Best Tent Camping in Ohio
Searching for a tent campsite in Ohio? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Ohio tent camping excursion.
Best Tent Sites in Ohio (96)
1. Maumee Bay State Park Campground
Oregon, Ohio40 Reviews•194 Photos•255 SavesCampground closed for renovations starting Nov 2019
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Cabins
2. Cuyahoga Valley National Park - CAMPING NO LONGER OFFERED
Peninsula, Ohio26 Reviews•127 Photos•117 SavesOverview
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a destination for millions of visitors each year who enjoy hiking, riding the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad , biking and picnicking. Whether you need an area large enough for a family reunion or just an intimate spot for two, Cuyahoga Valley is an ideal destination. Picnic areas are scattered throughout the park. Two rustic shelters, Ledges and Octagon, are available for reservation in the Virginia Kendall Unit of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Recreation
With many different facilities and attractions in the park, there is something to interest everyone. Most shelter areas have open fields for games and nearby hiking trails.Visitors enjoy riding the scenic railroad, exploring the visitor centers, catching one of the summer concerts, attending one of the ranger-guided programs, biking the Towpath Trail or picnicking in one of the park's picnic shelters.
Facilities
Cuyahoga Valley's two shelters are fully-accessible. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed them with American chestnut and locally quarried sandstone. The shelters are located near Ritchie Ledges, an area with approximately 2 miles of Sharon conglomerate stone cliffs about 30 feet (9m) tall. A large play field and hiking trails are available near each shelter.Ledges Shelter accommodates up to 75 people. It has two fireplaces and eight picnic tables inside, as well as eight tables in the outside pavilion and a large grill. Octagon Shelter accommodates up to 50 people. During the summer months its walls are removed; they are in place from October 15 to May 14. Seven indoor picnic tables, two fireplaces and an outdoor grill are provided.Both shelters have electricity for normal two-pronged household appliances such as coffee pots and crock pots. Drinking water is available at a drinking fountain from May 1 to September 15. Restrooms with flush toilets are available year-round.
Natural Features
The Cuyahoga River flows through the park for 22 miles (35 km), fed by more than 190 miles (306 km) of perennial (permanent) and ephemeral (temporary) streams. The Beaver Marsh and other wetlands, many lined with cattails and dense patches of duckweed, provide a home for many of the park's reptiles and amphibians and help filter pollutants from the water.
Nearby Attractions
Visit Brandywine Falls, the historic Boston Store Visitor Center, Ritchie Ledges, the Beaver Marsh and the Everett Road Covered Bridge. These are some of the more popular attractions in the park.
Charges & Cancellations
Cancellations more that 14 days before arrival will receive a refund minus a $10 cancellation fee. Cancellations less than 14 days out will forfeit the entire fee. However, the reserving party may be given an opportunity to reschedule the reservation (based on availability) within 12 months of the original reservation by contacting the park.
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Cabins
- Market
$80 - $110 / night
3. Zaleski State Forest
Zaleski, Ohio16 Reviews•65 Photos•98 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Equestrian
4. White Oak Campground
Whitehouse, Ohio10 Reviews•17 Photos•107 SavesWhite Oak Campground is a primitive campground. It has eight individual and two group campsites for tent camping. Only tent camping is permitted.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- Tents
$30 - $40 / night
5. Heritage Farms
Peninsula, Ohio9 Reviews•52 Photos•157 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Trash
$35 - $55 / night
6. Dayton Metro Parks (Five Rivers Metroparks)
Germantown, Ohio8 Reviews•20 Photos•82 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- Tents
$15 - $28 / night
7. Scioto-Grove Metro Park
Grove City, Ohio8 Reviews•13 Photos•98 SavesScioto Grove Metro Park is a 620-acre park along the Scioto River with mature forests and scenic bluffs overlooking the river. It features more than seven miles of trails, two picnic areas with shelters, tables and grills, a kids play area and several overlook decks. The park is located on a scenic bend of the Scioto River and is a great destination for canoeists, kayakers, anglers and people wanting to see waterfowl and other wildlife. Dogs on leashes are welcome throughout the park, which also features a sledding hill. Thanks to a generous donation of 193 acres of land from the City of Grove City, funds from the State of Ohio Clean Ohio Program, and passage of a property tax levy by Franklin County voters, Metro Parks has developed this park for people of all ages and abilities to experience nature and enjoy quality time with family and friends. Additional support came from outdoor retailer REI to construct a backpack trail along the river for those just getting into the sport, as well as those seasoned backpackers who want a quick overnight without having to journey several hours.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Trash
8. Park and Pack Campsite 10 — Mohican-Memorial State Forest
Loudonville, Ohio5 Reviews•32 Photos•46 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
9. Mohican State Park Campground
Perrysville, Ohio5 Reviews•26 Photos•41 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Group
- Alcohol
10. Benton's on the Baileys
Chauncey, Ohio4 Reviews•9 Photos•13 Saves- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Group
- Cabins
$40 - $125 / night
Showing results 1-10 of 96 campgrounds
Recent Tent Reviews in Ohio
2713 Reviews of 96 Ohio Campgrounds
- JJoe I.
