Beautiful scenery, very large park, fishing, boat rentals, man made beach, loooong floating boardwalk, lots of trails, unique sites and tons of history. It was very fun walking around while learning some of the very old and somewhat creepy history. The lodge/hotel is beautiful and very old. Very nice looking cabins arranged in a little community. The park is very well maintained, has a nice playground and cute camp store. A good amount of secluded and shaded sites. Really cool "hill" sites that you have to hike up or down 20-100 feet to your wooded site. Wifey says the bathrooms were below average, outdated and very buggy (most important for her).
We chose this park because it was the closest one we could find that was still open with electric this time of year to downtown Pittsburgh. Also, because it had great cell/internet service on our hotspots and had a lot of trails. Unfortunately, it had been raining a lot so we weren’t able to explore the trails. The campground is nice– the toilets are just pit toilets and they do have a sun shower. They are on a well so there is limited water and they don’t allow you to fill up your on board tank. Make sure you fill up before you go! Also, there is a road in the park (Echo Dell Road) that RV’s/Trailers can’t go on so make sure you approach this campground from Leslie Road!
When the campgrounds in the National Park were filled and I needed a place to land for the night, I ended up at Heritage Farms in a sunny shelter with a beautiful landscape of growing Christmas trees and gorgeous sunset. The shelter was clean, had a picnic table, and trash can. Porta johns were available, though not very close. It was a bit more expensive than many campgrounds at $35 per night but I was so happy and comfortable there that I thought it was worth it.
Phenomenally awesome state park site,included amenities such as cleaning stations, restrooms, playgrounds, public beaches,& relaxing vistas to just kick back on a bench to have a picnic or just simply take in the views around the vast area the lake itself covers. The entire area especially during early summer to fallmonths is brimming with excited visitors. Locals all coming to one central location to relax& get their outdoor on whatever that may be for the visitor. The lake includes exceptional fishing, boasting a few of PA's record holding catches, withholds deep& serene beauty,& is very easy to create memorable experiences alike. Plan a day trip or few day stay to see why so many people choosePymatuning State Park as they not to far get away destination today, you won't be disappointed that you did.
My family and I love Raccoon Creek State Park! It's beautiful and has everything you need for a great trip! Well maintained park with tons of stuff to do. They make sure the lake is readily stocked with fish. If your up for it I recommend the trails also. The wild flower reservation also has great trails.They have affordable boat rentals and the beach area is a nice spot to spend a day to relax. Camping is also great here. I've camped with my family several times with no complaints. The park rangers are also extremely helpful and very clear with the rules they want you to follow. Great fun for anyone!Lovely picnic areas. The bathrooms weren't the cleanest but I've seen worse! There were a lot of loud campers late at night(way after 11, even beyond as late as 12:30 am). Other than that, great!
The site sits up on a ridge overlooking the scenic railroad. Not extremely private. You can see a parking lot and hikers walking by at the bottom. Being higher up on the ridge helped make it feel a bit more secluded. There’s a big container fire chamber, bathrooms and water down at the bottom. Overall we really enjoyed, would be back.
I arrived here hoping a primitive site was still available and indeed two were! They allowed me to walk in and decide the site that I'd like. I was only there for the night, but enjoyed the atmosphere and the friendliness of the employees!
I arrived here hoping a primitive site was still available and indeed two were! They allowed me to walk in and decide the site that I'd like. I was only there for the night, but enjoyed the atmosphere and the friendliness of the employees!
Beautiful facilities. Clean bathrooms. Lots of activities. Great play area for the kids!
I have been coming here for a few years since I have family in the area, but this year there's a brand new pool (not open yet), and the price for just electric and water with no sewer is $145 more than last year for a two week stay!! Last year was $275 for two weeks and this year is $420!! Priced me out of here….. Oh, no wifi right now either.
I love this campground. Nice people and very clean! Lots of nice sites.
Clean and accommodating state park on beautiful Shenango lake. Great to boat and fish.
Austin lake offers plenty of fun with the lake. Kayaking, inflatables, beach, but almost anything you want to do will cost you am additional charge. Need to use the bathhouse? Better take quarters….bc the showers are coin opperated.
It can be a fun time, just be warned it'll cost ya. $$$$
Bear Run offers pull through sites for larger RV's. The pool is smaller but still enjoyable. Tons of activities always planned on the weekend. Family Friendly Friendly!
Campground is clean, offers many kid friendly activities, and staff is accommodating. Great time.
Great Place for adults and children to enjoy themselves! Plenty of activities. Welcoming Staff!
Halloween weekends are a great time to visit!
I loved staying at this farm! It is in the cuyahoga valley national park, so it is in a very central area if you want to explore! The views from the camp spots are incredible. We stayed in a lean to and it was so much fun! The bathroom was a Port o potty but it was very well maintained and clean.
Plenty of space, and quarry swimming area is well maintained. Fun place to explore and relax!
When we discovered that Shenango Corps of Engineers park had closed early in September, we needed to find a home right away. This met our needs very well. Despite the fact that it’s not our normal kind of camping, in the woods, it was very comfortable. It does not feel crowded, sites were grassy and all utilities worked well. Owners are very nice people and are working to continually improve this property they just acquired a couple years ago. The park is largely seasonal but has several spots for drop-in RVS and tents. Big rig accessible. We reserved for 2 nights, stayed 3 and would return. Bathrooms were clean if a bit unique with a rope and pulley system of water delivery to the shower head. I appreciate that the owners have a desire to keep prices steady but wonder if consideration might be given to some kind of a discount such as a rate for more than two days, passport America, AARP, a weekday discount, a weekly rate ….. $35 is about five dollars more per night more than we typically pay.
