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Best Tent Camping near Ridgeway, OH

376 Reviews

Tent camping options near Ridgeway, Ohio include several established campgrounds within a 30-mile radius that accommodate tent campers seeking both primitive and developed sites. Saulisberry Park Campground in Kenton offers tent sites with electric hookups and picnic tables, while the St. Mary's Section of the Buckeye Trail provides walk-in tent sites for backpackers. On Cedar Pond, located about 40 miles southwest of Ridgeway, features two tent campsites with drive-in access in a more secluded setting. Tee Pee Family Campground in Upper Sandusky, operating seasonally from May through November, provides additional tent camping opportunities with more amenities.

Most tent campsites in the Ridgeway area feature flat, grassy terrain with minimal grading. Facilities vary significantly between locations, with Tee Pee Family Campground offering drinking water, showers, and toilets, while the Buckeye Trail sites are primitive with no facilities beyond fire rings. Campers should note that Saulisberry Park does not provide showers, though it does offer electric hookups and trash service. Fire regulations are generally permissive at most sites, with fires allowed at Saulisberry Park, On Cedar Pond, and along the Buckeye Trail, though campers must bring their own firewood to Saulisberry as none is available for purchase.

Tent campers seeking backcountry experiences gravitate toward the St. Mary's Section of the Buckeye Trail, where an Adirondack shelter located between Points 6 and 7 offers an alternative to tent camping. According to reviews, this shelter "is large enough for six to sleep comfortably off the ground" and includes a stone fireplace. For those preferring established campgrounds, visitors to Tee Pee Family Campground note that "sites are close together" with fire pits positioned "less than 3 feet away from the next camper," making it less ideal for those seeking solitude. On Cedar Pond receives positive feedback for its beauty and intimate setting with just two tent sites, providing a more private tent camping experience than the larger, more developed campgrounds in the region.

Best Tent Sites Near Ridgeway, Ohio (7)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Ridgeway, OH

376 Reviews of 7 Ridgeway Campgrounds

  • Napunani
    Jun. 26, 2022

    Indian Lake State Park Campground

    FHUs Sites in a field

    PROS 

    Able to reserve 144 days prior to arriving 

    Very nice campground but the design leaves a lot to be desired 

    Friendly camp hosts who were busy picking up trash in common areas and cleaning sites Moveable picnic table 

    Metal fire ring with cooking grate 

    Site D45 level asphalt parking pad surrounded by grass 

    Great view of lake from D loop; some had water access at rear of site 

    Quiet except for campground party animals who kept it going into the wee hours of the morning 

    Coin-operated laundromats in non FHU loops $1.50 wash and $1 dry 

    Free WIFI available and able to connect at campsite 

    Dump Stations at Park exit have complimentary hoses 

    Camp store sells hard dipped ice cream 

    14 miles from the Airstream Service Center in Jackson Center 

    CONS 

    No senior discount

    $6.50 reservation fee for self made on-line reservation 

    Basically the FHU loops are out in a field
no privacy from neighbors and no shade what so ever 

    Grass around sites desperately needed mowed, if you could get thru the large mud puddles 

    FHU loop D has narrow roads and require driving on grass to back in trailer and some campers in other sites had to move their vehicles 

    Short length of campsite required creative parking of tow vehicle 

    Damn Canadian Geese poop every...what a mess! 

    Site number on electric utility box 

    FHU sewer connection at the back of the campsite so bring the looooong stinky slinky FHU loop D had tiny toilet building, but no showers; showers were in non-FHU loops 

    No entry gate personnel on a Friday afternoon to accomplish check-in. Went to park office next morning and was informed no check in required prior to Memorial Day. Never saw a Park ranger driving thru campground

  • Nancy R.
    Jun. 9, 2018

    Alum Creek State Park Campground

    Puzzled Campers

    We had reservations, but didn’t figure out how to check in. The site numbers were very hard to see and figure out. The numbers didn’t appear to be sequential. The worst part for us was that there were no tent pads for pitching the tent. We were there during a very rainy time and had to pitch the tent in a ditch. Water flowed under the tent so we had quite a bit of mud on the bottom of the tent when we packed up. Luckily our tent kept us dry inspite of its location. Space was extremely limited. The picnic table was on the driveway. There was poison ivy less than a foot from our tent. Restrooms and showers were adequate, but toilet paper rolls would fall in the floor if you weren’t careful. All three showers drained into the middle stall making it difficult to keep thing dry.

  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 26, 2020

    Mt Gilead State Park Campground

    Fall is here!

