Best Glamping near Norwalk, OH

Recent Glamping Reviews near Norwalk, Ohio

279 Reviews of 26 Norwalk Campgrounds

• 

  Crystal J.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 9, 2018

  Crystal Rock Campground - Sandusky, OH

  Fun family camping

  We went to crystal rock campground for the first time over memorial day weekend. We knew it would be busy but we didn't know it would be bike week, so not only was the campground fully booked but it was fully booked with loud Harley's!

  That didn't spoil our time, we just bought earplugs 😂

  The amenities were so nice as we are used to really roughing it while camping. We joked that we were glamping as we took showers everyday, ordered pizza one night and even did a load of laundry!!

  The owners and employees were so amazingly sweet and helpful. Tom went out of his way to make extra fun activities for the little kiddos. Our daughter really loved the sandbox, and the playground was great! We even did a little gem mining! The display for the bag contents were really need too. Our daughter wanted to stay forever!

• 

  Erin H.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 12, 2016

  Kelleys Island State Park Campground

  Kelley's island state park

  The ferry ride it takes to access this state park island is well worth the time and fees! Fun beach side restaurants, dirt roads and pretty beaches. The state park has camping that can accommodate launching your boat if needed. They have showers, although they aren't always very clean. The campground has a beach and playground. You can also purchase wood. Yurts are available for rent. accommodates RV, tent and group camping, although tent spots can be cramped. But nothing beats a lake view spot! I recommend bringing or renting bikes to tour the island!

• 

  Wailym C.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 7, 2024

  Kelleys Island State Park Campground

  Simply amazing camping

  This state island campground is more than expected!  worth the ferry travel, a paradise kept secret.  We stumbled upon this island by accident along our travels after Labor Day and we totally fell in love.  The water front camping, swimming, boating, kayaking, historic sites, attractions and facilities are superb.  Everything you need and more than you expect.  We traveled in with our 34’ trailer.  The ferry cost was a bit high, around $200 round trip for us, truck and camper….but it was worth it!!  The campground is immaculate, quiet during the week especially after Labor Day, the weekend brings a larger crowd.  Walking trails, sites, boating and swimming all available from campground.  Sandy shallow beach with beautiful view.  Ice, firewood and a store conveniently located at campground.  The campground is small and sites a bit tight but spaced accordingly and comfortable.  Two waterfront cabins and two yurts available for rent as well.  We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and the island overall. The glacial grooves, limestone crusher, north loop trail, beach and boat launch all withing walking distance.  We rented bikes downtown to explore rest of island, including winery, cantina and local bars.  Counting the days to go back.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 29, 2024

  East Harbor State Park Campground

  Another great Ohio State Park

  General: This campground is huge with a mix of FHU (some back-in and some pull-through), electric hookup, no hookup, group sites, cabins, and one yurt. On a Monday night in June, many of the sites were occupied. 

  Site Quality: All camper pads were paved and appeared level. Some sites were a little close together but there was reasonable separation and there was plenty of foliage. Site H3 was a good one as it had no site next to it on one side. 

  Bath/Shower house: In our loop, the bathhouse was clean. It took a while for the water to get hot but once it did, it was very hot. The water pressure was very good. The only problem with the shower was that water leaked out onto the floor outside and there always appeared to be a lot of water, which could pose a slipping hazard. 

  Activities/Amenities: A camper store and nature center, game room, laundry, dump station and potable water, disc golf, hiking trails, multi-use trails, marina (for large boats, not kayaks or SUPS), basketball, volleyball, archery, fish cleaning station. I think I mentioned everything! 

  We enjoyed our two-night stay here, and if/when we return, we would consider taking a ferry to some of the smaller islands nearby.

• 

  Sam B.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 3, 2020

  Kelleys Island State Park Campground

  Beautiful

  Nice site on an island in Northern Ohio.

• S

  Stephen S.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 5, 2020

  South Bass Island State Park Campground

  Great views but inland sites are party city during summer weekends

  Both tent camping and RV/Trailer camping. A few Yurts to rent also which are somewhat isolated from the other camping areas. Reservations can be made exactly 6 months in advance and only a few sites are kept open for walk ins anymore. The sites along the cliff overlooking the lake have fabulous views but are ONLY for tents and one should NOT camp there with small kids.

