Cowan Lake State Park 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.

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.

Every facility you need. Really engaged staff. Camp Coordinator Linda has a great group of people on board. Very friendly.

Great hiking trails and people are friendly

Although it’s quite a bit off the main road, it was a nice place to stay. Gate was manned when we arrived just before 8:00 pm. Clerk told us to book online once we picked our spot, as she had just closed the register. We just chose an open spot that was level as we could see in the dark. Weary from a day of travel, we put our heads on the pillow and were fast asleep. Shortly after 9 we heard several rounds of gun shots; that was alarming because it was well after sunset. All in all it was a nice spot with electric only. Several gray water dumps were situated throughout the campground. Dumpsters were full from I’m sure what was a busy weekend of fall camping. The lake was beautiful with ability to rent kayaks. Frisbee golf was onsite too. Commissary for ice and basic sundries, with playground nearby. We didn’t visit the bathhouse, so I’m unsure of it’s condition. Tenant sites with no electricity were down by the lake. Cabin rentals were in a separate spot, off the lake. All in all, in was a nice place with lots of things to do. More of a destination park, for sure.

Campground staff and volunteers are amazing! Friendly atmosphere beautiful scenery

My husband and I love to paddle board. This is a no wake lake and is perfect to get out on the water. Camping in the campground has many sunny sites. There are shady sites. Camper cabins are great too. Shower houses are nice and clean. Camp store available for any necessities.

I've stayed here in the past and Cowan Lake does not disappoint. The B site campground is all non-electric tent camping, and far enough away from the larger RV pads that it's a quiet little campsite! Also, these sites are super close to the bathrooms on the beach, which were very clean during our stay. I was incredibly impressed, because the beach gets pretty busy during the day. The beach itself was clean (for a lakeside beach- there are geese, it's Ohio) and the lake was gorgeous! I will say, the only MILD annoyance is that some of the other campers would drive to the parking lot in front of our campsite and park there into the evening hours to fish or head down to the docks. I'm an early riser, so the headlights and car doors slamming were mildly annoying after about 10p. Not enough to make me choose a different campsite, but worth noting. We rented a tandem kayak and explored the lake, and the equipment was all in good condition. The Commisary is pretty limited but they do have a small kitchen and ice cream, as well as the basics like firewood and ice, as well as the boat rentals. Overall, one of my favorite lakeside campgrounds!

My family and I visit Cowan Lake several times each year. We always have a great time there. Family not shown

Cowan Lake State Park is near Wilmington, Ohio and they have been making a lot of improvements to the park.  It is a great location between Cincinnati and Columbus with easy access from the highway.  This is good if you want to meet with friends somewhat in between.  It isn't too close to the highway so you don't hear the road noise as it is a few miles away but it is an easy drive to the park. 

They have been revamping the Nature Center to make it more accessible to folks as they have recently added a ramp. The Nature Center actually has two buildings side by side used for different purposes.  Then behind the Nature Center they have a location where several birds are located in cages.  Then next to where the birds are kept you will notice a new paw print trail that is a short but informative hike.

The commissary has great pizza and ice cream.  We also bought our firewood and ice from them as well.  We didn't need to leave the park.  We had a few trails to pick from and picked two of the shorter ones for members in our group.  

The cabins have been revamped as well.  They are all close to each other so if you wanted to have a family reunion or a get together this would be a great spot to do so.  At the end of the main road it will lead you to the lake.  You can use the dock to put your boat out (kayak and certain motor boats).  Folks are fishing at the lake or simply enjoying the beauty of the lake.  

The beach is simple but that is part of the charm.  It is clean and we were able to swim on the hot days that we had while camping.

My wife and I love this small state park. There are two main camping areas, wooded and shaded for smaller rv’s, trailers, tenters while the other section caters to larger RV’s and Motor homes with pull thru and longer pads. This section does have some trees but mostly sunny. There is one main bath house that is quite nice and kept clean. Several restrooms are scattered throughout with flush toilets. Camp hosts are friendly and helpful and do a great job of keeping the campground clean when folks leave. There is a small camp store, though its been closed this summer. There are places to get firewood and prices vary from $5-20 per bundle or stack. Marina is on the other side of the lake but only rents small boats and pontoons. The lake is limited to 9.9 hp motors. OK fishing from the beach area and docks. There are a few hiking trails and they do have cabins that have been updated recently. We are there several times a year camping with our teardrop.

Camping here midweek might not give us the full experience but it’s been a really quiet park. We are in site 151 and it’s a really large, level and dry site. We got some rain last night and today walking around we noticed lots of sites are very muddy. The hiking trails are nice and well marked. The nature center was closed due to COVID but it looked nice. We also had good cell coverage with Verizon.