Guide
West Branch State Park Campground
Great park
First time at this park I can see why it's always booked up. It seems like the sites are good sized but some are on slopes even the pads so make sure to bring stuff to level. Bathrooms were clean separate showers verizon works well here.
Brad H.
Traveler
Kiser Lake State Park Campground
Great views of the lake
We camped on lot 57 and the view of the lake was awesome! The new bathhouse is open year round
Megan M.Guide
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.
- K
Kim L.Guide
Silver Springs Campground
Simple but comfortable.
Review in a previous post.
- KKim L.Guide
Silver Springs Campground
Simple but comfortable.
Stayed here while visiting Cuyahoga NP although was 15-20 minute drive to park. But is close to quaint beautiful towns such as Stow Silver and Hudson. Close to a golf course. I felt the road noise was bothersome at night. Most of the sites are simple, treeless but grassy. The power station was several feet from the driveway but the camp host encouraged me to drive on the grass to access power. The price is very reasonable.
- TTammy F.Guide
Old Stone Church Campground
Easy Access - Mostly Quiet
Easy pull-thru site for our small travel trailer. Each pull-thru is set-up for horses, but RVs are allowed (according to NFS website). Maybe because it was Halloween night, maybe due to hunting season, I dunno, but there seemed to be more traffic than expected for this road. Our only neighbors got a little... rowdy, but it was okay.
Campsite fee is $15 on the honor system. If you have a National Park's Golden Age or Access pass, they honor a 50 percent discount.
I had good 4G ATT cell service. Worked well, with no drops. Data was a bit slower than usual but still good.
The only facilities here were a single pit toilet (surprisingly clean) and a trash can at each site. There may be more services during the height of the season, at least water for horses, but nothing else I could tell.
A short distance further down the road, just after it turns to gravel, at the Old Stone Church trailhead, there are grassy places to back in smaller campers/RVs. And even further down the road, after it turns back to asphalt :D, there's a private campground with utilities, I think, but we only saw it and didn't check it out.
Camden H.Traveler
Constitution County Park
Way to open
The park overall is nice, just a little small. Perfact if you want to camp alone or with a small party of six. It runs right next to the little Miami. The road is extremely near and you can hear every car driving g by. The fall chill by the fire is nice but it's way to open for my taste. Anyone can pull in and see your entire setup just from the road or parking lot. If you plan to go and you are not a people person, I would definitely suggest going away from holidays. The little town across the way is a fun site to see and quiet. There is only one site to camp at, so you won't have to worry about other campers the park is all yours. The Only concern is the visitors to the park
Sonya M.
Scout
Paramount's Kings Is Camp Grnd
Place is permanently closed
The park is closed and should no longer be listed on the app.
- Brad H.Traveler
Indian Lake State Park Campground
Very polite and helpful
Everyone is very polite and helpful with anything you may need. The camp hosts are awesome 👍
- TTammy F.Guide
Punderson State Park Campground
Only consideration is noise...
TL:DR-This is a really nice, well-kept campground, though there may be some noise.
Pros: very clean, well-kept grounds and bathrooms; there's a nice-looking playground, two lakes, trails.
Considerations: the entire time we were here, the wind was 10-15 mph and all of our neighbors were very quiet, friendly, and respectful. So the majority of what we heard was October winds blowing leaves off the trees (nice!!), but the few times the wind died down, or when motorcycles or large trucks were on the highway, the sound came thru loud and clear.
The only other thing I can say that I don't think others did, is that some of the sites, like ours, while more or less level where you'd put an RV, might require going up or down an incline to get to the picnic table. A bit of a problem if you have trouble with knees or hips. ;)
Lee D.
Legend
East Harbor State Park Campground
Another great Ohio State Park
General: This campground is huge with a mix of FHU (some back-in and some pull-through), electric hookup, no hookup, group sites, cabins, and one yurt. On a Monday night in June, many of the sites were occupied.
Site Quality: All camper pads were paved and appeared level. Some sites were a little close together but there was reasonable separation and there was plenty of foliage. Site H3 was a good one as it had no site next to it on one side.
Bath/Shower house: In our loop, the bathhouse was clean. It took a while for the water to get hot but once it did, it was very hot. The water pressure was very good. The only problem with the shower was that water leaked out onto the floor outside and there always appeared to be a lot of water, which could pose a slipping hazard.
