Best Glamping near Put-in-Bay, OH

Sites were smallish but flat. Bathrooms/showers were clean. Camp store had firewood but not much else. Put- in-bay was a short bike ride away. If you don’t like drunk frat boys, visit during the week.

We've stayed here for the last 3 years for a long weekend in late July. They keep the campgrounds and facilities very clean. Always a good time. Always a few sites with obnoxiously wasted people but that comes with being on Put in Bay.

This is a beautiful place to stay when visiting put-in-bay. You are secluded from the party central street but a golf cart away if you wanted to join the festivities. This camp ground is on lake erie and offers beautiful views of the lake and access to the water. Will definitely stay here again!!! Books up quickly

Beautiful scenery. Located right on the water, with beautiful views of Lake Erie. Well maintained campground, although the bathrooms had limited number of toilets. I usually had to wait to get a stall. You can rent a golf cart, but I took my bicycle and everything was a short ride away. It’s a very quiet island; especially during the week, which is when I went. If you want more shopping and nightlife, consider Put-in-Bay. But Kelley’s Island is a perfect quiet getaway.

Last time I came here was in 2019. Words cannot describe how great this camp ground was. The wild life In the area was abundant making hikes in the afternoon great especially near sunset when the deer in the area started to come out. Also watching the sun set and rise on the beach/ swimming area was a great experience. The location of the camp ground puts you right on Lake Erie and close to great locations such as Put in Bay, Kelly’s island and cedar point.

Overall good campsite on South Bass Island. It's close to Put in Bay - famous for it's bar scene. If you're good at trekking, everything on the island is walking distance, but if you can bring it a bike would make for much quicker trips. There are also a number of taxi services or golf cart rentals available.

The sites are very small, but have very nice views of the lake. It stormed while I was there and the winds got strong, so make sure your tent is sturdy, or choose an in-land campsite.

Beautiful place, well kept, lots of sites overlooking the lake and a lot of shade. The island is pretty well known as a party island so we generally only camp here off-season now. There is a lot to see and explore like the caves, the monument in the world famous bars. The entire island is pretty rowdy during the summer so plan accordingly. We usually do kelleys island in the summer and Put-in-Bay in the offseason if we're headed this way. Wifey says the bathrooms were below average (most important for her).

I enjoy this campground because there are lots of great spots to choose from. I love the ability to walk or bike to the beach. The camp store has all the necessities you may have forgotten. I enjoy walking to the pond at night and flashlight frogs. Typically there are a lot of raccoons so keep your food locked up tight. It is a great place for birding, fishing, boating and close to marblehead lighthouse and the ferries to take you to Kelley's Island and Put In Bay.

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

It is a nice campground. The sites can be a bit close together but it is well maintained for the most part. We were there in April and they have some new bathroom and laundry facilities that were really nice. They were new and clean and there was even one that was a whole private bathroom with a toilet, sink, shower and a bench. The laundry facilities were clean and they had a nice sink and counter to do dishes as well. This is a great location that is close to the ferries that go to Put-In-Bay and the other Lake Erie Islands and there is also a lot do do in the area without having to go to the islands.

We tent-camped in well-shaded loop D, which is a non-electric tent area. Loop D is much smaller and more private than the larger non-electric area (loop A). If you're in a camper, then the area next to loop A (loop B)  is your best bet for shade. We loved our stay here. It's a great base camp for exploring the area and the beach is just a short drive. I wish the bathrooms in the non-electric loop were updated,  but they were cleaned on a daily basis. Daily nature programs for kids at the campground 's excellent nature center were great. Take the ferry to Put-in-Bay while you're at East Harbor, or take a road trip to the Mad River & NKP train museum in Bellevue.

This campground has beautiful, cliff-side sites right on the water, which is probably not good for small children. The interior sites are just ok, but most are level with a bit of shade.

There is a rocky beach, boat rentals, and lots to do all over the island. There are shuttles from the campground into the main part of town.

What you need to be aware of here is the party atmosphere. Many young people camp here so that they can party in Put-In-Bay all day and night. Last time I was here, a group of 20-somethings came home at 2am and blared their music til 5. They quieted down a bit but started right back up at 7am. Not fun at all. This made me reluctant to return to this campground in the summer, as beautiful as it is. I'd try it in mid-September or October, but never summer again.

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!

