Looking for the best campgrounds near Shelby, OH? Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Shelby is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Find the best campgrounds near Shelby, OH. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
Findley Lake State Park Campground is large and wooded. It offers Full Hookup, Electric, and Non-electric sites; all are pet friendly. Reservations are required; they may be made up to six months in advance online or by calling (866) 644-6727.
$25 - $50 / night
Located between Columbus and Mansfield, Mt. Gilead State Park provides the charm of a small, secluded park, while offering many of the amenities found at larger parks. Mt. Gilead's wildflowers, wildlife, and woodlands offer year-round wonder for hikers and nature lovers. The small lake is perfect for paddling or dropping a line to catch bass or bluegill. A picturesque gazebo and several shelters offer a perfect setting for weddings and family reunions.
The cozy Mt. Gilead State Park Campground offers Full Hookup sites as well as 50/30-amp Electric sites. Pets are permitted on most campsites. Reservations are required and can be made online or by calling.
Large campground features shady sites for all types of camping. Pets are welcome on designated sites.
An equestrian camp has 30 primitive sites available on a first-come, first-served basis.
286 electric campsites offer both wooded and sunny areas, some of which overlook the lake. Each site has 20-, 30- and 50-amp electrical hookup. 24 full-service campsites offer electric, sewer and water hookups Heated shower facilities with flush toilets and dump station Beach and boat ramp for exclusive use of the overnight guests Basketball courts, volleyball, miniature golf, horseshoe pits, and playgrounds Nature programs Equestrian camp has 30 primitive sites available on a first-come, first-served basis.
This recreation area is part of Delaware Lake
$27 - $29 / night
Mohican camping offers family camping in our Primitive Camping sites, as well as Full Hook-Up for RVs and Campers. Each camping site comes with a picnic table and fire ring. RV sites come full service with 30/50 amp electricity, water, and sewer. A dump station is also located on the grounds.
East Harbor State Park Campground is the largest in the Ohio State Park system. It offers Full Hookup, Electric, Non-electric and ADA sites. Pets are permitted at all sites. Other options include a Yurt (ADA), two Sherman Cabins (one ADA cabin), and Group Camping. Reservations are required and can be made online or by calling (866) 644-6727.
Located in Ohio on the sandy shores of Lake Erie awaits an enormous haven of fun, with tons of chances to recreate. Boating, fishing, swimming, picnicking, and camping all attract flocks of visitors to East Harbor State Park.
Nature lovers will rejoice thanks to the dense population of waterfowl, shore birds, and other species of wildlife. Owing to the swampy, wetland climate, a host of migratory species regularly flock to the region. However, the land was not always this rich. It wasn’t until the draining of the Great Black Swamp that the land transformed into an agricultural oasis, producing regional varieties of fruits such as grapes and peaches.
Before European Settlement, East Harbor region was home to Native American tribes like the Ottawa and Wyandot Tribes. Stemming from the translation “trader”, the Ottawa tribe earned its title due to the geographic location of East Harbor. During the period of Westward Expansion, this park’s acreage was first the heart of popular trade routes for Native Americans.
As it developed, the region has long been valued for its recreational potential. In fact, Lake Erie is more similar (and exotic) to a tropical beach resort than you’d first think. This is due to the extensive range of plant and animal life, long sandy beaches, and the immense size of the lake itself. As a result of these factors, 1,831 acres were reserved and protected, to be known today as East Harbor State Park.
Camping at East Harbor is readily available with 352 electric sites. Furthermore, there are 160 non-electric sites available for a cheaper nightly rate. There are also an additional 51 full hook-up sites for those in Recreational Vehicles. Working Nomads and Van Dwellers will be grateful to find Wifi Available, however there is a small fee to use it.
Finally, there’s Dump Stations, Bathrooms, and Showers are routinely located throughout. For a more secure (and expensive) shelter option, there is one Yurt available for reservation. Book in advance, however, as it tends to be very competitive.
