South Bass Island State Park Campground

The cliffside sites are absolutely beautiful.  We stayed in 107 and the view is breathtaking! Bathrooms and shower house were good! Staff was very friendly.  I wouldn’t suggest booking a cliffside site if you have small children. We also liked that the campground is gated. We will be going back!

The sites on the cliffs are fantastic but any site will do. Great location if you want to camp on the island. Not much to do on the island itself so I wouldn’t make this a destination like I would a larger area of park. Bathrooms are clean, they have showers and a pin code to get into the park. Love it!

Overall, the campground was good, but what really made it spectacular was the view from the coastal campsites. The fire rings are situated right on the edge of the cliff so you can enjoy an evening watching the sunset over the water.

The rest of the campsite was nice. It was equipped with water stations, shower stalls, and flush toilets.

Checking in was really easy, and the campground even has a keypad gate so it’s just campers beyond that point.

Had a great camping trip! Miller’s Ferry to the island. Completely Shaded. Mostly level. Some are narrow-ish. Our site 32, was long back into the open wooded area behind us. Everyone was respectful. Shower houses decent. Older and clean. Private shower stalls. Plenty of drinking water stations and grey water dump too. We were there with the mayflies 😂 harmless but plentiful! Wifi worked. Office open after 3pm-ice. Lake is beautiful. Tent sites-no electric-on the lake and are picturesque. We rented a golf cart to get around the island, which was a lot of fun. Sunsets near Perry’s Memorial are magnificent. Goat Soup and Whiskey-best restaurant! Second best-Upper Deck.

First time here easy access. Sites are nice. Very shady with nice breeze from Lake.

We come here twice a year on girls trips.. we love it here! Very nice friendly staff..

Sites were smallish but flat. Bathrooms/showers were clean. Camp store had firewood but not much else. Put- in-bay was a short bike ride away. If you don’t like drunk frat boys, visit during the week.

Although we camp in a motor home, this is one of the best tent camping spots I’ve seen. About twenty of the tent spots overlook the cliffs with great views of the water. Sites 97 and 114 sit on the edge of the cliff. This makes these two spots really unique. However, families with young children, unstable adults, and those who like to party would find these sites profoundly dangerous. The tents are two feet from the edge of the cliff.

There are no electric RV sites with a cliff-edge view. We stayed in Site 46, which was next to the restroom and just fair. The flattest RV sites with fair to good locations are Sites 57 and 44 (although even these will require a little leveling).

The campground includes very clean flush toilets and even cleaner showers (no cost for the showers). Wood and ice are available at the check-in building. In the summer there are kayak rentals.

If you haven’t been to this island everyone uses golf carts and bikes (90% golf carts). Golf cart rental shops are everywhere. We used bikes and saw the entire island. The restaurants and shops are at the other end of the island from the campground. Getting there took about twenty minutes by bike (probably seven minutes by golf cart).

We loved it here and extended our stay. The people are wonderful and the town is filled with things to do. The campground is quiet and tranquil. Rates for an RV site with electricity were $39.00 in September of 2021.

We've stayed here for the last 3 years for a long weekend in late July. They keep the campgrounds and facilities very clean. Always a good time. Always a few sites with obnoxiously wasted people but that comes with being on Put in Bay.

This campground is perfect for tents, as they get to camp right on the water. The electric/full hook up sites are pretty close together considering it’s a state park. There are very few full hook up sites. The dump station is on an incline and the inlet pipe is a foot off the ground which makes dumping challenging.

Great location with many shoreline sites facing west with some of the best sunsets to be seen. Easy access for canoeists and kayakers, gentle shoreline, office is just a short walk away. Ferry accommodate paddlers if you are not up for the trip from the mainland. The island appears to be primarily rock, I couldn’t find a spot to get a tent stake in more than 1-2 centimeters. Bathrooms and showers are average. 

Put-in-Bay may be Ohio’s Key West but this state park is a mile+ from party central but it was quiet, particularly after-dark.  Seasonal law-enforcement stay here too. If you walk into town you need to keep an eye out for golf carts needing to slow-down. 

I hope to return.

https://ohiodnr.gov/wps/portal/gov/odnr/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/south-bass-island-state-park

We camp here at the beginning and end of the season where the bars are less crowded and the campground isn’t as booked.

These lakeside campsites are stunning and even the one tucked further into the park have a lot of options too. From open areas where it would be fun to book a couple sites with friends, and some secluded for more privacy.

We always stay lakeside because you cannot beat the view! We’ve stayed 103 and 114!

One hint: be we are on the cliffs of Lake Erie, some sites you might have to hunt for soft ground to stake your tent.

This is a beautiful place to stay when visiting put-in-bay. You are secluded from the party central street but a golf cart away if you wanted to join the festivities. This camp ground is on lake erie and offers beautiful views of the lake and access to the water. Will definitely stay here again!!! Books up quickly

We love camping at South Bass. It's the perfect weekend getaway. The campground is about 1.5 miles from the "party" side of the island, which makes staying on PIB a much quieter experience. Stayed at #132 and #135, and we're headed back later this month. Can't beat the view and plenty of space. Slight slant on 135, but we positioned our tent the right way so it wasn't a problem. Occasionally heard some people coming in late at night being at the front of the park, but overall it was a great experience.

Clean site, adequately spaced sites and clean and well stocked facilities! I’d absolutely recommend! With the amount of bars, restaurants and site seeing available on the island, it’s definitely good for a 3-4 day camping trip!!

I recently camped here at South Bass Island State Park. Because of current Covid-19 restrictions, the campground was pretty empty (which I hear is very unusual for summertime). I camped in a tent-only site on the edge of the 25 foot cliff. Great for adults, but no safety barrier for young children.  Campsite #97 and#99 have fire rings right on the cliff. (I camped at #99.)