  The RV camp sites and many of the other camp sites are inland from the cliff and while wooded are generally very close together and most do NOT have a lake view. The ONLY quiet areas in the campgrounds on the weekends are the cliff tent areas since it is a party island and the young people camping in the interior areas seem to never go to bed.  

  The Park has a rocky beach (shoes NECESSARY) which is actually a nice swimming area if you aren't looking for sand under your feet or blanket.  That beach is the only free public place to swim on the island (some hotels do have pools). That beach area is a great area though to launch a kayak or sailboard to use in the cove. There is also a regular boat ramp for larger boats or jet skis.  NO overnight boat tie ups at this state park dock (some at the downtown state park, but those are hard to snag)

  The town is about 1.5 miles down the road and easy to get to via bicycle or island taxi - vehicle parking very limited if you try to drive into town. and the town has numerous bars and restaurants with lots of live entertainment on the weekends. 

  The town is definitely a"party" location on the weekends during the summer months. and there is a very pretty and active harbor there, usually with 100 to 200 boats including some in the 40 to 50 foot range in the harbor on the weekends. 

  The slow ferry to the island (Miller) is the car ferry and it has free parking if you can leave your vehicle behind on the mainland and transport your stuff to the campgrounds via a bike trailer or some other way (about a mile+ from the ferry dock to the state park). If you do take your vehicle over note that the wait time to bring it back on a Sunday while usually 2 to 3 hours can also be up to 6 hours from when you get in line (beware the Miller ferry stops running about 8pm, ie: near sunset). Usually little or no wait time when bringing a vehicle or RV back mid week.

  Pick when you want to go depending upon how much you enjoy noise and partying.  Mid week during the summer season is the best time for those who aren't into 24 hour partying and weren't able to snag a cliff side camp site.  Kelly's Island is quieter and has a nice natural sand beach, so better for weekend trips if going with a family, or if you definitely need a sand beach.  If bands, noise, drinking, and people watching are your desire, well this is the place to go on a summer weekend (ala Key West party atmosphere)

• 

  Kimberly A.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 5, 2018

  East Harbor State Park Campground

  always a favorite

  this is probably my favorite park in Ohio . it’s always clean people are so friendly and the lake is just beautiful !

• 

  Mary B.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 3, 2020

  East Harbor State Park Campground

  Love this place

  A great campground in Ohio. So clean and so many things to do. Campsites are close together but they do honor quiet hours. Great trail around the lake and a fun and challenging disc golf course.

• E

  Ed C.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 1, 2020

  East Harbor State Park Campground

  Lake Erie gem

  One of the premier state parks in the state of Ohio, on the shores of Lake Erie. Plenty of things for the kids, and fishing, boating, and hiking here. It can get busy in the summer but well worth the trip, make reservation for the weekends in the summer and enjoy what the area has to offer.

• S

  Sue B.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 17, 2019

  Heritage Springs Campground

  Friendly

  This was a good overnight stop on a cold windy night through Ohio. Front desk people were extremely friendly and helpful. Bathrooms were very clean and hot shower. We would stop again as a pass-through Campground. Level sites.

• C

  Craig T.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 19, 2021

  Mohican State Park Campground

  Love this Park!

  This is one of my favorite places. Clean, well maintained, many big lots, excellent facilities and lots to do in the kayak capital of Ohio. We’ve stayed twice in our rookie year and both experiences were tops. We did more hiking this time and enjoyed the variety. Be sure to check out the new swinging bridge.

• 

  Ricki F.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 19, 2018

  Mohican State Park Campground

  One of my all-time favorites

  Where the glaciers stopped and the hills of Ohio begin. I have always loved visiting and camping here. Rich in history, culture, and nature, it is very easy to spend days here and do it all. Camping, Fishing, hiking, canoeing, activities, programs, the list goes on. Some parts of the park do get crowded at certain times of the year but if you know where to go you feel like you are the only one there.