If you’ve got furry friends, you can take a breath of relief as pets are permitted on all sites. Moreover, Bike rentals are available as well as games and sporting equipment from the camp office/lodge. Get outside with your friends (any number of legs invited) and enjoy everything that East Harbor State Park has to offer.
$27 / night
Findley Lake State Park Campground is large and wooded. It offers Full Hookup, Electric, and Non-electric sites; all are pet friendly. Reservations are required; they may be made up to six months in advance online or by calling (866) 644-6727.
$25 - $50 / night
Located between Columbus and Mansfield, Mt. Gilead State Park provides the charm of a small, secluded park, while offering many of the amenities found at larger parks. Mt. Gilead's wildflowers, wildlife, and woodlands offer year-round wonder for hikers and nature lovers. The small lake is perfect for paddling or dropping a line to catch bass or bluegill. A picturesque gazebo and several shelters offer a perfect setting for weddings and family reunions.
The cozy Mt. Gilead State Park Campground offers Full Hookup sites as well as 50/30-amp Electric sites. Pets are permitted on most campsites. Reservations are required and can be made online or by calling.
Large campground features shady sites for all types of camping. Pets are welcome on designated sites.
An equestrian camp has 30 primitive sites available on a first-come, first-served basis.
286 electric campsites offer both wooded and sunny areas, some of which overlook the lake. Each site has 20-, 30- and 50-amp electrical hookup. 24 full-service campsites offer electric, sewer and water hookups Heated shower facilities with flush toilets and dump station Beach and boat ramp for exclusive use of the overnight guests Basketball courts, volleyball, miniature golf, horseshoe pits, and playgrounds Nature programs Equestrian camp has 30 primitive sites available on a first-come, first-served basis.
This recreation area is part of Delaware Lake
$27 - $29 / night
The store and check in office weren't open to check in or get the wifi password.
Heated bathroom was nice.
Sites are pretty close together and mostly permanent, but it’s in a good location and decent amenities. Our site needed maintenance but overall, it was a good week.
We came here during the 2024 River of Fire Event. The campground was packed but you couldn’t tell because the sites were all so spacious! Half the sites are right on the river which gives a good view and great place to fish and kayak(too cold on this trip). The event was very well organized and very fun to participate in. Staff was all very friendly and helpful! After the event many campers cleared out(end of season and kids in school) so my husband and I basically had the whole campground to ourselves for 2 of the days. It was extremely peaceful there and we look forward to returning.
I have camped here 3 times as an adult and most of my childhood here. It's quiet, the campers and staff and friendly. They have large shaded sites and a few tent sites in the back still. It's not going to blow your mind here, but I will continue to enjoy T&C because of its cost, how close it is to home, and how enjoyable of a time I've had here.
The owners are very frank about what they have here. This isn't a place to get away from it all. It's behind a car dealership and next to a fairly busy railroad. But they do offer amenities to make your stay easier.
We normally stay at State Parks, so didn't understand all the options they had, and ended up with a deluxe dual site which had more than we needed, but was a pleasant surprise.
Our site was not in the tree shaded area, but instead included a Shelter with table, a patio with furniture and a fire pit, a grill and a free-stranding sink and electricity. the sites are close together, but our neighbors were friendly and comradery was the norm.
The showers are a bit cramped, but plenty of hot water. There are TWO heated pools, which we didn't have time to use. Plus there's a big bouncy hill for the kids, something I've never seen before. A good General store and friendly staff.
We spent all our time at Cedar Point, but here are things for the kids to do here, including a crafts barn.
