South Bass Island State Park 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.

Picturesque and historical camp ground

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.

Small Island Campsites

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 &amp; RVs must camp in the second tier but some sites still have Lake views. The property has mature trees for good shade &amp; there is easy water access for paddling &amp; 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 &amp; well kept by volunteers that trade work for camping time. A few sites have electric, water, &amp; 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) &amp; pack in there are multiple sources for golf cart &amp; bike rentals. For a quiet visit camp Monday thru Thursday; if you like crowds &amp; parties reserve weekend time in advance.

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

A Jewel On Lake Erie

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!

Beautiful setting to camp!

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).

Beautiful place (off season)

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.

Camping on the cliff—a great get-away

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.

Favorite Waterfront Camping in Ohio

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. 

Older park, tents have the best view

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. 

Fun getaway

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. 

South Bass/PIB 

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

Nice wooded campsites

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. 

Beautiful, shady sites!

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. 

A Beautiful View 

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!

Nice lakeside camping

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!