Clarence J. Brown Dam and Reservoir in Ohio sits at approximately 1,012 feet elevation in the Buck Creek watershed. The reservoir spans roughly 2,120 acres with multiple campgrounds located within a 30-mile radius offering both primitive and full-service options. During summer months, temperatures typically range from 70-85°F with higher humidity levels making evening camping more comfortable than daytime activities.
What to Do
Fishing opportunities: Sky Lake Resort and Fishing provides direct lake access with multiple fishing spots. "We loved our time at Sky Lake! It's a beautiful property, well maintained, and easy to make a reservation," notes one camper, while another mentioned the resort has "a new bait house that has snacks, drinks, bait and tackle."
Hiking trails: Thousand Trails Wilmington offers proximity to natural areas. "We like the location to the State park nearby for hiking trails and mountain biking trails (Ceasar Creek)," writes one regular visitor. The campground serves as a convenient base for exploring local outdoor recreation.
Swimming options: Dayton KOA Holiday features a swimming pool that stays open throughout the camping season. "The environment and people all super! The facilities and amenities are very nice as well," states one visitor. Another camper noted the KOA has "a large pool and a creek" for water-based recreation.
What Campers Like
Clean facilities: Poor Farmer's Campground maintains well-kept bathroom facilities. One visitor noted, "Clean family oriented and spacious. Well run facility w good restrooms and showers plus electric hook up per site." Another camper appreciated that "Showers and bathrooms are nice."
Kid-friendly amenities: Thousand Trails Wilmington offers multiple recreational options for families. "They have the following amenities: a small Putt putt course, Game room, lending Library, Basketball half-court, horseshoes, Volleyball, GAGA ball area. They are a nice smaller playground near the pool," explains a frequent visitor.
Quiet atmosphere: Sky Lake Resort provides a peaceful setting away from highway noise. A camper observed, "It's a beautiful property, well maintained, and easy to make a reservation." Another visitor appreciated the "Tiny Home they had available to rent" that "had a grill and table with a fire pit that overlooked one of the lakes."
What You Should Know
Seasonal operations: While some rv parks near Clarence J. Brown Dam and Reservoir operate year-round, others have limited seasons. Thousand Trails Wilmington specifically operates from "April 17 to October 30," according to their listing information.
Site variations: RV site quality and size vary significantly between campgrounds. At Poor Farmer's Campground, a visitor noted, "Most of the sites are electric hookup only, some are electric and water, but we got a full hookup site, which was what we were hoping for."
Reservation systems: Different Clarence J. Brown Dam camping options have varying booking procedures. Sky Lake Resort streamlines the process as "the entire reservation and check-in process was online, you didn't have to check in at the office, just put your info into the website and you were all set."
Internet connectivity: Cell service quality fluctuates throughout the region. At Thousand Trails Wilmington, one full-time RVer reported, "I use Starlink and T-mobile 5G. The T-Mobile seems to be working best here. The cell booster I have made it go from 'good' to 'excellent'."
Tips for Camping with Families
Playground access: Dayton KOA Holiday offers multiple activities for children. "Great KOA! had lots of activities, great pizza, really nice showers and it's beautiful," notes one visitor, while another points out it's "Very kid friendly and dog friendly!"
Water play areas: Poor Farmer's Campground features natural water features for children. "A stream that runs through the campground is nice for the kids to play in when it's too hot for them on the play ground," notes one visitor. The campground also "usually [has] a lot of activities for the weekends planned."
Game facilities: Several campgrounds near Clarence J. Brown Dam provide recreational options. Thousand Trails Wilmington includes "a small Putt putt course" and "GAGA ball area" according to visitor reports, while other campgrounds feature similar family recreation options.
Tips from RVers
Site leveling: Welcome Woods RV Campground offers variable parking surfaces. "The site we were at had a very large spacious area. 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," observed one RVer.
Pull-through accessibility: Tomorrow's Stars RV Resort accommodates larger rigs. "Everything is clean, well cared for, and really pretty. Cost was EXCELLENT for a pull through, full hookups, and 50 amp service," noted one RVer with a "45' Prevost w/toad."
Overnight convenience: Alton RV Park serves as a practical stopover location. A visitor observed it's "a small, maybe 35 sites, clean well maintained campground" that makes a "Great overnight stop" when traveling through the area.
