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East Fork State Park Campground is large with 400+ year-round sites mostly wooded, and located on the north side of the lake. (follow link for reservation details) It offers Electric and Full Hookup sites, including an equestrian camping in Loop A; all with 20, 30, and 50 amp service. Designated hammock camping sites are available.
Each site has a paved pad, picnic table, and fire ring. Bring your own equipment and play cornhole, soccer, basketball; plus enjoy beach and boat ramp access and pay-to-play putt-putt. Visitor’s Passes ($3) are collected from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend and special holidays (ie-Halloween campouts). Leashed pets are permitted in all areas.
$29 - $30 / night
UPDATE March 2023: ... Campground: Loops E & F Sites 136-287 are closed for electrical upgrade. Sites will open as construction allows. Loops A, B, C & D Sites 1 – 137 are available to reserve. Thank you for your patience.
A Camp Store offers supplies, firewood, ice, concessions, novelties, and kayak rental seasonally. Caesar Creek Lake is located in southwest Ohio, centered between Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus. Visitors flock to Caesar Creek Lake for its great fishing, boating, Visitor Center and trail opportunities. Natural Features: Caesar Creek Lake is home to many different wildflower prairies throughout the park which offer views of native wild prairie flowers, insects and bird species. Caesar Creek Lake is also home to more than 50 miles of trails including the 13 mile backpack trail which takes you to a scenic overlook of Horseshoe Falls. Recreation: Caesar Creek Lake offers excellent boating, water skiing and canoeing. Anglers fish for crappie and trophy muskie. The shelter is close to the Visitor Centers courtesy dock, allowing for easy shoreline fishing or to launch a kayak. Also, the shelter is within a short walking distance to the Caesar Creek Lake Visitor Center which offers exhibits, films and information about the lake and Corps missions in the Ohio Valley. Visitors can also take advantage of the new Adena Trace fitness trail with 9 workout stations over a mile loop as well as 50 miles of additional hiking, mountain biking, and bridle trails. Facilities: Each shelter is located near the Caesar Creek Visitor Center where a 24-hour indoor heated and cooled restroom can be found. Many shelters also offer some of the largest playground areas found at Caesar Creek Lake. Each shelter also offers two cooking grills and both electric and water are provided with reservation. Nearby Attractions: Caesar Creek Lake offers 50 miles of hiking, mountain biking, bridle and archery trails. Caesar Creek Pioneer Village offers a collection of over 15 log cabins and other structures that are open during special events. Caesar Creek Nature Center is adjacent to the Pioneer Village; the nature center features exhibits on the areas cultural and natural history.
$17 - $75 / night
The modern year-round campground offers more than 200 Electric sites, including 20 with Full Hookup, and more than 100 Non-electric sites.
228 campsites with electrical outlets 137 non-electric campsites with vault latrines Picnic table and fire ring at each site. Leashed pets are permitted on any site. Showers, flush toilets, laundry, and trailer waste station Recreational amenities include outdoor checkers, basketball and volleyball courts, and playgrounds Water available in winter
105 campsites total 25 RV back-in sites with full hookup (water, 30/50-amp electric, sewer), gravel pad and patio, picnic table, and fire ring 12 RV pull-through sites with full hookup (water, 30/50-amp electric, sewer), concrete pad, picnic table, and fire ring Water is shut off at all full hook-up sites when winter camping begins. 68 tent sites with 30-amp electric, picnic table, and fire ring 6 rustic camping cabins with one double and three single beds, kitchen table, electric, heat and air conditioning
Campground office
Camp store with café
Washer and dryer
Group activity shelter
Playground
Two dump stations ($11 fee for non-campers)
WiFi access
Walking distance to Winton Woods Harbor$43 - $73 / night
Olive Branch Campground is only 30 miles north of Cincinnati, Ohio, 1/4 mile off of I-71, Exit#36, with easy access for all size rigs. Nestled in 25 wooded acres, our family-friendly campground has full hookups on every campsite, with convenient access for camping rigs of all sizes. Come stay with us for your next recreational adventure! Many campers return year after year to make lasting memories around the campfire and enjoy time with loved ones! We are located in the heart of Ohio’s natural scenic beauty, but also near the festivities of downtown urban environments. Along with our schedule of campground events, we are surrounded by many of the Cincinnati area’s finest attractions, such as: * Kings Island Amusement Park * The Cincinnati Zoo * Miami Valley Gaming * Ozone Zip-line Adventure * Morgan’s Canoe & Outdoor Adventures and Little Miami Canoe Rental * Cincinnati Reds and Bengals * Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve * Little Miami Hiking and Biking Trail * Nearby flea markets, antiquing and golfing
$47 - $75 / night
Touted as the most Scenic Park in Ohio, John Bryan State Park manages to fulfill its lofty title with ease. Within these 752 acres lies mammoth limestone faces carved out from years of erosion by the historical Little Miami River. Starting 980 feet above sea level in Clifton, the river pierces and snakes its way through the limestone, exposing a new layer of earth’s ancient shale and bedrock down a 130 foot drop. Every layer is noted for its unique glimpse into the history of the area, revealing stories of past weather events, glacial ice movements, and much more. The local Shawnee Native Americans have long respected the region, thanks to economic prosperity owing to the industry and resources established along Little Miami River.
