Best Tent Camping near Albany, OH

Tent campers seeking backcountry experiences near Albany, Ohio have several quality options in the surrounding public lands. Zaleski State Forest, located within 10 miles, offers extensive primitive tent camping opportunities along its backpacking trail system. Nearby Monday Creek OHV Dispersed camping area provides free tent sites within Wayne National Forest boundaries for more secluded overnight stays. The area also features established tent camping at Baileys Trail Tent Camping, positioned strategically for trail access.

Most primitive tent sites in Zaleski State Forest feature minimal amenities but include essential infrastructure for backpackers. The designated backpacking campsites provide vault toilets and potable water access from spigots, though bringing a filter for backup is recommended. Fire rings are available at established sites, and fires are permitted when no seasonal restrictions are in place. Access typically involves hiking several miles on marked trails, with no drive-up options for true backcountry sites. According to one visitor, "The trails are well marked and easy to follow. And there are several loop sections so you can easily plan various trips accordingly."

The tent camping experience in this region is characterized by heavily forested sites with ample tree cover. Zaleski's campsites are positioned along a network of interconnecting trails with multiple loop options averaging about 10 miles per loop. A camper wrote that "there are three main camping areas with established fire rings, bathrooms and water supplies making the stops at the end of the day that much more pleasant." Most tent campsites fill quickly during peak seasons, particularly on weekends. Terrain throughout the region features typical Appalachian topography with moderate elevation changes, providing physical challenge for backpackers. Primitive tent areas offer seclusion from vehicle noise and RV generators, though campers should be prepared for occasional crowding at established sites during peak summer and fall weekends.

Best Tent Sites Near Albany, Ohio (30)

    1. Zaleski State Forest

    17 Reviews
    Zaleski, OH
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (740) 596-5781

    "There's a great loop hike in Zaleski State Forest. High quality trees, nice little hills, cool rock formations. Fine campground for tent-camping (my preferred camping method)."

    "Campsites fill up quickly & areas will be shared. Not all have fire rings. Camp 2 is very popular since it is the halfway point(ish) on the trail. Camp 1 is only a couple miles into the loop."

    2. Benton's on the Baileys

    4 Reviews
    Chauncey, OH
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (773) 837-0847

    $40 - $125 / night

    "Extremely private primitive camping surrounded by Wayne National Forest and steps from the Baileys Trail System. Fire pit, picnic table and handmade hammock supplied for comfort and convenience."

    "Excellent campground that is tucked out of the way. You have to walk to the site, up a steep hill, but it is very private and quiet. The bathrooms are down the hill too, but very clean and private."

    3. Baileys Trail Tent Camping

    3 Reviews
    Millfield, OH
    15 miles

    "Wonderful little location. We drove for about 3 hours to get from where we are. Nice wide open space surrounded by woods."

    "Spent consecutive months at this location and couldn't have been happier with the host and accomodations. Great for that "far out" feel just outside of town."

    4. Camp Rotan

    2 Reviews
    Athens, OH
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (740) 592-3325

    6. Monday Creek OHV Dispersed

    2 Reviews
    Nelsonville, OH
    19 miles
    Website

    "Camped at the west side of the vaulted toilet lot. Arrived about 5 PM and all 3 camping spots were empty. Lots of trucks and toy haulers heading up the various roads into the late evening."

    7. Lavender Ranch

    Be the first to review!
    Guysville, OH
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (740) 300-0493

    $20 - $110 / night

    8. Pops Place Camping

    3 Reviews
    Corning, OH
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (740) 683-3361

    $15 - $125 / night

    "I stayed there Aug 2024 and as of that date the rustic tent camping was $20. "

    "We'd like to welcome Ed and Michelle to our platform. This prime location is 15 minutes from the National Park.  On site drinking water and firewood available."

    9. Trothwood Forest

    Be the first to review!
    Hamden, OH
    16 miles
    Website

    $25 - $50 / night

    10. Old Stone Church Campground

    2 Reviews
    New Lexington, OH
    27 miles
    Website

    "Each pull-thru is set-up for horses, but RVs are allowed (according to NFS website)."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Albany, OH

536 Reviews of 30 Albany Campgrounds


  • Eira T.
    Jul. 5, 2015

    Burr Oak Cove Campground

    Quiet campground in Wayne National Forest!

    We enjoyed walk-in site #3 during a holiday weekend. The walk-in sites afford more privacy and tree cover than the drive-up sites, where you can see your neighbors on all sides. No showers or sinks, just several vault toilets. Potable water available throughout the camp. Camp sites are $10 a night.

    Neighbors were fairly quiet, and there is one trail that leads down to Burr Oak lake. The trail is 1 mile, but it seems to link up with some longer yellow and green-blazed trails that go around the lake. The campground is also a short drive from the Wildcat Hollow trail head in the Athens Unit of Wayne National Forest

  • B
    Oct. 23, 2021

    Forked Run State Park Campground

    Bad for tents

    Went there in October. No attendance around and not many campers. Sites are very bad for tent camping and not the bet for RV’s. Back ins are sort and most sites have no level ground even for the picnic table or fire ring. Showers were clean but cold. Vault toilets only and stuck to high Heaven. Not serviced well at all. Hiked the lake view trail, poorly maintained. The upper loop from the beach end is very hard to find and not marked at all. Even more disappointing than Hope Lake which has its own site problems for tents.