I have been coming up to Kelleys Island for 39yrs and this year really tested my happiness. The campground has gone through quite a bit of changes over the last couple years and it's not entirely for the better. We stayed on the water front site directly next to the trail for the public beach. I do not recommend this site unless you want everyone to walk through the site at any time all day long. People do not respect quiet hours and leave their porch lights on in the cabins that now sit on the water front. There used to be VIPs that cleaned the park everyday and maintained everything. Not anymore and the park seems a little less friendly now. Golf carts are or were prohibited from entering the campground but now drive around the park all day long creating quite the ruckus and disturbing the beauty of nature. The bathrooms did get an upgrade of fixtures and super bright LED lights, but they took out the ADA accessible showers that had detachable shower heads and a bench to sit on in the shower. This beautiful well kept secret feels a lot like it's sister island Put-in-Bay now with all the rules stripped no care for the environment with partying all day. We did however have beautiful weather the entire time we were there. The site was clean but we noticed a lot of trees had been lost over the years and our camper sat in full sun all day long. They have replanted a tree that will cover the parking pad with shade in probably 10 years. The stairs to get to the public beach we decaying railroad ties that need some TLC but work. The dumpstation has moved to back of the campground by the old pet section which is nice and keeps the noise away from the rest of the park. They also stripped the Ranger program and no longer offer education hikes, movie nights, island history hikes, or the nature program. These were all favorites of mine as a child and made me appreciate the island more.

Well kept, quiet and fun. Bike rental was easy and did not cost too much. We had a tent site and the yurt site. Water was cold due to it being early June as expected.

This on a bay on the very western side of Lake Erie among a wildlife refuge and wilderness area. I came for the birding and wasn’t disappointed. Parts of this park are very built up as a resort feel but the nature center, shore swimming, and wilderness is still very nice. Unfortunately they allow hunting and trapping, it was disturbing. The campsites are pretty crowded but still ok. There’s a yurt and cabins too.

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!

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.

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.

Nice site on an island in Northern Ohio.

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)

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

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.

By far my favorite state park. Sites are large and private. Bathrooms are always clean pathways are kept up and make for a great mid day or early morning stroll. This is Ohio's 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.

Maumee Bay State Park. Ohio. Let me state: Awesome park Full hook ups, 50,30,20. Sewer. Water. Handicap sites too!!! Dump station, with rinse down hose if needed. Large sites, private by trees. Gives each on your own yard. All Back of sites are fields. No one behind.
Quiet. Beautiful.
Lodge on site, cabins too Store, pool at lodge, game room at lodge. Bathrooms, showers houses. Clean and kept up. Each area has one.
Roads are set up with a circle at the end. Drive down them loop around then drive out. Angled driveways, easy to get trailer in. Or back in A and C class easy in and out too. Lakes, beach, canoe, kayak, bikes, hiking, boardwalk, wild life preserve, birders Haven, a scenic hill to climb.
More pictures to come.
They also have Hosts that stay here, and get free camping for helping parks out. Quiet times are observed. Perfection!!!! Wish all campgrounds had this layout.

This park is huge. There is so much to do here, we didn’t leave the park at all! Just a short walk or bike ride to Lake Erie via a paved path. I highly recommend taking a bike, as there are so many trails and paths to ride throughout the park. The marshy swamp area was neat to see, there were several frog species, snakes, and we even saw a muskrat. The park is very educational, they have a nature center where you can learn about the local flora and fauna. There was a doe and her fawn that we saw almost daily in the park, as well as other deer. A resort is adjacent to the park that has many amenities if you prefer not to camp. There are several ponds throughout the park and lots of green space.
While we were there we had the pleasure of viewing the nested piping plovers that haven’t nested in Ohio for 83 years. 4 chicks remained on the beach during our stay, prepping for the flight south. Several volunteer ornithologist kept a watchful eye on the chicks for safety and didn’t mind educating us on the little creatures. The campsites are nicely sized and vary in privacy. All equipped with a picnic table and fire pit. Some sites had a concrete pad under the table but there didn’t appear to be many, just a handful of what appeared to be newer sites. The park held social events, such as an ice cream social and coffee and pastries several mornings. The camp store was impressive, stocking a variety of perishables and even refrigerated items such as lunch meat, cheese, etc. Very impressive park, we will be back and extend our stay.