When it comes to attractions and recreation, there’s more to do here than you’d think. Rock Climbers and bouldering enthusiasts visit year round to scale the large limestone rock formations and natural climbing runs formed thanks to the river’s erosion. The Little Miami serves as a popular river for small-boaters, and is one of the most popular kayaking destinations in Ohio.
For more fun, families and groups can head over to the 18-hole Disc-Golf course, then complete the day with a picnic at one of the many designated areas throughout the park. For those looking for a casual bike-ride, the 1.1 mile Arboretum (Observatory) Trail makes for a quality impromptu ride. Moreover, those in search of hiking and mountain biking trails won’t be disappointed either, as there’s no shortage of well-maintained paths to trek through.
Camping here is relatively straightforward, with reservations to be made online 24/7. There are 61 campsite available, 9 of which offer electricity. Latrines, a dump-station, and drinking water are all available, except during the off-season. Most of the campsites offer at least partial shade, a fire circle, and a picnic table. Additionally, pets are permitted throughout the park.
From May to October, there is a Day Lodge available for rental which includes two fireplaces, a restroom, full-service kitchen, and large screened-in porch. Picnic shelter houses can also be made via reservation for day-use only. Finally, if you’re coming in a group, a large 100-person group camp area is available complete with two onsite Adirondack shelters.
Guide
I love this campground! All RV wrapped and under the tall tree; behind the campground have a running creek, cross the creek is farmland, sometime saw group of goats eating grass on the field. What a charming place to stop for a night. They have a large kids playground and pool, very clean bathroom and the host friendly like part of families.
Guide
Autumn is the best time to camp in Ohio. Lots of small bathrooms. Lake access. Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was due to the fact there was no quick reentry. Had to wait for rvs in front of me to register.
Legend
General: Huge state park with over 400 sites. All are pet-friendly and electric. About 20 are FHU. While tent camping is permitted, certain sites are not recommended for it as there would be no place to pitch a tent. One loop is for equestrian camping but when we were there, I only saw one horse trailer, and the rest were occupied by RV campers.
Site Quality: All camper pads are paved and most appeared level or just very slightly sloped. A picnic table and fire ring complete the site. Some sites have more trees to provide privacy while others are closer together with little separation.
Bath/Shower House: Not all loops have their own bath house and the I loop where we stayed was one of them. We used the one in the H Loop. The bathhouses were clean, and the shower had nice hot water, however, it doesn’t seem like there were sufficient facilities for how large the campground was (H Loop had two showers, two toilets, and three sinks). Hooks or shelves would have been appreciated.
Activities/Amenities: Many activities can be enjoyed here including mini golf (small nine-hole course), soccer, basketball, tennis, volleyball, corn hole, boating, and bicycling. Playgrounds are in several loops (I saw them in C and G). Rentals are available but most are only in season (ended September 30). There is a nature center and several hiking or paved biking/walking trails. There is also a camper beach for boating and swimming.
When we reserved months earlier, we knew that our first night (a Saturday) was 100% full as we got the very last site. What we did not know is that there was a HUGE Halloween celebration complete with 30-40 decorated golf carts parading through the campground. The road was closed until 6:45 pm (we arrived around 7 pm) and cars lined both sides of the approximately two-mile road! If that's your thing, great but it wasn't necessarily ours!
I appreciate that this park encourages so much outdoor activity, but it is not very pedestrian-friendly. I walked the road from one end to the other and there was no shoulder and, in many spots, no place to safely step off into the grass. I’m guessing it is assumed you will either have a car or golf cart to get around.
One final note: for a park so close to a large city (Cincinnati), I was surprised the cell service was so lacking (on Verizon). We eked out one and occasionally two bars of 4G.
Guide
Not sure about Mound Ridge. This is the Campground for Caesar Creek State Park. Excellent facilities. Clean bathrooms with showers. New electrical posts.
Traveler
We stayed in Site 12, which was huge and conveniently located close to a fairly new shower house. That facility was among the very best I've seen! Amazingly clean!
