Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Zaleski, OH

This walk in camp ground was located just minutes from Old Man’s Cave. It’s a family friendly and pet friendly camp ground. Our stay was quiet and relaxing.

Hocking Hills is a wonderful destination to go for camping and a weekend of hiking. There are trails all over the park. Can be a bit busy during the warmer months. The park is pet friendly and has a nice nature center before you hike down to Old Man’s Cave.

First come first served camping with water and pit toilets, large sites, area mostly wooded. Archery range and lots of fishing spots. Great for families with pets too! Had a great time and looking forward to our next visit this weekend! I’d give it more stars if it had a shower house or swim area! Bring your solar shower!

This is part of the Wayne National Forest and a section of the Buckeye Trail. It is a great area for backpacking as camping is free and allowed anywhere along the trail, see the web site for limitations. "Small, open fires are permitted except during extremely high fire danger. Fire rings should be used when available. Make sure all campfires are extinguished before vacating the campsite."~Wayne National web site. Water can be difficult, there are streams but you should pack in any that you need. I took my daughters on a backpacking trip here in August 2016. It is a great area, but there were lots of dead trees/widowmakers, so be careful where you pitch your tent. Pets are allowed but must be on a 6 foot leash. Many other hiking, camping and other outdoor activities are close by.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/wayne/recarea/?recid=6228

Lake Hope State Park is a cute area nestled in the foothills of Ohio. With Zaleski right next door, there are a ton of cool things to do around the area. There’s a swimming, boating, camping, hiking, backpacking, and a ton of cool historical sites to see. I would recommend getting an Ohio Lizard Map to find some cool secret sites that most don’t get to find in the area.

If you are confused by this campsite that makes sense. This was an AEP ReCreation campsite. It has recently been purchased by the State of Ohio. The ReCreation AEP campsites has an outstanding FB (Facebook) page. I would recommend you keep close tabs on that site to figure out what you need to know about this site or others. The new sign does make it easy to find. It is also one of the closest campsites to the Miner's Memorial Park with the Big Muskie bucket. If you don't know what that is do go and check the site out. 

I would also say print maps and also take photos of maps. This one wasn't too bad to find as it is on the current paper map that AEP printed dated January 13, 2020. If you have kids that like horses I would go over to see if anyone is at the Equine area that is close by as well.  So a fun filled day of looking at a giant mining bucket and horses. 

Cell phone coverage is extremely limited out here. Verizon got service in most of the areas.  It wasn't 100%.  If you do need coverage the Mining Memorial is the main spot to go. Other carriers never seemed to have a signal. 

These campsites allow 2 cars per site. Pets are allowed if leashed. As Ohio is taking over the campsites think Ohio State Park rules. You can still camp here for free at the moment.  

https://www.aep.com/recreation/areas/recreationland

https://www.cleveland.com/open/2018/07/first\_phase\_of\_ohios\_new\_jesse.html

https://birding-in-ohio.com/morgan-county/jesse-owens-state-park-and-wildlife-area-maple-grove-campground/

This out of the way, hard to find and get to park was once great. It is still a good place to camp, but there is little in the way of maintenance or upkeep going on other than what the volunteer groups are doing. The trails are generally good, some are great, hiking and mountain biking groups are keeping them in good shape. The geese are out of control, the beach is often filthy with goose crap. Fishing is hit and miss. I doubt you will see a Ranger or State Park employee, that can be a good thing or a bad thing, you decide. LOTS of Geocaching opportunities. Athens has a great deal of places to eat, nightlife, shows and any supplies you may need. The trails link into the city trails so it is possible to hike from town to the camp, but it is complex and quite a haul. Pets are allowed, but not on the swimming beach. The Group campsite it larger and has it's own pit latrine, parking and picnic tables. We have used it for Scout groups. A swingset is across the road in the main campground. There is one electrical outlet, near the entrance of the campground at the bulletin board. There is also a large wooden screen near the entrance where you can use your own projector to watch movies at night. Be advised, the cabins are tiny wood shacks.

