Paint Creek Lake offers RV camping opportunities within the wooded hills of southwest Ohio. Located between Chillicothe and Hillsboro, most campgrounds operate from spring through fall, with a few providing limited winter accessibility. Terrain around the lake features moderate elevation changes with gravel and paved camping pads that require leveling at most locations.
What to do
Hiking trails: Pike Lake State Park Campground provides hiking access with varying difficulty levels. "We hiked the Greenbriar and CCC Trails. They are not too challenging but beautiful. Parts of the CCC trail were overgrown with briars and narrow," notes a visitor. The park also features "informational boxes and tags that they had on the trees or plants" at nearby Cowan Lake.
Water recreation: Long's Retreat Family Resort offers multiple water activities including a beach area with water slides. "The kids can either swim up at the lake (with multiple water slides and a huge floating dock with diving board), the little kids can have fun in the splash pad right at the beach," mentions one camper.
Night paddling: Campers at Cowan Lake State Park Campground can experience unique evening activities. "A friend and I were able to kayak on the lake the night of a Friday the 13th moon. It was beautiful," shares one reviewer who enjoyed both nighttime and daytime paddling on the lake.
What campers like
Digital detox: At Long's Retreat, the lack of connectivity draws many repeat visitors. "Love no cell reception! Quiet clean and staff (owner) is always pleasant and helpful," notes a camper. Another mentions this disconnection as a positive feature: "Best part is there is no phone service... everyone has to actually spend time together and it's a great reset!"
Spacious camping loops: Thousand Trails Wilmington offers roomier camping areas in certain sections. "The campground consists of 3 loops - A mostly full hookup, B loop Water and Electric and C loop is a mix. If you like wooded areas check out C loop," explains a regular visitor. Another camper confirms, "This is a very quiet campground with spacious sites on Loop C."
Proximity to other attractions: The region provides convenient access to additional recreation areas. "We like the location to the State park nearby for hiking trails and mountain biking trails (Ceasar Creek)," mentions a Thousand Trails camper. Others note the location is "close enough to Kings Island that we made a trip over."
What you should know
Varying connectivity options: Cell service quality differs substantially between campgrounds. While Pike Lake has limited coverage, Scioto Trail State Park Campground offers a complete break from technology. At Cowan Lake, one camper reports "Internet here on t-mobile 5G home is 90Mbps down and 6 to 20Mbps up. Verizon on cellphone, only 10Mbs down, 1-3Mbps up."
Campsite layouts: Some campgrounds have confusing site arrangements. At Scioto Trail, "The campground is a little confusing. Sites #64-68 are not at all what we were expecting based on the map on the website. They are all on one strip of land, and you basically walk through other sites to get to your own."
Facility variations: Bathroom and shower facilities differ widely between locations. Scioto Trail features only pit toilets with no showers, while other parks have modern facilities. Some visitors have noted cleanliness issues: "The vault toilers there are bio hazards every single one of them probably had 100+ flies all round inside and coming out of the toilet."
Tips for camping with families
Activity options: Family-friendly amenities vary by location. Long's Retreat offers extensive recreation options as one parent notes: "Go-cart racing, mini golf, and a full arcade give plenty of variety. Of course, relaxing by the campfire, grilling hot dogs and making s'mores is really what makes the time with the kids special."
Family campground layout: Walnut Creek Campground and Resort provides multiple recreation options in one location. "Has fishing, kayaking, golf cart trails, volleyball set up, basketball court, swimming pool and super nice cabins," reports one visitor with a positive family experience.
Kid-friendly programming: Some parks offer educational activities for younger campers. "The rangers and naturalists have many activities going on and are very knowledgeable," mentions a visitor to Hocking Hills. Look for parks with lending libraries and walking stick programs that engage children.
Tips from RVers
Site selection: RVers should research specific sites before booking. At Hocking Hills State Park Campground, "We stayed at the worst campsite there, it was downslope, and they had recently cut down many trees and the site was a muddy mess. Every single other campsite (and we drove the whole thing) they were perfect."
Weather considerations: The region's clay soil creates drainage challenges during rain. "It rained the first day we were there and people were literally bailing there sites out with buckets. The places that weren't flooded were very muddy," reports one RVer at Scioto Trail.
Setup assistance: Some private campgrounds provide arrival guidance. At Alton RV Park, "They will guide you to your spot and likely oversee your parking and check set up." While some find this helpful, others note strict enforcement can feel restrictive.
