Best Glamping near Vandalia, OH

Hueston Woods State Park, Oh.

http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/huestonwoods 

Campground Overview: Hueston Woods State Park is very close to Miami University...in the Southwest area of Ohio. The direction we traveled from the south took us on numerous winding country lanes through farm country that actually meandered in and out of Indiana and Ohio.

(Disclaimer: I am a tent camper, preferring backcountry sites of solitude and privacy...so take my reviews of campgrounds with a grain of salt). 

The campground area is separated not only by roadway, but a short walk, ride or drive from the reservoir, docks, boat rental beach area and tiny nature center. 

The Campground Office sits at the campground entrance and does offer quite a bit of camping items for its tiny size should you have forgotten anything. The cabins and lodge are on the opposite bank of the reservoir. The tent site area was sparsely occupied and the particular area was empty that I chose. 

All campground sites are line of sight, no barriers or buffer between neighbors(something I do not enjoy)...the trees are mature and tall so offer no privacy. Noise/sound travels so when full, you’ll likely hear your neighbors conversations. 

Unknowingly, it appeared every weekend in October has a big Halloween emphasis, so the upper campground was sold out. I was advised the lower non electric loop would also be sold out...which reinforced my gratefulness for midweek camping. 

With the vast old growth forests, dried/dead branches for firewood was plentiful for a chilly night(38) fire. We evaded the impending rain for once and pressed on. Weekend campers experienced heavy storms as we left. 

There are several hiking trails and biking trails. Streams were dried up at our visit. A cool restoration covered bridge was a short hop from the campground. The lodge has a restaurant, a gift shop, an outside pool and a nicely equipped activity room for older kids complete with numerous arcade games, pool table, and ping-pong table. There is also a token tiny exercise center-Key card entrance for lodge stayers. The A-frame lodge, though nostalgic, needs some TLC and updating(especially the exterior). 

Traffic noise is noticeable, especially during quiet hours. While not excessive, it’s disruptive. 

Deer sighting were plentiful as were chattering tree rats...ahem, squirrels, sorry. Woodpeckers stayed busy overhead. At dusk an overly friendly“masked trash panda” encroached seeking to share my delectable and perfectly toasted s’more...having to be chased off(unfortunately, it appeared he has been fed by campers to be that bold). Other small birds were plentiful as were migrating Canadian honkers. 

Housekeeping notes: In the larger non-electric loop newer restrooms existed...modern bathrooms and showers were clean and stocked with TP. No paper towels offered, only electric hand dryers. Bathroom stalls, like the showers, utilized shower curtains rather than lockable doors. In my tent area...antiquated wood shed pit latrines...that truly needed razed. 

I did not have time to walk any trails, but talked with mountain bikers that spoke favorably. There were several marked trails near the reservoir area. 

Final Thoughts: It was a nice choice for a stop-over as I drifted north. However, I would not want to stay when it’s busy or on the weekends. The reservoir beach and watercraft fishing appears a big draw...and I wish I had brought both my bicycle and canoe.

This campground is well attended as most lots are filled each time I visit. The bathrooms are clean. The sites have LOTS of extra space in between for hammocks, kids running, and privacy. There are lots with trees and lots without. There is a commissary that includes everything you could possibly need as well as a hot grill. There is a beach for swimming, trails for hiking (not long distances), a basketball court and multiple playgrounds. When we were there, they had an outdoor movie theater for the kids and served complimentary popcorn. It was nice and hassle free.

The adorable cabin fulfilled my tiny home dreams and camping craving! The cozy cabin had a queen bed, twin bunks and a sofa that made out to a full size sleeper. Kitchen included a fridge, sink and single cup coffee maker. Coffee k cups were provided in a few different varieties as well as sugar and creamer packs. Bathroom had tub/shower, clothesline to dry swim suits or hand-washed clothes, toilet, sand sink vanity. Bedding and towels were provided and were crisp, clean white. WiFi was a bonus and although it wasn’t the fastest it was very useful when looking up nearby activities. Our cabin had a grill, an outdoor table with four chairs, a swing and a fire pit which we enjoyed our last night there. Staff was friendly and helpful. There were laundry facilities within the park and lots of activities but we didn’t take advantage of any of that during our brief stay. Overall, we were very pleased and would gladly stay again!

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

It's easy to get there. The non-electric sites don't have a lot of space or privacy (ie; trees) between them, definitely no hammocking. There's also a private camper's beach that is absolutely serene, probably not safe to swim in. Due to it being a holiday weekend, it was busy & loud like you'd expect, but it was so rowdy we left early. When we showed up, someone dumped all their trash in our firepit, absolutely disgusting behavior. Two different camp groups, one in electric and one in non-electric, got into loud verbal fights that resulted in the police being called. Fireworks and loud music were played all night long. No quiet hours, or if there are any they're not enforced. It's still great for a night visit if you're in the area, but it's not a dream weekend getaway by any means.

Advertises heated pool and splash pad, but pool was not heated and colder than lake(major bummer- as this was a major draw for us) and splash pad is still under construction- not new and ready for 2021. Lake is nice and clear, pretty cold(would love to feel it in August or September). Fun to jump into and overall pretty. Wibit should be included or at least offer 1/2 hour slots. Everyone is very nice, close to cute coffee shop and stores in Richmond. Park is in need of updates, just feels used- but can tell that is in process. No COVID restrictions other than"stay distanced" sign, but our adults were vaccinated and we just tried to keep our kids distanced. Good WiFi, everything fairly clean, nice little store w/ inexpensive ice cream. No"bar& grill" as advertised. Newer playground structure, but for younger kids- no swings.

This campground has nice facilities- a nice hot shower (four stalls only for the entire campground) a total of 6 flush toilets, a snack bar and a picnic pavilion with electrical outlets if you need to charge your phone. We were on a riverside campsite but unfortunately none of the brush had been cleared so we could not see the river. Imagine how much more fun it would be to actually be able to see the river and watch all the people floating by! It wouldn't be that hard to cut down some brush to create a view. 

The noise was not the greatest. They assured us that there was a night person who monitored noise and partying, and there were signs everywhere saying that quiet hours started at 10, but a group of loud, drunk men right on the river were allowed to yell and make a ruckus until at least 2am, probably later, because I stopped looking at my clock after that. This was really irritating that they would be allowed to party so late and make so much noise that you could hear them all through the property. There were also kids in the water right in front of our site from sunup until way past dusk, screaming their heads off constantly, so if you are camping for peace and quiet, this is not the place for you. It was barely the place for me, but I wanted to be on the river for a weekend so I just tried to ignore all the noise. 

Our site was quite muddy but I guess that's to be expected when you are next to the river. 

I'd called a few times to make sure they would transport our kayaks and they said "yes, sure" as if that was no big deal, so I was a bit shocked to discover upon arrival that the cost of transporting a personal kayak was the exact same cost as renting one of theirs. This is pretty expensive, and why would we bother with transporting our own if they charge the same to use theirs? If I had known, we would have brought two cars, so I found that very irritating. It cost us $67 for two people to spend 3 hours on the river. Pricey, in my opinion. 

All in all, I would return, but be more prepared with two cars and heavy-duty earplugs to block out the loud parties.