Best Tent Camping near Ravenswood, WV

Tent camping near Ravenswood, West Virginia offers several options within driving distance, with most established campgrounds located across the Ohio River in southeastern Ohio. Zaleski State Forest, approximately 30 miles northeast of Ravenswood, provides backpackers with well-maintained trails and designated tent camping areas. Chief Cornstalk Wildlife Management Area in Southside, West Virginia offers basic tent sites with minimal amenities for those seeking a more rustic experience closer to Ravenswood.

Most tent campgrounds in this region feature primitive setups with varying amenities. Zaleski State Forest provides potable water and vault toilets at its designated backpacking campsites, while Chief Cornstalk has older facilities including vault toilets but no drinking water. Many walk-in tent sites require hikers to pack in their own water or filter from natural sources. Fire rings are available at most established tent sites, though seasonal fire restrictions may apply during dry periods. Campers should check for site-specific regulations as some areas require permits or have designated camping zones.

The tent camping experience in this region offers varying degrees of solitude and natural settings. Zaleski State Forest features multiple backcountry tent camping areas connected by hiking trails with moderate terrain. A camper noted that "the trails are well marked and easy to follow. And there are several loop sections so you can easily plan various trips accordingly." Chief Cornstalk Wildlife Management Area provides basic tent camping near a lake with fishing opportunities, though facilities are described as very basic and outdated. Most tent-only areas throughout the region offer good tree cover for shade and natural surroundings, with peak usage occurring during summer weekends and fall color season.

Best Tent Sites Near Ravenswood, West Virginia (20)

    1. Zaleski State Forest

    17 Reviews
    Zaleski, OH
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (740) 596-5781

    "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)."

    "Campsites fill up quickly & areas will be shared. Not all have fire rings. Camp 2 is very popular since it is the halfway point(ish) on the trail. Camp 1 is only a couple miles into the loop."

    2. Chief Cornstalk Wildlife Management Area

    1 Review
    Point Pleasant, WV
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (304) 675-4380

    3. Lavender Ranch

    Be the first to review!
    Guysville, OH
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (740) 300-0493

    $20 - $110 / night

    4. Trailer Center Campground

    Be the first to review!
    Parkersburg, WV
    22 miles
    +1 (304) 428-8203

    5. Camp Rotan

    2 Reviews
    Athens, OH
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (740) 592-3325

    6. Baileys Trail Tent Camping

    3 Reviews
    Millfield, OH
    38 miles

    "Wonderful little location. We drove for about 3 hours to get from where we are. Nice wide open space surrounded by woods."

    "Spent consecutive months at this location and couldn't have been happier with the host and accomodations. Great for that "far out" feel just outside of town."

    7. Benton's on the Baileys

    4 Reviews
    Chauncey, OH
    39 miles
    Website
    +1 (773) 837-0847

    $40 - $125 / night

    "Extremely private primitive camping surrounded by Wayne National Forest and steps from the Baileys Trail System. Fire pit, picnic table and handmade hammock supplied for comfort and convenience."

    "Excellent campground that is tucked out of the way. You have to walk to the site, up a steep hill, but it is very private and quiet. The bathrooms are down the hill too, but very clean and private."

    8. Lane Farm Campground

    2 Reviews
    Marietta, OH
    40 miles
    Website

    "A cute little place, just 4 campsites and a vault toilet that is relatively clean and well-stocked."

    "It is getting difficult for travelling motorcyclists to find a campground to sleep for the night as most that call themselves campgrounds are RV parks and don't allow tent camping. "

    9. Hune Bridge Campground

    4 Reviews
    Wingett Run, OH
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (740) 373-9055

    "There are 4 campsites and a vault toilet that is relatively clean and well-stocked. This campground is just off Hwy 26, but far enough away from town that there isn’t much traffic.  "

    "Part of the draw for me was the river running alongside, but it is bone dry. Other than that, it's your typical midway NFS campground."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Ravenswood, WV

296 Reviews of 20 Ravenswood Campgrounds


  • Eira T.
    Jul. 5, 2015

    Burr Oak Cove Campground

    Quiet campground in Wayne National Forest!