Lots to do for families Nice size lots A variety of water stations

While the tent spots did not have a lot of shade, the sites are close to the lake and make for some wonderful sunsets. All of the staff we encountered were friendly and helpful and all in all it was a great stay. We rented bikes from the camp store and swam at the beach which was conveniently close to the tent sites. Lots of fun and 10/10 would return again. I'm excited to come back and see how the young trees they have growing in the tent sites take off.

Wow! Beautiful place, huge lake, very peaceful out by the water.

Campground was not the best- sites were VERY close together, with most of the campground completely exposed with no shade. It was like trying to relax on a huge parking lot jammed with RVs and people. At most of the sites, you'd literally have a family up against you 20 feet to the left and a family 20 feet to the right. This might be fun for kids, but not fun if you are looking for some peace and quiet.

The bathrooms were average for Ohio State parks- icky and grungy, but not gag-worthy. I'm used to the ickiness of state park bathrooms, so I wasn't grossed out. The showers and toilets nearest my site had big puddles of standing water full of dirt, bandaids, plastic wrappers and other gross items floating there the duration of the weekend. One sink was full of dirt the entire weekend. Showers were hot though, which is always a plus.

Great place for kayaking. There was a little free library, which is a great idea. The snack bar was hopping the whole time. They need to make more than one pot of coffee at a time in the mornings (1 pot when they have 249 sites? They are missing out on $$!!), but I only buy coffee on the morning I'm packing up.

Overall, I enjoyed it here, but I'd only go if there are LOTS of free sites and you know you aren't jammed up against 2-3 other groups of people.

Cowan Lake State Park - A friend and I were able to kayak on the lake the night of a Friday the 13th moon. It was beautiful. Sadly, no pictures as I do not have a water proof camera. The next day we also went out for another paddle under the bright sun.  The boat ramp and parking lot is easy to use and has a good layout.  They do have some tent sites close to the boat ramp area and you can see the lake from those tent sites. 

Our campsite did not have any trees but they have planted a lot of new trees. I assume this due the previous trees having to be cut down due to Emerald Ash borer damage. Our campsite didn't have any shade but others did so you really have to pick wisely. 

The trails here are easy and short.  I loved the informational boxes and tags that they had on the trees or plants.  This is helpful if you have little ones with you or if you are like me and just like to learn about the animals/plants on the trail. 

The park also had a lending library and walking stick lending program. I thought these were simple but memorable features for this park. 

Our campsite was close to two different bathroom structures.  One right behind our site was toilets only. This did mean that sometimes folks would walk on the edge or through the camp site at times.  The other bathroom structure was further down the road and it had both toilets and showers.  The larger bathroom had an ADA shower in it as well. 

The camp store was well stocked and you could rent bikes from the store. These bikes were often all over the campground so be extra careful when driving in the park.  They do have the orange flag but as they are low to the ground it is hard to see them at times. 

The cabins here have both a fire ring and grill. This isn't the case at all Ohio State parks so it was a nice surprise.  They also have a porch that is screened in with a view of the lake. You are not able to walk down to the lake from the cabin but it is a lovely view. 

For those who want to "Walk-On" camp please take a look at the photo of the neon yellow paper as how the park approaches this will be different in the future. 

**Not all photos or videos uploading so some information may be missing. I will try to upload again later.

Nice place, spread out, plenty of room between sites, very little shade as they have cut down a whole lot of trees.

As always a great experience!! Friendly staff, beautiful grounds, overall excellent

Always a good time

Our family camped here for the first time and really enjoyed the park. Our site was nice and private, and it was very quiet there. We stayed in campground area 3, which was small with mature trees... very nice. The bathrooms were clean, and everything seemed well taken care of. We rented a boat and went out on Cowan Lake which we enjoyed very much. The kids had a blast fishing and they did a little swimming too. The lily pad part of the lake was neat to see, but the trail we tried to hike near there was a dead end and a bit of a bummer. Otherwise, we had a fun time and would visit again.

Unfortunately they lost most of the trees to disease. It’s a great campground for families looking for lots to do. Not good for someone seeking solitude and quiet. Plenty of activities for kids. Swimming and fishing were my favorites as a kid in the ‘70s there.

If you kayak the Lilly pad are awesome to paddle through.

Overall great campground! We try and make it a must every year!!!

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.

We love camping @ Cowen Lake State park! There are organized activities on the lake and through the nature center. You can also do your own thing. There are plenty of shady campsites, sunny ones, electric, primitive, pet-friendly, handicapped, and pull-thoughs. We love camping in the shady tree-lined areas where we have big sites for family gatherings. We've been camping here for over 10 years and love it!

The cabins are not in the best of shape. Finding mouse traps and some maintenance within the cabin that should have been done was concerning with a toddler. Nice cul-de-sac areas for groups with areas for kids to play. Ground is pretty level so bringing a bike for kids to ride on is nice. There is a playground in walking distance too. Great crappie fishing in early May just steep cliffs to get down to the water. There is a marina nearby where you can rent a John boat for pretty cheap too.