Best Tent Camping in Ohio

Recent Tent Reviews in Ohio

2721 Reviews of 94 Ohio Campgrounds

• f

  fred F.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 8, 2024

  Kimpels Hickory Acres

  Decent place, will try again

  There is a Waterpark, pool, and hot tub at this campground you can access for an additional price. I camped in a tent next to the cabin that my sister rented so I'm not sure about the tent sites that are available. There are ALOT of full time campers here so I was under the impression that a good site will be hard to find here, but the bathrooms were good and there were things to do so I will try this place out again.

• M

  Mike B.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 6, 2021

  East Harbor State Park Campground

  A great weekend of fun!

  We went tent camping for the weekend and really enjoyed it! Many tent sites available and rather spacious sites. The beach was full since it was Labor Day weekend, but clean and shallow for kids to easily play. Clean bathrooms and shower houses and lots of places to ride our bikes. A nice place to stay if you want to take advantage of the lake, Sandusky or the Lake Erie islands.

• 

  Frank H.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 7, 2021

  Sandy Springs Campground

  Nice campground

  This was the last campground before returning home from a month long camping road trip across the country and back. Picturesque camp directly on the Ohio River. Very level. Small campground with about 40 sites. Basically all sites are for RVs and equipped with electrical and water and most with sewer. We were tent camping and set up and a very soft & thick grassy space on one of the empty sites. The owners plan to install dedicated tent sites along the edge of the woods. There is a camp store with most needed items. Ice and firewood sold. Very spacious and individual toilet and shower & sink rooms. Good showers with plenty of hot water. Playground for children. Volleyball for anyone. Dumpster for trash. Great people. Easy to make reservations.

• 

  Angie J.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 31, 2021

  Campbell Cove Camping

  Great Location to Old Man's Cave

  We loved the location of Campbell Coves to Old Man’s Cave and hiking trails. We do a family trip to the area every fall and this will be our go-to location. We've already booked for fall 2021. We stayed in one of the rustic cabins. With other family members bringing their RVs. The bathroom facilities were some of the nicest and cleanest we’ve experienced. My parents had an RV site overlooking the lake. I wouldn’t tent camp there. The tent sites were all in the same area with no division from each other. They are expanding and can’t wait to see those offerings.

• S

  Scott H.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 29, 2020

  Pride Valley Campground

  OK Campground

  Friendly staff.  Definitely insanely overpriced for low-impact tent-campers.  (They charge based on the assumption you'll be using their electric and water hook-ups at tent sites, for example.  For the record, I consider $25 to pitch a tent, have a campfire you fund, and get a hot shower they fund to be absurd.)

  Bathroom facilities are poor and not well-maintained, but count as (barely) serviceable.  Make sure to bring sandals so as not to step in the animal shit that covers the floors of the restrooms.  Large campground.  Could be worth it for tent campers if you plan to make use of other amenities they offer, such as their swimming pond with diving board.

  Would I go again?  Maybe, maybe not.  Probably not, but your mileage may vary.  Their primary audience is clearly the RV crowd.  Every single one of their tent sites has water and electric hookups, and no serious tent campers (car campers, glampers) want or need that, but are expected to pay for it anyway.

  If you're going to this place, you're probably in the RV crowd.  Look for reviews from those folks.  For mostly primitive tent camping (i.e, a place to pitch a tent plus a hot shower), I rate this place as a C+.  This rating is based almost entirely on value (D) and quality of the bathroom/shower amenities (C).  The well-maintained land and the additional amenities many will not care for give it a boost to the C+ range.

• 

  Sabrina D.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 20, 2018

  Chestnut Ridge Park and Campground

  Beautiful Place!

  Our family really enjoyed staying here, and our kids especially loved swimming and fishing in the lake. In the evening, we bought some firewood from the campground owners for our bonfire. They were so nice, they even brought it over to our camp site! We were camping in a tent and were really happy that the bathrooms were close to the tenting area. We will definitely come back again, hopefully before the end of the summer!

• L

  Leon H.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 7, 2018

  Burr Oak State Park Campground

  Boating and camping gem

  We have camped in a tent here several times. Popular for Scouting campouts and popular with local boaters. Hiking trails are good, the lodge has been renovated, however, I have not stayed there since the reno. Fairly remote, cell service is dicey but if that is what you are going for, you will be pleased. Beautiful scenery. Fall is a good time to visit. Not much nearby in the way of supplies.

• K

  Karen K.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 28, 2020

  Dayton Metro Parks (Five Rivers Metroparks)

  Germantown/Twin Valley Trail backpacking

  There's a great backpacking trail that's challenging and an easy middle meeting place for friends/family from Columbus and Cincinnati that can meet in Dayton Metroparks/Five Rivers - Germantown and take on the TVT challenge, beautiful hike through hilly terrain, and great spots of overlooks. Bring your pack and hiking poles and take advantage of trekking into the forest. Vault toliet, away from busy/crowded campsites and surrounded by nature. Access to a river for water source (bring your filter system) camp in a tent or hammock.

• 

  Lindsay B.

  Ranger

  

  May. 5, 2015

  Zaleski State Forest

  Zaleski is a gem in Ohio

  There's a great loop hike in Zaleski State Forest. High quality trees, nice little hills, cool rock formations. Fine campground for tent-camping (my preferred camping method). Much of Ohio is flat corn land, so Zaleski is a special place in Ohio. The trail swings close to some homes, which is less remote than out west where I live now, but overall it's nice.