    We enjoyed walk-in site #3 during a holiday weekend. The walk-in sites afford more privacy and tree cover than the drive-up sites, where you can see your neighbors on all sides. No showers or sinks, just several vault toilets. Potable water available throughout the camp. Camp sites are $10 a night.

    Neighbors were fairly quiet, and there is one trail that leads down to Burr Oak lake. The trail is 1 mile, but it seems to link up with some longer yellow and green-blazed trails that go around the lake. The campground is also a short drive from the Wildcat Hollow trail head in the Athens Unit of Wayne National Forest

  • B
    Oct. 23, 2021

    Forked Run State Park Campground

    Bad for tents

    Went there in October. No attendance around and not many campers. Sites are very bad for tent camping and not the bet for RV’s. Back ins are sort and most sites have no level ground even for the picnic table or fire ring. Showers were clean but cold. Vault toilets only and stuck to high Heaven. Not serviced well at all. Hiked the lake view trail, poorly maintained. The upper loop from the beach end is very hard to find and not marked at all. Even more disappointing than Hope Lake which has its own site problems for tents.

  • Alex M.
    Jul. 20, 2022

    Krodel Park Campground

    Nice park, awful bathrooms

    This is a strange campground, but not a bad one. It is minutes away from downtown Point Pleasant. I had spent the afternoon exploring the town and didn't feel like driving further. There aren't many campgrounds nearby, so this place came to the rescue.

    The park's main feature is a lake that looks to be artificial. Maybe an old gravel quarry? The terrain around the lake is nicely landscaped. There is a paved path along the shore, along with picnic tables and shelters. Kayak rentals are available and the lake is stocked with fish.

    Most of the campground is RV focused, but I stayed at a primitive tent site. These are located closer to the entrance. There are no site numbers. Just pull your car up onto the grass and set up wherever. A few picnic tables and electrical outlets are spaced out along the road. There were a few other campers here when I visited, but there was enough room for us to maintain good separation. No shade trees or shrubs for privacy, though.

    This is not a particularly quiet or restful campground. The day use area around the lake was hopping, with people coming and going well into the night. No closing time, or just not enforced? Not sure. Having so much traffic was a little uncomfortable from a safety standpoint, but nothing untoward happened while I was there. There was also quite a bit of noise from the nearby road and railroad.

    The biggest problem with this campground was the bathroom. It was one of the worst I've seen. It may very well have been cleaned recently, but it was so dark and dingy that I couldn't tell. No windows and just a single bare incandescent bulb for illumination. Reminded me of a gas station toilet. The sink barely drained, the toilet barely flushed, and the urinal looked like it was about to fall off the wall. I have used vault toilets that were much, much nicer than this. I found myself wishing for one of those. Gross.

    There is only one other bathroom located closer to the RV area, and this looked to be just as bad. To be clear, there are only two single occupancy men's rooms for the ENTIRE campground. Yes, there are a few porta potties scattered around as well, but this is ridiculous. This place needs to invest in better facilities.

  • Shari  G.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 9, 2018

    Lane Farm Campground

    Free, clean, and close to town!

    A cute little place, just 4 campsites and a vault toilet that is relatively clean and well-stocked. This roadside campground is near homes and a small town, so not much traffic during the day, but quite a bit during the morning and evening commuting time. Within the national forest, you will find some historic covered bridges and quite a few hiking and horse trails. The town of Marietta is just 5 miles away, and has all the things you need.

    Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern pole. It’s designed for tent camping, but Hamlet (our small camper) fit fine with some strategic parking. No drinking water is available and the creeks are quite muddy, so come prepared with water! No privacy between sites and not much shade, which worked fine in May but probably wouldn’t be much fun in the heat of the summer. It is completely FREE, though, and you can stay for up to 14 days. There are quite a few small campgrounds in the area just like this one. There is no phone service within 4-5 miles of the campground.

    Note: We have noticed that people stop by or drive through in the evening. Sometimes they stay for a couple of minutes and other times for just a couple of hours. Due to its location, this campground could be a meeting spot of sorts, but didn’t witness any shenanigans.