We have hiked in and hammock camped at Zaleski a handful of times. Twice it rained so much some of the trails were uncrossable but even then we still enjoyed ourselves. The is one spot about 3 miles in that is pretty far off trail, flat and on top of a hill. It's where we usually start our trip.

This was our second weekend in a row coming to this campground, but this time we are in non-electric. We scoped out the site ahead of time and although not our first or second pick, the site turned out to be very nice. It's has a site right behind it, but has a nice size green space for an ez-up. The pad was a nice length and held our small camper and truck with room to spare. The closest bathroom was the handicap porta-potty, but a little further up you use the flush toilets. (no showers) The campground had at least 2 camp hosts and a small camp store. We walked down to the lake. If you like to fish, it's a short walk. This site is further away from the playground, but close to a trail head. We did have a small furry visitor - a very friendly orange cat.

Several campsites are on a slope so this calls for being creative with placement of tent.
Firewood available for purchase on site. Lake Hope lodge provides great warm and dry spot for delicious food.

Several activities available, fishing available anywhere on the lake, kayak rental for $10 and good size lake.

Very clean pit toliets and running water available dispersed throughout the park. Several hiking trails, zaleski is nearby, hocking hills is 30 minutes away. Moonville tunnel and iron furnace in the area.

Wonderful overnight backpack trip for our family. We did the South Loop at Zaleski - 10.9 miles. The hike was great. Lots of ups & downs, a pond & beautiful rock outcroppings. Not supposed to filter the water in the creeks. Thankfully there is pretty tasty water at camp. Cannot camp off of marked areas. 3 camp areas total, camp 1 & 2 are available on the South Loop. Latrine available (bring toilet paper). 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. Great place to stop for lunch. Highly recommend. Our 8 year old did great & we saw lots of families camping. Trails had lots of poison ivy & ticks present. We look forward to coming back & doing the remainder of the trail. 

Blazes: The main trail is blazed orange and camp side trails/day hike cutoff is blazed white.

Water is available at 3 backpack camping areas (Points D, I & P)

Parking is available. It is recommended to use the backpacking parking area but we hear that fills up quickly. That is located at the Hope Schoolhouse (27800 Wheelabout Road, McArthur, OH 45651). If you want to skip that first portion of the trail or if parking it not available you can park at the Hope Furnace which is mainly used for day hiking.  Both parking lots seemed to fill up fast. The Hope Furnace parking was full by 8:30/9 am on the Saturday we arrived.

I would recommend printing maps & seeing additional information about the area & trails here: https://www.backpackohio.com/trails/zaleski-state-forest-backpack-trail/

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

Lake Hope State Park is the unsung hero of Logan county, Ohio. Hocking Hills State Park gets the crowds because of its amenities and closer proximity to Old Man's Cave...but...

Each time I have stayed at Lake Hope State Park, I have marveled at why there are only a few stray campers in a state park of 190 sites. Granted...I am usually camping during the week...but its a ghost town. Which is fine by me...solitude...peace and quiet.

The main reason is pit latrines...well, that's my guess, anyways. LHSP still has hot showers. I guess because it doesn't have a pool, it doesn't have the crowds. Shoot! I'd stay home if I wanted a pool. Whatever the reason, you rarely, if ever, will have to contend with neighbors.

Trails are superb...tall canopies, fern ground cover, a wild assortment of fungi and wildlife at every turn. The terrain is undulating but very doable. The campsites are pretty open, so if you did have neighbors...you'd know it. We'd usually snatch up site 98 or 99...or both. No one would usually go that deep into the park. It was private...pit latrine nearby...flat and airy. Foot trails were nearby and the bike trail wasn't too far away.

If you brought your boats...Lake Hope is a nice flatwater paddle. Get there early and watch the water lilies open. Hope furnace is just outside the campground and next to the first "put-in" for the lake. As history buffs will know that Ohio was one of the nation's leading iron producers back in the day. There is also a swimming beach on the opposite end of Lake Hope...if you just have to get wet.