The facilities at the campground are clean and well maintained and the people who work at the camp store are friendly.

The campground is well shaded with mature trees throughout and it over looks Lake Erie to the West making for great views of the sunset. Some sites are right on top of each other and others are well spread out.

Both tent camping and RV/Trailer camping. A few Yurts to rent also which are somewhat isolated from the other camping areas. Reservations can be made exactly 6 months in advance and only a few sites are kept open for walk ins anymore. The sites along the cliff overlooking the lake have fabulous views but are ONLY for tents and one should NOT camp there with small kids.

The RV camp sites and many of the other camp sites are inland from the cliff and while wooded are generally very close together and most do NOT have a lake view. The ONLY quiet areas in the campgrounds on the weekends are the cliff tent areas since it is a party island and the young people camping in the interior areas seem to never go to bed.  

The Park has a rocky beach (shoes NECESSARY) which is actually a nice swimming area if you aren't looking for sand under your feet or blanket.  That beach is the only free public place to swim on the island (some hotels do have pools). That beach area is a great area though to launch a kayak or sailboard to use in the cove. There is also a regular boat ramp for larger boats or jet skis.  NO overnight boat tie ups at this state park dock (some at the downtown state park, but those are hard to snag)

The town is about 1.5 miles down the road and easy to get to via bicycle or island taxi - vehicle parking very limited if you try to drive into town. and the town has numerous bars and restaurants with lots of live entertainment on the weekends. 

The town is definitely a"party" location on the weekends during the summer months. and there is a very pretty and active harbor there, usually with 100 to 200 boats including some in the 40 to 50 foot range in the harbor on the weekends. 

The slow ferry to the island (Miller) is the car ferry and it has free parking if you can leave your vehicle behind on the mainland and transport your stuff to the campgrounds via a bike trailer or some other way (about a mile+ from the ferry dock to the state park). If you do take your vehicle over note that the wait time to bring it back on a Sunday while usually 2 to 3 hours can also be up to 6 hours from when you get in line (beware the Miller ferry stops running about 8pm, ie: near sunset). Usually little or no wait time when bringing a vehicle or RV back mid week.

Pick when you want to go depending upon how much you enjoy noise and partying.  Mid week during the summer season is the best time for those who aren't into 24 hour partying and weren't able to snag a cliff side camp site.  Kelly's Island is quieter and has a nice natural sand beach, so better for weekend trips if going with a family, or if you definitely need a sand beach.  If bands, noise, drinking, and people watching are your desire, well this is the place to go on a summer weekend (ala Key West party atmosphere)

Beautiful place, well kept, lots of sites overlooking the lake and a lot of shade. The island is pretty well known as a party island so we generally only camp here off-season now. There is a lot to see and explore like the caves, the monument in the world famous bars. The entire island is pretty rowdy during the summer so plan accordingly. We usually do kelleys island in the summer and Put-in-Bay in the offseason if we're headed this way. Wifey says the bathrooms were below average (most important for her).

We stayed at one of the primitive tent sites at South Bass Island State Park and had the most enjoyable time. The site was on a cliff overlooking Lake Erie. The campground was very well kept and clean. The park staff was friendly and helpful, and the park office was stocked with necessities at a decent price. If I had any complaint at all, it would be that the sites are really close together, which could be a problem at busy times. Fortunately we only had one neighbor directly beside us, and they were very nice folks. Would highly recommend this campground!

Accessible from ferry, this camp ground offers stunning views of Lake Erie. With clean running water and facilities, the only downside is that the camp grounds are a tad too crowded for my preference.

This small park is laid out on the grounds of the former Victory Hotel, in it’s heyday the largest wooden structure in the US.

Tent campers can choose a site directly on the lakefront; trailers & RVs must camp in the second tier but some sites still have Lake views. The property has mature trees for good shade & there is easy water access for paddling & fishing.

Thwre is a small onsite restaurant/ bar, with many more eateries, bars, and wineries a short bicycle or golf cart ride away. The bath houses are tidy & well kept by volunteers that trade work for camping time. A few sites have electric, water, & sewer; more have just electric (lake shore sites have no hookups).

Access is via ferry, If you chose to leave your car on the mainland (free parking there) & pack in there are multiple sources for golf cart & bike rentals. For a quiet visit camp Monday thru Thursday; if you like crowds & parties reserve weekend time in advance.

We enjoyed our stay & plan to return- it’s a very dog friendly place!

This campground has beautiful, cliff-side sites right on the water, which is probably not good for small children. The interior sites are just ok, but most are level with a bit of shade.

There is a rocky beach, boat rentals, and lots to do all over the island. There are shuttles from the campground into the main part of town.

What you need to be aware of here is the party atmosphere. Many young people camp here so that they can party in Put-In-Bay all day and night. Last time I was here, a group of 20-somethings came home at 2am and blared their music til 5. They quieted down a bit but started right back up at 7am. Not fun at all. This made me reluctant to return to this campground in the summer, as beautiful as it is. I'd try it in mid-September or October, but never summer again.

Most sites are strictly for pull behinds. Can be tent way off site. Watch for the sharp stones, this is a stone island so plenty of stone vs dirt. Awesome camp store if you catch while open..

Overall good campsite on South Bass Island. It's close to Put in Bay - famous for it's bar scene. If you're good at trekking, everything on the island is walking distance, but if you can bring it a bike would make for much quicker trips. There are also a number of taxi services or golf cart rentals available.

The sites are very small, but have very nice views of the lake. It stormed while I was there and the winds got strong, so make sure your tent is sturdy, or choose an in-land campsite.

Great sites, clean and modern amenities. Gets crowded, so book early. Easy access to town many island attractions.