    Site 29 - this was a nice site in tall pine trees and colors all around. The pad was gravel and pretty level. We had trees in our site that could be used for hammocks as well. We were able to set up our ez-up and still have room to walk our dogs. It wasn’t the biggest site, but definitely not the smallest. We had electric for our camper. We had a good storm one night that caused a small pool of water out front and around the fire ring, but both areas drained very well the next day. There are vault toilets at the end of the road and a very nice shower house as you drive in that were clean all weekend. The park had a couple of playgrounds for kids, disc golf course and lots of hiking trails. The camp store is now open with limited hours. Wood is available but it’s all slab cut. There are also permanent cornhole boards. There are full hook up sites as well but are right next to one another and not a lot of trees. You can drive down to the lake and kayak and fish. It’s a very small campground with a very big park.

  • Ron G.
    Oct. 15, 2019

    Pastime Campground

    Quiet and Convenient

    There are 38 grass sites that are a bit snug, but mostly pleasant. New in June 2019 are 18 gravel padded sites, with lots of space. All sites are W/E. All the new gravel sites and half the grass ones have 50/30/20A electric, the rest are 30/20A. The park has a dump station. Two of the gravel sites have sewer hookup.
    All sites are clean, with tables and fire rings. There is a very nice and clean restroom/shower facility. Walking path and playground are adjacent to the campground. There is a nice swimming pool at the south end of the village park. Campers get a discounted admission. Most all sites have lots of shade.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 26, 2021

    Mt Gilead State Park Campground

    Nice State Park

    Campground was nice and well maintained. The "Camp Host" came around a few times a day to ensure trash was picked up and needs were met. Site 8 has full hookups and a concrete parking pad. The roses are narrow and the larger rig next to us had issues getting in. The sites on our side of the road sloped away from the parking pad. It there wasn’t a level spot off the concrete. We had to use our leveling blocks under the picnic table.

  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 7, 2020

    Delaware State Park Campground

    Lots of shade and mosquitoes

    We stayed in site 174 on the farthest loop from the entrance. This site provided full shade all day long. The pad was pretty even so not a lot of leveling to do for our a-frame camper. The pad was easy to back in to and we had plenty of room to pull our truck forward. The site has 30 amp and 50 amp and our 30 amp was not working. We notified the park staff and they responded quickly to come out and fix it. The site had a great fire ring and lots of space for chairs, an ez-up, pop-up bathroom tent off to the side and it probably could have held 1-2 tents. There were trees close enough to set up 1-2 hammocks as well. The park staff came out it seemed to be every 3 hours to spray the water fountain in the middle of the turn around. There is a showerhouse in the middle of the loop, not a far walk or you could drive as there were a few parking spots nearby. The showerhouse had plenty of flush toilets and sinks. There were three showers that had doors, but it was just one space and no bench inside your stall. There were plenty of hooks, but you could get your items wet if you weren't careful. There is a bench outside of your stall and there is a curtain that separates you from the toilets and sinks. Not the greatest changing area if you are shy. You could tell it was the weekend as the bathrooms were a little messy, but I've seen way worse. There are also two dumpsters outside the showerhouse for trash. Watch out for the masked bandits (raccoons). They were not shy at all and we had to chase them off from our campsite. Do not leave out any food or trash, they will get into it. There are lots of trails (we found a lot of mushrooms!), a beach, playgrounds and a frisbee golf course. The mosquitoes were really bad this weekend, but we had been there last year and didn't have any issues.

  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 3, 2025

    Indian Lake State Park Campground

    Lots of sites

    Our pad was not level front to back so we had to adjust a little bit. The fire ring was nice but our picnic table was beat up. I went to move it and the seat pulled right off. We stayed on a Sunday night so it wasn’t packed. There are a ton of sites. Some had great shade and others didn’t have any at all. The bathrooms were flush toilets and they did have shower houses too. The camp store is really big and it’s right next to their pool. They have a dog park, place to dock your boat and a small beach. I would imagine this would be a pretty busy during the summer.

  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 2, 2025

    Van Buren State Park Campground

    Small and peaceful

    We stayed one night on our way to IN. We’ve never been here before and wanted to check it off our list. It’s a small campground with one side as equestrian and the other side not. All sites had electric and water, no full hookup. There were only drop toilets and no showers. They were clean but I don’t think I’d want to do more than a weekend there. It had a nice playground for kids and plenty of trails to hike or go horseback riding. They also had a dog park and small wildflower garden. The check in cabin had ice and wood for sale but no store. Our site was really nice. The pads were recently paved and had a huge bumper at the end. The fire ring was nice and the site had plenty of space for tents.