Went to Raccoon Creek State Park to camp for Labor Day weekend. We booked campsite F1 since we had 2 dogs and the F loop allowed dogs. This site was great! We could fit two tents and it was nice and secluded from the other sites. I recommend booking a site that is on the outside of the “loops” if you want some seclusion. The inner loop sites are right on top of each other, good for Rvs, not so much for tent camping. The bathrooms were a little bit of a hike, the next loop over, but they where clean and had flush toilets and running water along with a shower and sinks to wash dishes. There was a place to get water across from this site which was very convenient . The dog walking trails weren’t bad, but they where very up and down hill, at points steep and rocky. The spring was a really cool hike (right off the park office parking lot.) Down by the beach they had a place to buy wood, only $5 a bundle and the beach place also sells bags of ice. Overall a really good family campground!
Ranger Review: Morsel Spork at West Branch State Park
Campground Review:
This state park was very welcome after our first two unlucky Ohio state park experiences. We had no trouble pulling in at 3 pm on a Sunday after Labor Day with no reservations and snagging a very nice spot (Site 50 backs up to Kirwan Reservoir). There are two loops that are on Jay Lake where there is a beach; it was understandable that there weren’t any water view spots that had not been reserved here. A very quiet park that is well-maintained with lots of amenities. Even the rumbling of the nearby trains was on the quiet side! Nice playground with toy stocked sandpit, volleyball net, cheap laundry ($3 per load, wash and dry), dishwashing sinks, showers, and clean bathrooms. There was even a step stool for kids to be able to reach the sinks. A staffed store(9am-7pm on Sunday, 11am-7pm Monday– Thursday and 9 am– 8:30 pm on Saturday) with basic supplies and, of course, t-shirts and sweatshirts. Some of the sites have a slight grade so be cautious when selecting. Many trees that provide separation between sites. Several short hiking trails. A side note: I only saw one non-Ohio license plate besides ours in the entire park, almost like it is an Ohio secret (not anymore!)
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Product Review:
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I have the opportunity to test products. At this campground, I tested the large Morsel Spork from Outdoor Element. I have to admit that when I unpacked my box from Outdoor Elements, I was surprised at how LONG our morsel sporks were(we have other sporks that are much shorter so I was expecting these to be a similar size) but then I saw a photo of someone using it with their freeze-dried meal and it was an aha moment! No need to dirty another dish because this mighty spork can reach to the bottom of the pouch with no problem! These sporks are also sturdier than others we have used. The rubber scraper edge is a nice touch – would be great for getting the last delicious bits of meals from the freeze-dried meal pouches and I’m thinking also in glass or plastic containers. A very nice addition to our camping tools.
Spent a long weekend with the family. Nice cabins and trails.
Many of my friends from Ohio recommended checking out Nelson Ledges for apparent “cliff jumping” and a music festival. Overall the site is gorgeous with cliffs, a large lake, an island, beaches, pavilions, and decent travel roads. The cliffs aren’t that high and partially man made with cement pebbles. The rock-face was kind of painful to sit on due to its artificial nature. The location was cool, but felt very regulated and sterile. A lot of the rocks are man made with cement.There are also tons of signs up saying “no cliff jumping”, so it was kind of odd that it is known as a cliff jumping location. Definitely a pretty location with some decent amenities for campers!
My friends and I were going to a festival in the Northeast Ohio area. The festival camping was full, so we stayed at this location for a night. The sites are very affordable if split between little people. This very family orientated campground has a gravel road system connecting a ton of camp spots, RV locations, mobile homes, a playground, a swimming lake, and a even a fishing lake. The ground itself is huge, so kids can have fun and run around with other kids in nearby sections of the campgrounds. Overall there are a ton of amenities and very friendly staff. We told the office lady we would be back late at night, and she gave us a special passcode to the gate. That was super kind of her. The land isn’t particularly pretty and the campsite for tent camping are rather close together, but it’s a good location overall for RV’s. I wouldn’t recommend this location if you’re trying to enjoy nature, because sites are pretty close together and certainly not secluded. There are positives for tent campers including water taps, outlets, trash receptacles, bathrooms, and hot showers.
the lake is beautiful and the park is clean but the cabins or the one I was in needed maintenance badly.front porch was soft and spongy .the screened in porch had huge holes in the screens and a huge gap in the floor .the picnic table and fire pit were leaning badly. the bedroom had a hole in the wall which should have been a easy fix if anyone cared. the boat rental was nice
Nice stretch of forest in between Cleveland and Akron, stopped here on the way to a dead and co. show, gorgeous landscapes! Great views, trails for different skill levels casual walks or longer hikes there's something here for you. Would have liked to camp here as well but was packed from the concert and ended up staying in Mohican
The camp is beautiful. Opportunities for disc golf, archery range, canoing/kayaking/row boats, swimming (no lifeguard) and golf. Showerheads were to low for anyone over 5'7", and only a few sites were full hookup.
My girlfriend and I stayed at tent site 40 Friday August 9th and Saturday August 10th. Most of the sites were pretty private and ours was probably the most private and had a lot of space since we were on the very end of the road / cul-de-sac. I would definitely recommend this site if you like privacy but it is a longer walk to the bath house but we didn't mind that at all. The only thing I didn't like about the campground is that there is no wash tub / sink to wash your dishes which made clean up a little more of a chore. Other than that the staff were very friendly and it is overall a great campground.