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 6, 2017

    Blue Rock State Park Campground

    It's moss I think....

    Blue Rock State Park is outside Zanesville, Oh off I70. Rt 60 takes you South and then you have a choice of routes in. Good Ohio farmland scenery.

    Out of the way, small camping area with basic sites. A cool feature is a few of the sites have pavilion type covered patios that you can pitch your tent in to help stay dry during inclimate weather.

    Otherwise the sites are close together. Though there are a few sites that are more off to themselves, they are still wide open with sparse tree cover.

    The restroom is basic, the showerhouse is located at the reservoir beach as well as the camp store and boat rental.The staff was very knowledgeable about the area and conversational.

    Several trails are in the area, the Horse Camp is up the road. In addition to this area there is the Blue Rock State Forest that offers several out door activities, check out their map and site online.

  • Alex M.
    Jul. 20, 2022

    Krodel Park Campground

    Nice park, awful bathrooms

    This is a strange campground, but not a bad one. It is minutes away from downtown Point Pleasant. I had spent the afternoon exploring the town and didn't feel like driving further. There aren't many campgrounds nearby, so this place came to the rescue.

    The park's main feature is a lake that looks to be artificial. Maybe an old gravel quarry? The terrain around the lake is nicely landscaped. There is a paved path along the shore, along with picnic tables and shelters. Kayak rentals are available and the lake is stocked with fish.

    Most of the campground is RV focused, but I stayed at a primitive tent site. These are located closer to the entrance. There are no site numbers. Just pull your car up onto the grass and set up wherever. A few picnic tables and electrical outlets are spaced out along the road. There were a few other campers here when I visited, but there was enough room for us to maintain good separation. No shade trees or shrubs for privacy, though.

    This is not a particularly quiet or restful campground. The day use area around the lake was hopping, with people coming and going well into the night. No closing time, or just not enforced? Not sure. Having so much traffic was a little uncomfortable from a safety standpoint, but nothing untoward happened while I was there. There was also quite a bit of noise from the nearby road and railroad.

    The biggest problem with this campground was the bathroom. It was one of the worst I've seen. It may very well have been cleaned recently, but it was so dark and dingy that I couldn't tell. No windows and just a single bare incandescent bulb for illumination. Reminded me of a gas station toilet. The sink barely drained, the toilet barely flushed, and the urinal looked like it was about to fall off the wall. I have used vault toilets that were much, much nicer than this. I found myself wishing for one of those. Gross.

    There is only one other bathroom located closer to the RV area, and this looked to be just as bad. To be clear, there are only two single occupancy men's rooms for the ENTIRE campground. Yes, there are a few porta potties scattered around as well, but this is ridiculous. This place needs to invest in better facilities.

  • Shari  G.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 9, 2018

    Lane Farm Campground

    Free, clean, and close to town!

    A cute little place, just 4 campsites and a vault toilet that is relatively clean and well-stocked. This roadside campground is near homes and a small town, so not much traffic during the day, but quite a bit during the morning and evening commuting time. Within the national forest, you will find some historic covered bridges and quite a few hiking and horse trails. The town of Marietta is just 5 miles away, and has all the things you need.

    Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern pole. It’s designed for tent camping, but Hamlet (our small camper) fit fine with some strategic parking. No drinking water is available and the creeks are quite muddy, so come prepared with water! No privacy between sites and not much shade, which worked fine in May but probably wouldn’t be much fun in the heat of the summer. It is completely FREE, though, and you can stay for up to 14 days. There are quite a few small campgrounds in the area just like this one. There is no phone service within 4-5 miles of the campground.

    Note: We have noticed that people stop by or drive through in the evening. Sometimes they stay for a couple of minutes and other times for just a couple of hours. Due to its location, this campground could be a meeting spot of sorts, but didn’t witness any shenanigans.

  • Anna S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 9, 2024

    Scioto Trail State Park Campground

    Tent only sites - quiet, wooded

    I stayed in the non-electric, tent-only campground NOT the RV campground. Out of curiosity, I drove through the RV campground and it was so loud and cramped! But the tent-only area is separate. 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. But there was only one other camper and we all had plenty of space - I could barely see them through the trees. All sites appeared to have a picnic table and fire ring. Many miles of trails / dirt roads for hiking and biking. Clear skies at night. Very relaxing.

  • Dave V.
    Oct. 31, 2019

    Hocking Hills State Park Campground

    Close proximity to natural attractions

    Hocking Hills State Park, Oh-Site 89. https://thehockinghills.org/

    Hocking Hills State Park offers close proximity to most of the popular natural attractions...Old Man’s Cave, Ash Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, etc....but for a tent camper that prefers solitude and space, I found it unappealing.

