Best Tent Camping near West Union, OH

Recent Tent Reviews in West Union

537 Reviews of 10 West Union Campgrounds

• 

  DD

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 17, 2024

  The Ole Cornfield

  This Place is Awesome! Favorite Camping Spot Ever

  James, Lauren and their crew were the best! Everyone was so friendly and helpful. The camping is just so relaxing, right on the river, open space, beautiful land! We can't wait to visit again.

• 

  Megan M.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 6, 2024

  Shawnee State Park Campground

  Some secluded sites in woods- nice!

  This campground has some features that are nicer than what is found in many state campgrounds. There are some secluded sites back in the woods, so you don't feel like you are camping in a parking lot in a few places. NOTE that most of these secluded sites (along the back edge of the campground) are up a flight of stairs. You have to carry all your gear up a hill or stairs to set up. You will not be near your car, which can get annoying.

  The bathrooms were average, not great but not gross. We were there on their Halloween weekend, with a fun site-decorating contest and trick or treat in the afternoon, which was mildly annoying for us because they closed the roads from 2 to 6 so we could not drive back to our site, and when we finally could, someone was in our parking pot for the next hour. 

  The lakes are quite tiny. The one at the campground is more like a large pond- fine for paddling around on a paddleboard for practice, but don't think you'll get in any meaningful kayaking or sight-seeing on this pond. The other lake is slightly bigger, but still not big enough for kayaking more than a couple hours at most.

  The new campground is on the river on what used to be the golf course- I will write a separate review for that.

  The lodge has some amenities (pool, hot tub, cafe, bar), but we ate in the restaurant and it was terrible. I do not recommend. Get some apps at the bar if you have to but keep your expectations low. We had pork nachos and the pork tasted old, everything was cold and it gave me a terrible stomachache.

• 

  Dave B.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 27, 2024

  Cowan Lake State Park Campground

  Large Campground

  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.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 26, 2024

  East Fork State Park Campground

  HUGE state park with many activities

  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.

• 

  BluePitMom O.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 24, 2024

  Sandy Springs Campground

  Serene!

  We stayed from Sunday until Tuesday and didn't want to leave! The campground offers something for everyone: playground equipment, basketball hoop and various balls, access to the river for fishing, and absolutely stunning views of the Ohio as well as the surrounding hills.

  The campers were friendly. Nobody was loud and obnoxious. The owners Julie and Darcy are super nice and helpful.

  We liked the campground so much we're returning in a few weeks!

• M

  Marcia L.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 19, 2024

  East Fork State Park Campground

  Just my luck

  When 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.

• 

  Megan M.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 18, 2024

  Stonelick State Park Campground

  Nice but Noisy

  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.

• j

  jeffrey D.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 12, 2024

  A.J. Jolly Park & Campground

  AJ Jolly campground

  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

• 

  Anna S.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 9, 2024

  Scioto Trail State Park Campground

  Tent only sites - quiet, wooded

  I stayed in the non-electric, tent-only campground NOT the RV campground. Out of curiosity, I drove through the RV campground and it was so loud and cramped! But the tent-only area is separate. Walk-in sites with pit toilets and potable water. The map of how the sites are laid out online is extremely inaccurate, I would not have picked my site if it had been accurate. But there was only one other camper and we all had plenty of space - I could barely see them through the trees. All sites appeared to have a picnic table and fire ring. Many miles of trails / dirt roads for hiking and biking. Clear skies at night. Very relaxing.

• z

  zarian F.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 5, 2024

  Stonelick State Park Campground

  Great experience

  Me 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

• 

  Tara C.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 24, 2024

  Scioto Trail State Park Campground

  Good

  It was a good campground, we had a hard time getting our rv to be level but overall we enjoyed it.

• M

  Marcia L.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 24, 2024

  East Fork State Park Campground

  Decent spot to tent camp (while working on my “itty bitt” camper

  Lot372 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!

• 

  Chaz C.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 22, 2024

  Beechwood Acres Camping Resort

  Small, But Great Family Spot!

  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!

• 

  James R.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 12, 2024

  Ashland Huntington West KOA

  Two night stay

  Start off by saying the staff were super great!!!! Stayed in space #1 and all the upper spots are open, wish they had more trees around the spaces. Overall it was still a great experience staying at this location.