Super nice people- small sites- bathroom/ shower cleaned - a interesting area by Lakerside which is an 1800s art with very nice restaurants and shops most closed after Labor Day / do not take your rv /small roads - skip Sandusky
Eagle point is more rustic than the campground by the marina. Gravel pads, many on sloping ground. No way to know which sites might work for you until you look when you arrive. Someone did answer the phone, though, and let us move to another site.We had electric-only, by choice, for 2 nights. Water nearby. Not very many transient campers, but lots of "seasonal" to permanent-looking larger trailers. Quiet in our loop because only a few sites were occupied. Very nice bathroom and shower building. The dump station here is set up for emptying totes- not much room to park a trailer/RV for dumping at it. We drove to the dump station by the marina to have more room to work. Rinse water hose at the sewer opening had no water hose fitting on it (just a skinny brass angled spout), so no way to rinse our blackwater tank. Potable water was 40 feet away, but all water came out of a backflow preventer, so no way to use a hose. Disappointed with the dump station. Overall, it was fine for 2 nights. If you have a boat, there are lots of covers to explore on the lake. The water is very silty, and rather shallow in most places.
We arrived and were able to upgrade to site #1 due to a cancellation, overlooking the Ohio River. No one between us and the river, and we had a grand view.
The campground is very well kept, all sites would have been a good spot to call home for a couple nights. It was also a pretty quiet camp, compared to others, but they had their usual weekend events during the day for kids, to keep them occupied. Saturday evening they had a pot luck and then live music, which was good enough being a free event.
The only complaint is that one of the campers had a white standard poodle and though leashed, they didn’t control the dog out of others personal space. Very irritating. The camp owners were there and we didn’t see them communicate with the dog’s owner about controlling their dog either. The dog seemed to still be in a puppy mode and just wanted to play, but that doesn’t excuse the owners.
All in all, a great camp that we’ll likely return to.
Excellent campground with fantastic staff and owners. Nice swimming pond with inflatable attractions. Well stocked camp store. Lots of activities for the whole family.
Roads are pretty tight and spots are on the smallish side but not too bad. Most sites are seasonal campers and the non-seasonal sites are kept up very good. We stayed at a Premium pull-thru and the brick patio was very uneven causing me to trip several times. The brick fire ring was overgrown with weeds and grass coming thru the bricks and half of it was a 6-8 inch drop-off.... imagine falling off at night! This was site#133 the neighboring sites didn't look as bad. We would consider staying again at a different site. We camped at Cross Creek Camping Resort in a Fifth Wheel
First time visiting this state campground and we only stayed one night, did not explore entire park. Grounds well maintained, clean and decent amenities. The sites are well placed and a good size. But no water view on any of the “premium water view” sites in loop L, other than one L17 (the picture with view) Same for loop K. Guests and hosts were friendly and welcoming. Quiet except for the road noise due to nearby busy roads. The boat launch to lake access is very nice with plenty of parking and space. Not bad for a stop when traveling through or a weekend. We stayed with 34’ camper. Site L15 (picture with red truck)
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.
Ashland fairgrounds has $20 tent sites or $35 full hookups. You may need an extension cord. All back in sites. Bathrooms are open and close by. No showers. Very clean and quiet. There were 4 others staying here. All were nice. If you arrive after hours grab an envelope and drop payment in an envelope. If you stay in the grass parking lot while no other events are going on you can stay for free.
If you’re looking for a camping spot that mixes comfort with a touch of nature, Lighthouse Point Campground is just the place. I recently stayed at one of their Deluxe Patio Sites, and I’ve got to say, it was a fantastic experience.
I didn’t see much of this park because I only stayed overnight, but I got a good nights rest and felt safe. A few of the spots are not level and it appeared that not all of them had tables or fire pits. It didn’t appear that anyone did drive throughs to monitor noise or who was there, but I didn’t mind. There were quite a bit of teens camping out and while they were pretty loud late into the night, it made me happy to see them camping and floating the river. The pit toilet shelters were large and clean too.
We loved staying at Tall Timbers RV Park in Tyler, Texas. We booked on their website https://www.ttrv.org and had a great time.