  • Andrea F.
    Nov. 30, 2020

    Grand Lake St. Marys State Park Campground

    Off Season and No Water

    We love camping in the off season but with that comes closures. Some sections of the campgrounds might not be open, no camp hosts and limited bathrooms and showers houses. This is to be expected, but when I called the morning of our trip to make sure potable water was available and I was told yes it was only to drive 2 hours and realized they were wrong. No water 🙁. This would not have been a peas we have dry camped before but all the bathrooms were closed as well.

    After called the park ranger he did let us get some water at the maintenance building so we were at least able to finish the weekend. Lesson learned always pull with at least some water.

    Now back to the campground itself was nice and clean. Site are a little close together. The biggest down side is you are there to enjoy the lake but the lake had algae warnings everywhere not to go near the water.

    They do have a dog park, pool and splash pad when in season and a marina. Also they have WiFi and good cell coverage.

Guide to Ridgeway

Tent camping near Ridgeway, Ohio offers options across varied terrain in north-central Ohio, where the landscape transitions from flat farmland to gentle rolling hills. The region experiences distinct seasons with warm summers reaching 85°F and cold winters dropping below 20°F. Most campgrounds in this area sit at elevations between 900-1100 feet above sea level, creating moderate drainage conditions at most tent sites.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: On Cedar Pond provides access to a stocked pond where tent campers can fish directly from their campsite. A visitor noted, "The stay was amazing! So beautiful" while enjoying the intimate setting with just two tent sites.

Water recreation: Tee Pee Family Campground features a swimming pond with recreational features that appeal to families. According to one camper, "The pond was fantastic. Has a large inflatable slide and a dock that you can jump off of in the middle. Kids loved it."

Hiking trails: St. Mary's Section - Buckeye Trail offers backpacking opportunities with trail-accessible camping. This section provides approximately 10 miles of hiking between Lockington and Fort Loramie, making it ideal for weekend backpacking trips.

What campers like

Shelter options: The Adirondack shelter on the St. Mary's Section of the Buckeye Trail provides an alternative to tent camping. One backpacker shared that it "is perfect for you. Built as an Eagle Scout project by Parker and Keaton Cole of Troop 95 (in Sidney), it is large enough for six or to sleep comfortably off the ground."

Swimming amenities: Families consistently mention the swimming opportunities at On Cedar Pond, which offers a more secluded alternative to the larger campgrounds in the region.

Convenient locations: Tent sites at Saulisberry Park Campground provide electric hookups within a 30-minute drive of Ridgeway, making it practical for weekend getaways without traveling far from town.

What you should know

Limited facilities: Many tent camping areas near Ridgeway have minimal amenities. The Buckeye Trail camping area has no facilities beyond a fireplace in the shelter, requiring backpackers to "make sure you check that the chimney is not blocked" before starting a fire.

Reservation requirements: Clearfork Marina & Campground requires advance booking during peak summer months (June-August) when sites fill quickly, especially on weekends.

Seasonal operations: Most campgrounds in the Ridgeway area operate seasonally, with Tee Pee Family Campground specifically open "May 1 to November 1," requiring tent campers to plan accordingly during the shoulder seasons.

Tips for camping with families

Water recreation planning: Schedule swimming activities at Tee Pee Family Campground in morning hours when the pond is less crowded. One family noted the inflatable water features were especially popular with children who "loved it" despite the campground being "just meh" in other aspects.

Playground limitations: When camping with children at Kamp-A-Lott, bring additional recreational equipment as playground facilities at many campgrounds in the area are minimal. Tee Pee Family Campground has "very weak" playgrounds with "just a few swing sets but that's about it."

Bathroom accessibility: Position tents strategically at larger campgrounds like Tee Pee Family Campground, where there are only "2 bathhouses for the entire campground. And it's a decent walk to get to them if you are just there for a weekend."

Tips from RVers

Site spacing awareness: At Tee Pee Family Campground, RVers should note the proximity between sites, as one camper mentioned, "Sites are close together. Our fire pit is less than 3 feet away from the next camper."

Wi-Fi connectivity: Bring alternative connectivity options when camping near Ridgeway as several campgrounds have limited or no Wi-Fi service. A camper at Tee Pee Family Campground specifically mentioned "No Wi-Fi" as one of the drawbacks.

Golf cart traffic: Be prepared for considerable vehicle movement at certain campgrounds, as Tee Pee Family Campground "consists of a lot of permanent sites and a LOT of golf carts going around all throughout the day," which can affect the camping experience for those seeking quieter surroundings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Ridgeway, OH?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Ridgeway, OH is Saulisberry Park Campground with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Ridgeway, OH?

TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near Ridgeway, OH, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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