Best Tent Camping near Otway, OH

Recent Tent Reviews in Otway

308 Reviews of 17 Otway Campgrounds

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  Megan M.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 6, 2024

  Shawnee State Park Campground

  Some secluded sites in woods- nice!

  This campground has some features that are nicer than what is found in many state campgrounds. There are some secluded sites back in the woods, so you don't feel like you are camping in a parking lot in a few places. NOTE that most of these secluded sites (along the back edge of the campground) are up a flight of stairs. You have to carry all your gear up a hill or stairs to set up. You will not be near your car, which can get annoying.

  The bathrooms were average, not great but not gross. We were there on their Halloween weekend, with a fun site-decorating contest and trick or treat in the afternoon, which was mildly annoying for us because they closed the roads from 2 to 6 so we could not drive back to our site, and when we finally could, someone was in our parking pot for the next hour. 

  The lakes are quite tiny. The one at the campground is more like a large pond- fine for paddling around on a paddleboard for practice, but don't think you'll get in any meaningful kayaking or sight-seeing on this pond. The other lake is slightly bigger, but still not big enough for kayaking more than a couple hours at most.

  The new campground is on the river on what used to be the golf course- I will write a separate review for that.

  The lodge has some amenities (pool, hot tub, cafe, bar), but we ate in the restaurant and it was terrible. I do not recommend. Get some apps at the bar if you have to but keep your expectations low. We had pork nachos and the pork tasted old, everything was cold and it gave me a terrible stomachache.

• 

  BluePitMom O.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 24, 2024

  Sandy Springs Campground

  Serene!

  We stayed from Sunday until Tuesday and didn't want to leave! The campground offers something for everyone: playground equipment, basketball hoop and various balls, access to the river for fishing, and absolutely stunning views of the Ohio as well as the surrounding hills.

  The campers were friendly. Nobody was loud and obnoxious. The owners Julie and Darcy are super nice and helpful.

  We liked the campground so much we're returning in a few weeks!

• 

  Anna S.

  Ranger

  

  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.

• 

  Kaylien S.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 1, 2024

  Jackson Lake State Park Campground

  Do not recommend

  Tent sites are on a steep uneven hill, we had site 4. Tent sites are super close, we can hear our neighbors perfectly as if they were talking to us. Only a few feet between each site. Map showed we would be right next to the lake, this is incorrect, lake is not accessible or even visible from campsite.

• 

  Tara C.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 24, 2024

  Scioto Trail State Park Campground

  Good

  It was a good campground, we had a hard time getting our rv to be level but overall we enjoyed it.

• 

  James R.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 12, 2024

  Ashland Huntington West KOA

  Two night stay

  Start off by saying the staff were super great!!!! Stayed in space #1 and all the upper spots are open, wish they had more trees around the spaces. Overall it was still a great experience staying at this location.

• E

  Emily W.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 25, 2024

  Sandy Springs Campground

  Fun for all

  The campsite is totally geared towards family fun! The owners are so hospitable, that you feel like family! One of the most fun places we’ve ever stayed! My kids were busy nonstop with planned fun activities! And they had things for the adults as well and a lot of things for everyone to do together!

• 

  Corey K.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 17, 2024

  Carter Caves State Resort Park

  State Park with Abundance of Nature

  A very nice state park with an abundance of natural resources surrounding the campground. There are many hiking options, some that explore the various caves around the grounds. The caves themselves are quite the treat.

  The staff are all very friendly and there are camping sites for tents or rigs. However, like many state parks that have not been updated, navigating into some of the spots with a large rig can be challenging. On the one hand, this is nice as there are mature trees throughout. On the other hand, they could increase the size / length of the existing campsites. There is a nice playground and a camp store for any items you have forgotten.

  The lodge is available down the road (within the state park) for dinner if you are looking to mix up the trip. Not fine dining, but decent food. There is also a pool available at a discounted rate for campers - which our kids enjoyed. Note: there are no full hookup sites, which is not uncommon for KY State Parks.

• 

  Kenda A.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 5, 2024

  Timbre Ridge Lake

  Beautiful area

  We spent one night of dispersal camping here. It was a beautiful area with a vault toilet. We felt safe enough to leave our windows only screened.

  There were fishermen coming and going several times through the night.

  The vault toilet had not been cleaned recently, nor had trash been emptied.

• 

  David B.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 30, 2024

  Grayson Lake State Park Campground

  Very beautiful

  This place is very beautiful first and foremost. You can fish, rent boats and kayaks. Also the hiking isn’t to bad! They even have tennis courts and a small water park.

• 

  David B.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 30, 2024

  Virginia Point Campground

  Decent place!

  It’s a pretty nice place overall. Decent fishing and camping.

• 

  Kim H.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 24, 2024

  Paint Creek State Park Campground

  Family Oriented

  We used site 64 Sunday through Tuesday. The park was peaceful and pleasing as the employees and volunteers obviously take pride in their efforts. A 12-year-old was with me; she enjoyed shooting basketball and swinging at the playground. Fellow campers were quiet. I'll be back!

• J

  Jay S.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 12, 2024

  Hanging Rock Recreation Site

  Better Than Walmart

  We stayed in the parking lot as it was getting dark and didn’t know if there were any place to turn our rv around. Very quiet night and were visited by fireflies which was awesome.

• 

  Joshua R.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 9, 2024

  Carter Caves State Resort Park

  Nice park

  Level site. Staff cleans the bathhouse every hour.

• J

  Jon C.

  Traveler

  

  May. 26, 2024

  Virginia Point Campground

  Good place for families.