    I did arrive late on a Monday evening, mid-October and got one of the last available sites. Packed on a Monday night!

    I found the camping sites a bit cramped both in depth and width. Site 89 and 90 shared the same parking pad. Limited flat locations existed for a tent and my tent footprint is fairly small. You do have a firepit and picnic table with all three in fairly close proximity, so you must be extremely cautious with wind direction when deciding for a fire, else you’ll have embers dotting your tent and picnic table. Even though the neighbors were trying to be respectfully quiet...you heard every conversation and saw their every move.

    No electric, which is fine in my book...the water spigot is centrally located on the loop and happened to be next to my site.

    The restroom/shower facilities were not well cared for upon my visit. The floors were very muddy and trash was piled up in the corner of one stall and out of necessities.

    Construction and dump truck noise started early with a project behind the restrooms.

    The visitor’s center was well-stocked and the employee was pleasant. Cell service is unavailable and even sketchy at the visitor’s center. Wood can be purchased at the visitor’s center.

    Close proximity to local attractions and a swimming pool are likely the big draw.

    Knowing that I prefer solitude and distance when camping, I’ll likely not return but choose nearby Lake Hope State Park for my local visits.

  • A
    Oct. 18, 2020

    Burr Oak State Park Campground

    Nice trails, not so nice campsites

    Most of the sites at this state park campground are very small and don’t have much level ground. Even the sites meant for RVs and trailers are right on top of each other. It’s almost like they took what should have been one site and made it two. There’s a handful of sites that offer a little space and level ground for tent campers. You may or may not have a picnic table and fire ring with a grill at your campsite when you arrive. According to staff, people take the fire rings and I guess there’s nothing they can do. Bathrooms were clean. The lake view trail was nice and accessible from the campground.

  • Ruby W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 12, 2019

    Zaleski State Forest

    Ranger Review: Banner & Oak Firebiner at Zaleski South Loop

    Campground Review: With a close friend coming to visit from Spain, I wanted to show her a cool backpacking location in Southeastern Ohio. Zaleski State Forest seemed like a good choice for a new backpacker. There are multiple loops to trek, averaging about 10 miles per loop. Overall the trails are well maintained (minus a few dense areas). There was almost an excessive amount of blazes. Campsites are plentiful along the trails. We stayed at Campsite C. Each site has access to communal well-water and a restroom. Each site usually has a small fire ring and logs to sit on. Overall, the campsites were pretty decent and secluded, but nothing special view wise aside from the typical Ohio forest. I would say pretty overall, but nothing quite outstanding.

    Product Review: The Banner & Oak Firebiner is a neat little tool that has some really fun features! Most notable being the fire starter. The Firebiner uses a small spark wheel and replaceable ferro rod to create sparks. The sparks are pretty large for the little tool. I now use my Firebiner to start my MSR stove quickly and with zero plastic waste! I haven’t used it to try to start a straight up fire, but friends have successfully before. Most importantly, the spark wheel is just darn right fun to play with. The device has other little uses like a bottle opener, utility blade, and screwdriver. I absolutely love this device! Only complaint would be that I wish it came in different colors, but who really cares.

    Here is a link to check out the Firebiner yourself: https://bannerandoak.com/products/banner-and-oak-firebiner?variant=9696793034788&currency=USD&gclid=CjwKCAjwnMTqBRAzEiwAEF3ndu9CmerLos5Y1yvjGHJ2L4FG732wg9bMpyPAJRa3m8dxlxffZ6Nt-RoC6LQQAvD_BwE


Guide to Albany

Albany, Ohio, offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for adventure and tranquility in nature.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • Experience the scenic trails at Zaleski State Forest, where you can hike in and enjoy hammock camping amidst beautiful landscapes.
  • Explore the Baileys Trail Tent Camping, which provides a great base for biking and hiking adventures in the surrounding Wayne National Forest.
  • Enjoy a peaceful retreat at Benton's on the Baileys, where you can hike to your private campsite and unwind in a serene environment.

Unique local attractions for campers

  • Visit the historic sites near Camp Rotan, where you can enjoy short trails and the charm of the surrounding area.
  • Discover the natural beauty of the Athens Ranger District, just a short drive from Caveman's Retreat, perfect for those looking to explore the outdoors.
  • Check out the nearby Baileys Bike Trail, accessible from Benton's on the Baileys, ideal for biking enthusiasts.

Amenities that enhance your camping experience

  • Zaleski State Forest offers essential amenities like drinking water and toilets, making it a comfortable choice for tent campers.
  • Enjoy the well-maintained facilities at Baileys Trail Tent Camping, which includes picnic tables and fire rings for a cozy camping experience.
  • Experience the privacy and cleanliness of Benton's on the Baileys, featuring showers and well-kept restrooms to enhance your stay.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Albany, OH is Zaleski State Forest with a 4.4-star rating from 17 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Albany, OH?

TheDyrt.com has all 30 tent camping locations near Albany, OH, with real photos and reviews from campers.