• 

  Trevor B.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 5, 2019

  Mohican State Park Campground

  Fun for the family

  Very lite camping with mostly Rvs and campers. I found the space to be a little cramped but other than that it is located in a very beautiful area that I wouldn’t think was Ohio. Plenty of fun hikes to go on and places to shop. I rented a canoe with my family which was very affordable and turned out to be very entertaining. Overall it is in a relaxing area with a very easy camping style that people who have not camped before will enjoy.

• 

  Tom M.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 24, 2019

  Butler-Mohican KOA

  quiet, rustic camping

  Campground is in a beautiful area of mid-Ohio near Mohican State Park. A bit of a drive to get anywhere that has a decent size store (Loudenville). The staff are very nice, they escort you to your campsite and offer to guide you if needed. The pool closed Labor Day weekend so that was disappointing. Lots of things to do in the area, but again a bit of a drive to get there. We would absolutely return here. We also experienced the Mohican Pow Wow

• 

  Dan K.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 11, 2021

  South Bass Island State Park Campground

  Beautiful sunsets, easy access for Paddlers

  Great location with many shoreline sites facing west with some of the best sunsets to be seen. Easy access for canoeists and kayakers, gentle shoreline, office is just a short walk away. Ferry accommodate paddlers if you are not up for the trip from the mainland. The island appears to be primarily rock, I couldn’t find a spot to get a tent stake in more than 1-2 centimeters. Bathrooms and showers are average. 

  Put-in-Bay may be Ohio’s Key West but this state park is a mile+ from party central but it was quiet, particularly after-dark.  Seasonal law-enforcement stay here too. If you walk into town you need to keep an eye out for golf carts needing to slow-down. 

  I hope to return.

  https://ohiodnr.gov/wps/portal/gov/odnr/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/south-bass-island-state-park

• 

  Megan M.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 6, 2018

  Mohican State Park Campground

  Beautiful river, trails, running water in the toilets, yay!

  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.

• 

  Shelly S.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 9, 2019

  Malabar Farm State Park Campground

  Rustic

  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)

• K

  Kenpocentaur K.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 26, 2020

  Park and Pack Campsite 3 — Mohican-Memorial State Forest

  Tucked away and hard to see but awesome

  Campsite number 3 is also on a short creek crossing. Nothing to worry about with your pack on this August sunny day. It had plenty of space for tents and hammocks. It was close enough to hang out by the creek if you wanted. 

  No cell phone service for Verizon. On this post for the Park and Pack I focused on the forest postings.  Do register before you do the long walk out here (depends on which way you do the loop). 

  You don't want to do illegal camping at the Park and Pack sites as they do keep an eye out for it. They also want folks to call it in to discourage bad behaviors.  I spoke to such a guy in the Park and Pack parking lot as illegal campers had taken up a spot for another park and pack camper that did register. 

  It is nice no official check in and check out time like you have at the state park campsites. However, the early bird does get the worm or in this case the camp site. It is harder for folks that live further away to get their hands on a site. As there are only 10.  

  The ranger office is closed at this time. Make sure you go to the Mohican Memorial Forest office and not the Mohican State Park office. They are located close to the covered bridge in the park.  I use the GPS address Co Rd 939, Perrysville Ohio to locate the ranger office.  That being said going here you can register and see where everyone is going by looking at the clip board. 

  As always keep the local numbers handy and take photos of the map. They do have a few at the trail head kiosk but no maps were at the registration kiosk.

• 

  Austin R.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 16, 2018

  Crystal Rock Campground - Sandusky, OH

  Ranger Review: Howler Brothers Aransas Shirt in Voltage Print from Roanline at Crystal Rock Camground, OH

  I’m sitting here waiting for a flight after about 9 weeks of living in hotels. Fugured it would be a good time to write this review I’ve been holding off on. Anyway, let’s get started.

  Campground Review

  My buddy Stone and I didn’t really have plans for Memorial Day Weekend like everyone else, so naturally we had to make some. We decided to stay a little closer and avoid flying because that gets expensive over holiday weekends… instead we opted to go camping at Crystal Rock Campground for its proximity to Cedar Point Amusement Park! Seriously only took us like 30 min to get from camp to park.

