored the farm for our outing for the day. 

We also spent the day checking out a local mill https://www.millcreekmetroparks.org/visit/places/mill-creek-park/lantermans-mill/