There are many things to do here: Saturday night movies, Bingo, and, of course, the lake. Canoe, paddle board, and kayak rentals.
The park was not full but somewhat busy, yet, outside of kids playing and dogs occasionally barking, there was little noise.
We drove through the entire campground. Some sites were bigger than others. Most sites were relatively flat.
Fall is a good time to visit Caesars Creek. The trees are turning beautiful colors. Also, the park is convenient for the Ohio Renaissance Fair and events at Roberts Arena.
Guide
Campground is small with all you need. Shower house. Potable water. Dump station. Nearness to wonderful trails in the SP and Clifton Gorge. Just beautiful. Near picturesque Yellow Springs. Which has the BEST pizza at Bentinos
Traveler
RV Sites are gravel w electric hookups. close to major highways. staff were friendly.
Traveler
We stayed one night— fine for the quick in and out. Did NOT have sewer hookups as advertised, so plan to dump before you park if you’ve been traveling. Spaces are narrow— though we were able to navigate the area, I wouldn’t necessarily call it “Big Rig Friendly” Road behind is loud but the campground itself was quiet.
TravelerWhen you check out, Eastfork, you should look at it personally instead of just online. My mistake was I did it online and I ended up with My Family being in the middle of the rich snob class of loop I lol.? We did have a very nice neighbor across from us the last couple days. The bathrooms were clean . Our lot was full of acorns very very dry and very very small lot. They say you’re supposed to camp or park your tent from the electric box over.
Guide
This campground has nice big sites, not the tiny sites that some Ohio state park campgrounds have. Most of them looked relatively level. However, there is no privacy, you are smashed right against your neighbors on both sides, and some parts were essentially just an RV parking lot.
The showerhouse was fine, I wouldn't call it clean as there was hair and scummy stuff everywhere, but I was there on a fully booked weekend so I guess you'll have that. The toilet/sink building nearest to our site reeked of urine, think gas station bathroom that hasn't been cleaned in years- looked clean but smelled terrible. There was also just one pedestal sink in this bathroom, so nowhere to put your things if you want to brush your teeth, even wash your hands.
The big problem was the noise. We were there on "camper appreciation weekend" and they way they "appreciated" us was have an extremely noisy, not-very-talented cover band blare extremely loud 70s and 80s music for three hours on Saturday night. They had big speakers, amps, drum set, the whole bit. You could hear it quite clearly and loudly from every corner of the campground. I go camping for peace and quiet, to hear the crickets and birds and the crackle of our campfire. I do not want to have to endure three hours of men wailing on their guitars and belting out every top forty hit ever written by Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was extremely annoying, disruptive and jarring, and took away from our camping experience of sitting peacefully by our camp fire. If I were to return here, I would call first to make sure they are not "appreciating" the campers and putting on an unsolicited rock concert.
Guide
Expensive for what it has to offer. At 48.00 bucks a night yes they do have WIFI in the RV section. They do have concrete pads. It’s a shame they are worthless they are to small to park the average RV on an are on the wrong side of most rigs unless you pull in 1/2 the sites the electric is on the wrong side. The sites are gravel and not level the rest rooms are new and nice. The horse stalks are very nice. If you have a large horse trailer type camper your screwed the sites are small so that only leaves you with the RV sites that are a few 100 feet away from the stables If you want to walk threw the drainage ditch add about 300 ft if you don’t want to walk threw the muck. It’s a shame when they paved the entry road they didn’t spend a little more. “Grant money “ or tax money an do it properly. The main play ground is extremely nice. About 1/3 Mile walk. They do have a small playground in the rv section. For horses again they have a nice setup for big RVs it Sux they have a dump station. Situated in between the entry road to the Fkatwood rv section and equestrian area The main lake is nice you can rent kayaks canoes. Or use your own boat. The boat ramp is nice the other end of the lake at the flat wood rv section. Is t really a lake it’s a back water shallow mud hole depending on the time of the year. Mosquitoes the size of jet fighters. Will rather eat you alive or carry you off. “Lol sorry could t resist “ it gets bad the park is clean and well maintained Except for the camp sites
TravelerMe and my partner went during Labor Day and left the fourth. We were there for three days and two nights. It was amazing. Our spot was a small walk to the water so we could fish and still keep up with the fire. We were right against the woods. There was a perfect flat spot for the tent. The trees were great cover from the bright sun. We were also able to walk to the restroom and could see the whole building from our site. We were site 009. So the bathroom was across the road. Everyone was very friendly there as well! The only downside was the grill for the fire pit. It’s at an angle so cooking on it was difficult as it was hard not to spill food
ScoutI have always had great experiences at this campground.