Activities/Amenities: A camper store and nature center, game room, laundry, dump station and potable water, disc golf, hiking trails, multi-use trails, marina (for large boats, not kayaks or SUPS), basketball, volleyball, archery, fish cleaning station. I think I mentioned everything!
We enjoyed our two-night stay here, and if/when we return, we would consider taking a ferry to some of the smaller islands nearby.
- Lee D.Legend
Delaware State Park Campground
Large, well-laid-out park on the Delaware Reservoir
General: 214-site campground, all with electric hookups. Campsites are in four loops.
Site Quality: All sites are paved and appeared to be level. A fire ring, picnic table, and electric hookup complete each site. Generous foliage provides separation between most sites.
Bath/Shower: Fully contained all-gender units in the third loop. Each one has a bench and a baby changing station. Soap and air dryers. A more traditional bath/shower house was in the fourth loop (don’t know about the first two loops).
Activities/Amenities: Several hiking trails (but it was raining when we were there so didn’t explore), a small putt-putt course (free use of putters and balls), disc golf, shuffleboard, basketball, tennis, and a small camper store. Each loop has a playground and other recreational options (i.e. volleyball net). The marina offers water toy rentals.
My five-star rating is based on the possibility of what our stay might have been if the weather had cooperated! Unfortunately, it was cold and rainy during our stay in June. We will definitely be back again to take advantage of the marina rentals.
- Dave B.Guide
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
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.
- Dave B.Guide
Hocking Hills State Park Campground
Crown Jewel of Ohio
Autumn is the best time to experience this Park. Less crowded than summer. 5 million visitors last year. More than Yellowstone. Guided hike was the best.
- Dave B.Guide
Mound Ridge
Caesar Creek State Park Campground
Not sure about Mound Ridge. This is the Campground for Caesar Creek State Park. Excellent facilities. Clean bathrooms with showers. New electrical posts.
- Amanda E.Scout
Findley State Park Campground
Very nice
We tent camped. Loved the place. Loved the kayak launch. Some of the sites are super close together. We took a look around and got an idea of where we went to stay next time.
- Amanda E.Scout
Leafy Oaks RV Park and Campground
One of our local favorites
We tent camp. They have a great spot that’s set back in the woods. There are lots of trees. Very peaceful. Dislikes are no shower houses or toilets back there except one port a potty. The shower houses they do have not a huge fan of. Def bring your flip flops. They have a nice pond.
- CChristopher M.Traveler
Indian Lake State Park Campground
Road life
Great park. Staff friendly and helpful bathrooms close to every site. Would be more convenient if all sites had full hookups
- Brad H.Traveler
Mt Gilead State Park Campground
Store didn't open for the first two days we were here.
The store and check in office weren't open to check in or get the wifi password.
- Brad H.Traveler
Mt Gilead State Park Campground
Small but busy. Pretty close to 95. A little loud at times. Hard to find the office open.
Heated bathroom was nice.
- BBethGuide
John Bryan State Park Campground
Great, Small Campground
Campground is small with all you need. Shower house. Potable water. Dump station. Nearness to wonderful trails in the SP and Clifton Gorge. Just beautiful. Near picturesque Yellow Springs. Which has the BEST pizza at Bentinos
Dan M.Traveler
Cross Creek Camping Resort
Nice spot in a good location.
Sites are pretty close together and mostly permanent, but it’s in a good location and decent amenities. Our site needed maintenance but overall, it was a good week.
- AA B.Traveler
Geneva Hills - Camp and Event Center
Would stay again
Tent site was nice. We could make dinner and there weren’t any mosquitoes even though it was right above a swamp. It was a nice driving distance from Hocking Hills and a neat place to camp.
- JJOHN T.Legend
Sun Retreats Geneva on the Lake
Nice Huge CG
Nice huge CG with mostly long term residents. Gravel roads and relatively level gravel sites. Good FHUs. A lot of amenities for things to do. Laundry facilities were clean with good machines. We would stay here again.
- jjean A.Scout
Wolfie's Campground
Great place, not peaceful at night
Bathrooms very clean. Loved the free games. Cabin was very clean and had comfortable beds. Doesn’t make sense to have quiet time at dark when bar nearby plays loud music outside till late.
- Julia A.Guide
Mohican Wilderness
River of Fire
We came here during the 2024 River of Fire Event. The campground was packed but you couldn’t tell because the sites were all so spacious! Half the sites are right on the river which gives a good view and great place to fish and kayak(too cold on this trip). The event was very well organized and very fun to participate in. Staff was all very friendly and helpful! After the event many campers cleared out(end of season and kids in school) so my husband and I basically had the whole campground to ourselves for 2 of the days. It was extremely peaceful there and we look forward to returning.