  The campground was $30/night for a tent site with no electric hookups. I understand it was Memorial Day Weekend and just happened to be Ohio Bike Week (I think) but we were packed in like sardines! Their were tent sites right next to RV sites which From what I’ve seen isn’t usually the norm. There are about 120 or so sites in the lower section of the camp all sharing one bathroom. The men’s restroom had 5 or so showers, one urinal, and one toilet. A sign on the door indicates it’s closed from 12-1 (if I remember correctly) for cleaning. I don’t know about you, but I think that one urinal and one toilet is not enough to adequately service 120 campsites. Especially at capacity, which they were when I was there. Our site literally butted right next to three other sites and it just felt very cramped. We were also the furthest from the bathroom you could be, which was quite a hike to do dishes. For these reasons, I give it a 3 out of 5.

  I do imagine it would get more stars had I chosen a less busy weekend. It did have a “game room” closer to the checkin as well as a playground. I didn’t use those, but they did look nice.

  Product Review

  As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. On this trip to the Crystal Rock, I tested out the Howler Brothers Aransas Shirt in Voltage Print that I got through Roanline. I give this shirt a 5/5. I’m actually wearing it right now. Here are some of my thoughts on this rad shirt:

  1. It’s a rad shirt.
  2. It’s comfortable and fits very well.
  3. It looks phenomenal untucked, and I reckon it would look good tucked too.
  4. It’s got a nifty glasses holding pocket with a microfiber lining to avoid scratches and on the fly cleaning.
  5. Did I mention it’s rad?

  So I got this shirt through Roanline and their packaging was super cool. I forgot to snag a pic of that but trust me. They even had a handwritten note in there that made it feel nice and personal.

• K

  Kenpocentaur K.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 30, 2019

  Mohican State Park Campground

  Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire (Mohican State Park)

  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

• 

  Tracey S.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 6, 2022

  Milan Travel Park

  Nice, easy stop

  This campground is right off of interstate 80, and couldn’t be easier to get to! As close as it is, there isn’t much road noise (depending on the location of your site). Sites are a decent size in length, but pretty close together. Most look reliably level. Gravel and grass. Tent and rv sites. Not many trees for shade in rv area, but enough to provide some shade. Very clean comfort station (showers too). Nice play area near the pool and even a small basketball play area 1/4 court. Just 15-20 minutes from Cedar Point which is an easy ride. Overall, I would stop here as an overnight again, but wouldn’t pick it as a vacation spot.

• 

  A H.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 29, 2021

  Milan Travel Park

  Off the highway

  Clean small campground lots of room to walk. No dog run but plenty of area to walk your dog.

• 

  April J.

  Scout

  

  May. 14, 2024

  Milan Travel Park

  Wonderfully updated!

  This campground has been wonderfully updated! The owners have added in an additional playground, dog park, newly paved roadways, newly redone building, a new pavilion, fire pit, and boat parking! We love camping here every chance we get! It is convenient to the turnpike and Cedar Point is just a few miles away!

• S

  Sue B.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 8, 2019

  Milan Travel Park

  Good

  Many level pull through sites. We were just passing through so the ability to not have to unhook was important to us. Showers and bathrooms are very clean and up-to-date. At $40, it was about $5 more than we are used to paying as we travel full time. Particularly since amenities like the pool are unusable due to weather. Very friendly and efficient check in.

• 

  Niki R.

  Scout

  

  May. 9, 2021

  Indian Trail Campground

  Love this place!!!

  Great campground! Love the pond, pool, and volleyball court.

• 

  Annette A.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 17, 2019

  Indian Trail Campground

  Nice!

  Super nice campground. Very quiet and enjoyable. Will definitely camp here again

• 

  Dawn S.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 1, 2019

  Indian Trail Campground

  Nice Campground

  Nice campground clean restrooms. Didn’t use the showers since we had full hook up. Swimming Pool and trails to ride the golf cart. Activities on the weekends.