  Every RV site has a level concrete pad, making setup easy. Otherwise the rest of the RV area is gravel, without any trees or obstructions. Dust to dawn lights keep the area well lit all night. Area appears to be well patrolled by local law enforcement.

  The area has a lot of potential to become a destination, hopefully the city will continue to increase the appeal. Maybe include some hike/bike trails. Dreamland public pool is on the road that leads to the park, and also a small railroad museum (unsure if it is operational at present).

  Do plan on returning and will update this review accordingly.

• J

  Jon C.

  Traveler

  

  May. 15, 2024

  Greenbo Lake State Resort Park

  Nice family oriented

  Spent 4 nights, nice quiet camp grounds. Was in spot number 61, closest spot to the bathhouse. Not sure it would be the best spot in midsummer as it was also closest to the dumpster. That said it was recently graded and leveled. The primary issue I had was having a smaller camper with a lower sewer connection and the sewer connection was higher than the bottom of my unit.

• J

  Joni C.

  Scout

  

  May. 4, 2024

  Sandy Springs Campground

  Epic Views

  We stayed in sites along the river. Wow, what a peaceful beautiful place. We will be back again and again

• L

  Larry D.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 22, 2024

  Lazy Dog Camp Resort

  Better days maybe

  The staff and people were nice and helpful. However, based on the picture I thought it was like KOA or Jellystone and it might have been in its past but not now.  It felt more like a workcamp then a campground.  Many long stay residents and their sites looked like it.  Heavily patched campers that will most likely never move again and one site looked like a junkard.  The resident did seem to love fishing in the pond, which I guess has very large catfish so if you like that you might like it.

• M

  Mark R.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 1, 2024

  Sandy Springs Campground

  Quiet little campground

  The view!!!!!! Backing your camper up to the view of the Ohio River is so calming. Watching the barges going up and down is never boring. The owners go out of their way to make sure that you are ok or if you need anything.

• s

  samantha H.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 25, 2024

  Tar Hollow State Park Campground

  Really nice spot

  We just purchased our camper and this was the first place we went. We are familiar with this park due to the little “beach“ area they have. We stayed in the off-season, so there was not a whole lot of people. Our stay was quiet and relaxing. loved our site too.

• D

  Dan

  Guide

  

  Mar. 19, 2024

  Bruin Creek

  Tranquil Off Season

  This place is great. Came in off season in March, not expecting much. Many camps closed for season. It was beautiful, quiet, with running water and bbq pit at sites and hot showers in the bathroom. Perfect for a short stop over on x-country trip or offseason enclosed camping.

• J

  Jeff H.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 4, 2023

  Carter Caves State Resort Park

  Fun fall getaway

  We went with three small kids. Great facilities, hiking, caving etc. We plan to return because two nights was not nearly enough to do all the things we wanted to. The tent sites are close together so we may not have enjoyed it as much if it were busier but we were lucky enough to get a site with no immediate neighbors. Pictures online made it appear that tree cover was not as good as it actually was.

• 

  Mary T.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 15, 2023

  Sandy Springs Campground

  Super campground on the Ohio

  We arrived late and the hosts were so kind and communicative. We were met at the office and given a site right on the river. We had a peaceful night and awoke to fog on the river which was beautiful and quickly lifted. A sweet kitty visited with us during our walk down to the water and breakfast. Electric and water hookups were fine and the showers were great - individual rooms with toilet, sink and shower were roomy and had surfaces for resting your toiletries. We were just passing through so only stayed one night but I’d definitely go back. Highly recommend.

• 

  CampgroundKaren ..

  Guide

  

  Aug. 28, 2023

  Grayson Lake State Park Campground

  Below average

  This is a small campground situated next to a golf course. There are several nice sites but others are not ideal. Our site (13) was ok, other than the scattered broken glass and trash. The main issue was lack of oversight from staff. The site next to us was completely packed with their fifth wheel, a large tent, pop up canopy, four vehicles, a kayak trailer, and a boat that was in the corner of our site. They did not leash their dogs and did not pick up after them. We didn’t complain about them encroaching on our site but felt that the campground should enforce their own rules. Another site nearby setup a construction light at night that lit up the entire campground like a stadium and stayed on late into the night. Basically, campers are left to do as they please regardless of whether it is inconsiderate of other campers. The positive is the location is only a few minutes from the boat ramp for the most popular kayaking spot.

• L

  Liz

  Guide

  

  Aug. 25, 2023

  Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area

  Quiet, relaxing

  Stayed here for 2 nights. Scarlet Oak campground. Drove and checked out the other two campgrounds which were also nice. Some sites are really small and some are right along the road. Not crowded at all during our visit. Some sites are sloped from slight to more severe. We did have to take our camper off our truck (truck camper) in order to get level. Our site had a large “yard” and trees. All great for our two big dogs. Site had w/e.

• a

  angela S.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 20, 2023

  Lake Alma State Park Campground

  Way to close

  Campsites 40-43 are for close friends of family. Spur of the moment plans landed us here for the weekend. We booked 42 site unseen.. when we put out our awning we touched camper in front of us.. camp host let us switch campsites. Plenty of fishing and biking trails. Campsites we're just too close for us.

• 

  Joseph B.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 28, 2023

  Greenbo Lake State Resort Park

  Decent campground with plenty of activities

  Decent site by the stream. Plenty of shade and a huge hill behind our site. Bathrooms were clean.

  A lot of unsupervised children running around, in the stream and riding bikes. Didn't have any problems with them, but was concerned they weren't supervised.

  There was some trash at our site, a lot of broken water balloons, some bottle caps and wrappers.

  One night someone stole fishing poles from our neighbor and a bunch of coolers from other sites. 

  Some sites are really not level!