The campsites are not as private as the pictures make it look. There are a LOT of campers and tents; it feels busy and crowded. We did like the paved pull-through site and were close to the river. Electric was good and people were friendly. Bathrooms close to all campsites. Showers not clean and broken; hot water questionable. We liked being close to the hiking trails this morning and it was dog friendly.
Pros: Full hookup (sewer, water, 50/30 AMP) Level site Partially shaded in afternoon Lots of amenities: indoor pool, stocked lake (catch & release), corn hole, bouncy pad, basketball court & playground Easy overnight stay off I71
Cons: Gravel site Picnic table in rough condition Wi-Fi keeps dropping connection
Everyone at this campground is so friendly even the staff is great. The campground has season spots to daily and weekly spots along with yearly. Of course your stay length can determine your views. The campground has waterfront spots with tree coverage to no tree coverage to close up against one another spot where you can hear your neighbors. It’s the you get what you pay for. I have so far enjoyed my spot so far along with my neighbors. I have enjoyed the owner and managers despite other reviews on google. I would recommend and come back. My reasons for 4 stars is your are responsible for maintaining and cutting grass for your campground if you are seasonal to yearly, which is crazy since it’s not our grass and everywhere I have been before takes care of this. This campground does not have sewage and pumps you out twice a week if seasonal and yearly. If you need a pump out it 20$ for emergency situations.
We stayed for a quick overnight. Plenty of grass and good spacing between the sites. Most appear to be seasonal or full time living. You aren’t allowed to walk a dog around the park which was a very odd rule. Had to stay at your site.
After booking online, they changed my reservation site to a small spot no where near the bathrooms as I asked. She told me it was right across from the site. Not true. No fire pit in this spot and the site was so small, (my driveway is bigger). Not the picture that supposedly represented what I was paying for. We went home very disappointed. The kids were so excited to go camping and it wasn't worth paying for. We will NEVER reserve a spot at this campground again.
Some days you just need peace and quiet sitting by the campfire and enjoying the creek and the woods. Other times you want to get up and go dance to the band, swim in the lake, join the bingo and other games or throw a grand picnic. Willow Lake Campground offers it all.
After a few years of trying, I finally got into Mohican State Park. Our first visit to the park was early in the camping season, and on a warm and beautiful spring weekend. The atmosphere was amazing in the park. Everyone in the campground seemed to be relaxed and having a great time. The campground itself is very well laid out. It's long and just a few rows deep with trees throughout, so you don't feel over crowded. You're never far from a restroom no matter where you are. They have a very nice campground store and a pool that wasn't open for the season yet when we were there. It's the kind of campground that you never need to leave if you don't want to. They have regular electric and full hookup sites.
Stay here for the holiday weekend, they offer plenty of activities for everyone. Had a band each night! Bad Juju was definitely a favorite of mine. During the band and the day they have a concession stand open with really good food, the girls that work in there are very lovely. The facilities were clean and staff members were respectful and friendly, really the whole park was. This is a great park for a weekend getaway for the family or even just for yourself.
Very well maintained, established state park. Sites are paved, level, and generally ample in space. Ample shade and privacy if needed. Amenities include boating, fishing, disc golf, MTB trails, live music select evenings, etc. Facilities are cleaned regularly. Staff are friendly and helpful..
Such a great place to camp. We had such an enjoyable trip. The campground was just incredible.
We visited with our family and really made
Some happy camping memories, which will always treasure. Our site was really pretty and we would visit again!
Camping near Shelby, Ohio, offers a variety of experiences for outdoor enthusiasts. With several campgrounds in the area, you can find the perfect spot to relax and enjoy nature.
Whether you're looking for a peaceful getaway or an action-packed adventure, there are plenty of options for camping near Shelby, OH. Each campground has its unique features and charm, making it easy to find the right fit for your outdoor experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Shelby, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Shelby, OH is Mohican State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 43 reviews.
What parks are near Shelby, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 10 parks near Shelby, OH that allow camping, notably Delaware Lake and Alum Creek Lake.