• E

  Emily W.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 25, 2024

  Sandy Springs Campground

  Fun for all

  The campsite is totally geared towards family fun! The owners are so hospitable, that you feel like family! One of the most fun places we’ve ever stayed! My kids were busy nonstop with planned fun activities! And they had things for the adults as well and a lot of things for everyone to do together!

• 

  Shannon G.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 21, 2024

  East Fork State Park Campground

  Spacious site

  We 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!

• 

  Corey K.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 17, 2024

  Carter Caves State Resort Park

  State Park with Abundance of Nature

  A very nice state park with an abundance of natural resources surrounding the campground. There are many hiking options, some that explore the various caves around the grounds. The caves themselves are quite the treat.

  The staff are all very friendly and there are camping sites for tents or rigs. However, like many state parks that have not been updated, navigating into some of the spots with a large rig can be challenging. On the one hand, this is nice as there are mature trees throughout. On the other hand, they could increase the size / length of the existing campsites. There is a nice playground and a camp store for any items you have forgotten.

  The lodge is available down the road (within the state park) for dinner if you are looking to mix up the trip. Not fine dining, but decent food. There is also a pool available at a discounted rate for campers - which our kids enjoyed. Note: there are no full hookup sites, which is not uncommon for KY State Parks.

• 

  Jennifer M.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 7, 2024

  Zilpo Campground

  Beautiful campground

  Quiet, less utilized campground on Cave Run Lake. Campsites have more privacy and are more primitive. There is a bathhouse, but it is not regularly maintained. This campground is perfect for kayaking and fishing. Some of the campsites have private beaches.

• 

  David B.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 30, 2024

  Grayson Lake State Park Campground

  Very beautiful

  This place is very beautiful first and foremost. You can fish, rent boats and kayaks. Also the hiking isn’t to bad! They even have tennis courts and a small water park.

• 

  Kim H.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 24, 2024

  Paint Creek State Park Campground

  Family Oriented

  We used site 64 Sunday through Tuesday. The park was peaceful and pleasing as the employees and volunteers obviously take pride in their efforts. A 12-year-old was with me; she enjoyed shooting basketball and swinging at the playground. Fellow campers were quiet. I'll be back!

• J

  Jay S.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 12, 2024

  Hanging Rock Recreation Site

  Better Than Walmart

  We stayed in the parking lot as it was getting dark and didn’t know if there were any place to turn our rv around. Very quiet night and were visited by fireflies which was awesome.

• 

  Joshua R.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 9, 2024

  Carter Caves State Resort Park

  Nice park

  Level site. Staff cleans the bathhouse every hour.

• 

  Dori F.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 4, 2024

  Cowan Lake State Park Campground

  Great campground!

  We'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.

• J

  Jon C.

  Traveler

  

  May. 15, 2024

  Greenbo Lake State Resort Park

  Nice family oriented

  Spent 4 nights, nice quiet camp grounds. Was in spot number 61, closest spot to the bathhouse. Not sure it would be the best spot in midsummer as it was also closest to the dumpster. That said it was recently graded and leveled. The primary issue I had was having a smaller camper with a lower sewer connection and the sewer connection was higher than the bottom of my unit.

• 

  David A.

  Traveler

  

  May. 9, 2024

  Zilpo Campground

  Wonderfully Quite Place

  Stay 6 nights, very peaceful and quite place, this time of year! Campground empty, no one there. Beautiful sites, large, all fine gravel and paved pull offs, very nice! Bathrooms could use a update, easily Lot’s of bug in May, but huge amount of ticks 🕷️ Campground sets back off main road about 10 miles, so no traffic noise at all. Has boat lunch, beach, camp store, 2 dump stations, 7 loops host at most of them, very nice people. We had great time, will defiantly be back to stay again!

• J

  Joni C.

  Scout

  

  May. 4, 2024

  Sandy Springs Campground

  Epic Views

  We stayed in sites along the river. Wow, what a peaceful beautiful place. We will be back again and again

• 

  brielle M.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 4, 2024

  Cozy-Dale Campground

  Wonderful

  I have been living here for almost a year now and I will have to say it is really nice and well taken care of it’s not a big campground but it has the best people there and they have so many summer time events you can join in on if you are camping