• A

  Abby J.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 25, 2020

  West Branch State Park Campground

  Nice and quiet!

  Nice quiet and affordable tent sites. Ours was pretty private and spacious. Bath houses were fine, nothing exciting but they were clean. Tent sites were spacious. We had a great time!

• 

  Don B.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 21, 2016

  John Bryan State Park Campground

  John Bryant State Park

  Great place to visit has three parks in one John Bryant and Glen Helen nature preserve and Clifton Gorge are some of the best hiking trails in south west Ohio. Camp sites are great for tent camping with a few RV spots. You can visit the near by historical town of Yellow Springs.

• 

  Brian B.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 14, 2020

  Lebanon-Cincinnati NE KOA

  Fantastic Place

  This KOA sets the bar for the Ohio locations we have visited. The bathrooms are amazing and private. The tent site we had was huge and there were actually trees for our suspended tent and hammocks. The dog park wasn’t huge, but larger than most. The campground was completely full but still quiet and peaceful. The staff are amazing.

• b

  bill R.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 9, 2022

  Hocking Hills KOA Holiday

  Great site

  Never staying at a KOA before I was surprised how clean and well kept it was. The tent area was on a small elevation above the rvers so you could look down on them. Lol. The tent site was very nice and mostly flat. There are plenty of things for the kids to do. It does cater to the rvers so not that many tent sites. The one down side is the tent sites close to the bathrooms was crowded so if a little more privacy is wanted choose one a short distance away. All in all a nice place and I would return..

• 

  not S.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 29, 2024

  Dayton KOA Holiday

  Clean and well managed

  I was impressed that this KOA had so many trees. Best tent sites are 320 and the ones next to the creek. Quietest tent sites are 408, 409 and 410, but those are also furthest from the bathroom. Very clean showerhouses. Great basecamp to explore the Dayton area.

• 

  Greg W.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 16, 2018

  Alum Creek State Park Campground

  Really high quality

  tent camping two nights. very well run park. great facilities

• 

  Kaylien S.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 1, 2024

  Jackson Lake State Park Campground

  Do not recommend

  Tent sites are on a steep uneven hill, we had site 4. Tent sites are super close, we can hear our neighbors perfectly as if they were talking to us. Only a few feet between each site. Map showed we would be right next to the lake, this is incorrect, lake is not accessible or even visible from campsite.

• 

  Mary S.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 16, 2020

  Pymatuning State Park Campground

  Nice to get away

  We tent camped here in early June.  GPS had a hard time as there are so many locations referred to as "Pymatuning State Park."  Campsite was fine other than trying to find room to put our big tent.  The showers were great--roomy and well maintained.  Wish there were more hiking trails; unless you fish or boat, there isn't a lot to do.  The Ohio State Parks website is a bit clunky!  Very little, if any cell service.

• 

  Terry B.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 16, 2020

  Big Sandy Campground

  Way over-priced

  Campgrounds looks very nice. Two beautiful lakes, nice wooded lots available but $40 for a primitive tent campsite is a bit much. I did not stay.

• 

  Victoria B.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 5, 2020

  South Bass Island State Park Campground

  Camping on the cliff—a great get-away

  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.

• R

  Rachel S.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 12, 2019

  Cowan Lake State Park Campground

  Excellent staff, well maintained

  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.

• a

  alyssa F.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 18, 2018

  Heritage Farms

  excellent

  i pulled in around 6:30 looking for a tent site for one night mid week, there was no one else staying at the campground.

  they only have tent sites- I was looking for a spot that allowed a close car- i did not want to hike my gear. I was given a leantoto with close car access-

  amazing views & abundant wild life

  quiet.

  no drinking water on site- but there is wash up water & very clean porta potties

  I would stay there again

• P

  Phyllis V.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 11, 2018

  Punderson State Park Campground

  Our favorite campsite!

  We tent camp from our motorcycles & this is our favorite camp site! We have camped here 4 times & love the private, wooded site.

• 

  Jenny K.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 30, 2016

  Mohican State Park Campground

  Clean tent camping

  As far as tent camping goes, it does not get any easier than this. Everything is clean and well organized. Perfect for first time campers

• 

  Joaquim P.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 11, 2021

  Scioto-Grove Metro Park

  Can only stay there on Fridays and Saturdays

  Only weekend stays and it ends in wintertime. I’m sure it’s pretty and all, but it’s hard to find legit, free dispersed camping in Ohio! Oh well, rest stops always work for car camping.

• 

  Ryan J.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 26, 2017

  Punderson State Park Campground

  Cramped

  Great for fishing. Crammed and unlevel tent camping. People kept walking through our site to get to the bathroom which was annoying and rude. Few trails for hiking

• 

  Meghan W.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 5, 2020

  Salt Fork State Park Campground

  Beautiful country

  Beautiful trails, waters and scenery. We love tent camping here and it’s cheap! We hit this park every year for camping and lake days on the beach with friends!

• 

  Kala R.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 8, 2018

  Forked Run State Park Campground

  Back water activities

  We live close to this park and frequent there, sometimes just day trips. Tent camping is great and just like most places there are a few sites that are the best. Park offers hiking trails from the camp sites to the beach area or packing up the swim gear and using the parking lot. The beach area is back water from the ohio river. It is a sandy rocky mixture. There are boat rentals during peak months. There is a frisbee golf course that is top notch. The only down side to this ohio state park, are the bathrooms; they are port a pot facilities that can be pretty raunchy.