The haunted Moonville Tunnel is nearby and worth the short drive and hike. Unfortunately, it is becoming defaced by disrespectful taggers...still cool nonetheless.

You are plopped down smack dab in the Zaleski State Forest...so pick a trail, any trail.

A short drive away are amazing trails and formations...Old Man's Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, Cedar Falls, Conkle’s Hollow, Rockhouse and Ash Cave. Each one a must see! Give youself time to hike the trails and enjoy the natural beauty of southern Ohio. Not only will you be glad you did...you will want to return year and year!

I went backpacking with my brother here last year and it was one of the best camping experiences of my life! We enjoyed four amazing days or hiking, camping and exploring nature.

The trails are well marked and easy to follow. And there are several loop sections so you can easily plan various tips accordingly. 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.

There are a great deal of interesting rock formations to check out as well as a few good overlook areas. I highly recommend taking the short connector trail on the south loop to cut over to the Moonville Rail Trail. We spent one afternoon hiking over to the Moonville Tunnel and it was one of the coolest parts of our four day trek.

I plan to return to Zaleski many more times in the years to come!

We have camped here in tents, pop up camper, cabins, backpacking the nearby Zaleski State Forest and most recently, in our travel trailer. It is our favorite State Park that we have camped at. The campground has been recently updated, new pavement on the road and in the campsites. The nature center runs a lot of programs, including hand feeding hummingbirds, Christmas trail of lights, movies, hikes and more. The dining lodge is excellent food, the Sunday Brunch is great and they have a wood fired pizza oven. The lake has kayak, canoe, peddle boat and other rentals. The swimming area is large for a state park and has a small playset. Trails to suit all ages and experience levels. Moonville tunnel and rail trail is nearby. The front shower house is closed for remodeling, however, there are very nice flush toilets near the camp office and a shower house at the back section of the campground.

Lake Hope State Park southeast on Rt 33 from Columbus, Oh and adjacent to one part of Wayne National Forest, it is a very nice, quiet, small basic campground.

The crowd was sparse when we were there and the reason for the 3 star is whoever laid out the campground forgot his level that day Oooorr was trying to squeeze every available area for "sites"! Whole lotta uneven hilly terrain to park your camper or tent on. There were a few level spots but for the most part make sure you put your head on the uphill side;) Tentsile Tree Tents would work well in this camping area, plenty of trees to choose from.

Basic restrooms and showerhouse is at the office. Lots of nice, interesting, moderate trails and gobs of history. Fill your gas tank up before you head in and right your information down, signal coverage can be spotty. Take your water gear for whatever "thing" you enjoy doing and if your real adventurous Zaleski National Forest is nearby with some awesome backpacking, primitive camping and VIEWS.

I can see how this state park appeals to families- there is putt putt, a cute general store, an outdoor movie screen, a small beach and paddle boats. But if you don't have kids, I'd find a better place to camp. 

The campground sites are tiny and all squished together. I had a literal 9-foot rectangle of grass, right up against RVs on both sides. It didn't help that the families, who were mere feet away from me the whole time, spent the weekend screaming at their kids and dogs (four dogs with one family. Four. Why aren't there rules about that?) and later beating their dogs. Yep. I got to see dog beating all weekend long. That's the kind of clientele this park seems to attract. 

The trails didn't seem that great- barely marked, going through a dense forest, with not much to see besides the trees themselves. The "lake" is really a pond, or an extremely small lake. The swimming was decent but the bottom is quite slimy- bring water shoes if you want to swim. 

Also, my campsite was literally 10 yards away from a disgusting pit toilet that reeked the entire time. Why do they put campsites right up against sewer pits? I had to breathe in feces fumes all weekend long, and I doubt that is healthy. 

The shower was hot, I'll give them that. I will not return to this park. I called the reservation agency to tell them about my experience but they did not get back to me.