Scout
We absolutely love this campground, very friendly staff and well kept and clean!! They are pet friendly and allow portable fences.
TravelerLot372 sits in a little into the woods. Makes it cool for camping. Real camping without a camper. lol shade some sun but watch out for the yellow jackets!
Traveler
This is a great place to take the kids. We go here every year. They have an in-ground pool, a small store for camping needs, firewood delivery and propane refills. Cell service here is awful and there is no WiFi. The antenna will pick up several local channels. There is a Dollar General about 10 mins away for grocery needs. They have several pull-through and full hookup options as well. Sites are somewhat level. This park has beautiful landscaping that is always meticulously maintained. They also host events and if you check their event calendar on their website, you can see what’s going on during your stay. We were fortunate enough to see the band Timestamp and loved it! They even had a community bonfire!
Legend
Stayed here a night to go to the Reds game. Easy in and out. Nice sites. Confirmed it all over email. Ubered into the city and back. Nice paved roads. The kids could scooter around. Quiet but full. We’d definitely stay again. Very clean and safe.
LegendWe enjoyed this site a lot. Neighbors weren’t sitting on top of one another. There was a tree for shade and plenty of space and grass to walk our dogs. Shower house was great!
GuidePulled in at 9:15pm, pulled out at 5:15am the next morning. The woman running the campground was helpful on the phone when we called a couple hours earlier, and had our pull through spot ready to go. Bathhouse was on the primitive side but very clean. The pool, playground, and gaming covered shelter were closed for the evening, but were clearly in excellent condition. Would be a great place to stay longer if we’re ever back in the area!
ScoutI have stayed here several times. The showers are clean and the staff is friendly. Camp sites are spacious. The full hookup sites are a bit smaller. Over all a nice campground!
Scout
Hospitality was amazing, loaned steps for trailer, helped level, hook up to site! Couldn’t ask for friendlier place to stay! First time camper with trailer!!’
Scout
Hunter is an amazingly hospitable host and was always there to answer any questions and was willing to go above and beyond to make sure our stay was the best possible. Great place to stay if you want to be close to Cincinati without having to stay in the city and pay those crazy hotel prices or the overpriced campgrounds that just make you feel cramped. Not here plenty of space to roam in his backyard. My wife and I actually tried out his disc golf and found out we are better at just tossing frisbee in his spacious backyard. All in all, its a great place with a great host and If plan to be coming back to the area he will be my first call.
Ranger
I was impressed that this KOA had so many trees. Best tent sites are 320 and the ones next to the creek. Quietest tent sites are 408, 409 and 410, but those are also furthest from the bathroom. Very clean showerhouses. Great basecamp to explore the Dayton area.
ScoutWe've been to Cowan a few times, first time in this loop and was not disappointed. Bathroom was clean and well stocked through the weekend. Additional vehicles have to pay $3.
Scout
Dont go here if you expect peace and quiet. We were in a group campsite and there were partiers on both sides of us. Music blaring and yelling all night long. Complaining doesn't do any good either. Park ranger just went and said quiet time was at 10 but never came back around at night to check to see if people were abiding by the rules. Won't be going back. Too much money to spend only to have to put up with no sleep because of loud music and drunks.
ScoutThe Cedar Point group camp at Caesar's Creek is a large hillside camp site. Yes, hillside. The site sits at the end of an access road that circles back on itself and has a reasonably large parking lot. A large flat lawn sits inside of the road circle but the majority of the campsite is a steep hill with a few flat spots for tents. There is a fire pit and picnic shelter at the top of the so you'll be lugging your supplies up the hill for meals.
Several trail heads start all around the site, both on top and at the bottom of the hill. One of those trails leads down from the hilltop to a small beach on the water. Since the trailhead starts from the picnic shelter at the top of the hill it's reasonably private and we enjoyed fishing and swimming from the beach. It does sit in the wake zone so you'll have to deal with waves from the boats.
The restrooms are at the bottom of the hill and have flush toilets with running water for washing, though only the cold water was working when we visited. The worst we encountered there were carpenter bees and some spiders. They were reasonably clean when we arrived too. The park service did come and close them early on our checkout day, but they came back and reopened them for us by request.
Overall, there are better group camp sites at Caesar's Creek. Wellman Meadow has the same amenities, except for the beach, and is flat as a board. Book that site if you can but if it isn't available, and the hill won't be a challenge for your group, Cedar Point is fine.
Guide
We stopped at the park for 2 nights (Sun, Mon). The park was peaceful and relaxing. We were able to pick up provisions and enjoy dinner in Walton. Site had electric and water. The dump station has 2 stations. One requires circling back through the campground after use.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near West Chester, OH is East Fork State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 63 reviews.
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