  • Dave V.
    Aug. 27, 2017

    River Run Campground — North Bend State Park

    Deer Heaven

    North Bend State Park is about 10 miles south on Rt 16 off of Rt 50...east of Parkersburg, WV.

    When you slowly wind your way along twisty backcountry roads, through a small town, you'll ultimately find yourself entering North Bend State Park.

    Immediately to the right is Cokely Campground. Initially, you don't see it...you must drive up and over a roller. At the top of the hill, you observe a handful of picnic tables and fire rings, a porta-potty and a small woodshed with a water spigot alongside. Very little delineation from site to site and more of a mown field. Only the top two locations are the only quasi-level sites along a narrow tree line. No electric. These sites are $16 nightly.

    Traveling over the hill and turning to the right you see the main Cokely Campground with newer showerhouse/restroom building and playground. Campsites are blacktop with water and electric, apparently for large RV/Campers. These sites are $28 nightly.

    If you were to bypass the RV/Camper location, you would continue down the side road to the boat ramp and lake.

    The grounds and restrooms were clean, maincured and well maintained. Midweek the RV sites were already filled.

    We decided against Cokely Campground and returned to the main park road deeper into the State Park to River Run Campground.

    You pass the Lodge/Restaurant and the huge "L" shaped outdoor pool on your right as you descend (Note: the pool is seasonal and with college aga lifeguards that exit for school early, it was closed mid-August).

    Winding down to River Run, deer in abundance were lining the the roadway, so use care. River Run Campground runs along a river...imagine that!

    Tent sites are situated between the roadway and the river on the left...then additional tent sites are around a small half acre pond on the right. Most the roadside tent sites are level, but sit at a lower level, so when it rains (and it does in WV)...it gets soggy. No visible distinction or foliage between tent sites. One porta-potty sits at the crossroads across from the office.

    Saturday it was quiet with only one other tent camper, but rain was forecasted...although a pumphouse, located at the entrance to River Run, kicks on periodically with a low, annoying droning. Being at site 45, it was quite noticeable, as I imagine with all sites in the 40's. The tent specific sites are non-electric with central water spigots ($22 nightly). As you pass the tent sites and the office, you enter a loop of paved RV/Camper sites with blacktop drives, water and electric ($28 nightly). The Showerhouse/restrooms are located in the center of this area...and are very clean and maintained. The coveted RV/Camper sites are along the bank of the river and offer more distance between neighbors. On the inner ring, a split rail fence separates neighbors.

    While the sun didn't shine during our visit, it appears the thick forest canopy keeps all river sites shaded. The grounds and facilities are neat at clean.

    All the trails bisect this campground, some foot only, others multipurpose. River Run also has a nice playground for the kids. Trails have difficulty drying out, so rocks and roots were muddy and slick, but still enjoyable.

    Note: Mountainbike races are often held here, so campgrounds can get crazy and packed. Additionally, because of the pool, this is a very busy campground. Be forewarned that the pool is 58 steps up from the parking lot to the pool area.

    There were a lot of trails I did not get to travel, and I'll bring my bike next time for the Rails-to-Trail. Nice but popular campground,

  • A
    Oct. 18, 2020

    Burr Oak State Park Campground

    Nice trails, not so nice campsites

    Most of the sites at this state park campground are very small and don’t have much level ground. Even the sites meant for RVs and trailers are right on top of each other. It’s almost like they took what should have been one site and made it two. There’s a handful of sites that offer a little space and level ground for tent campers. You may or may not have a picnic table and fire ring with a grill at your campsite when you arrive. According to staff, people take the fire rings and I guess there’s nothing they can do. Bathrooms were clean. The lake view trail was nice and accessible from the campground.

  • David M.
    Oct. 13, 2025

    Lane Farm Campground

    Quiet little campground for only $10.

    It is getting difficult for travelling motorcyclists to find a campground to sleep for the night as most that call themselves campgrounds are RV parks and don't allow tent camping.  Lane Farm is a gem for travelling motorcyclists.  We stayed there a week after labor day.  The rate as of 2025 is $10 and it is first come, first served for the 4 sites.  We were the only ones there.  The  amenities there are a vault toilet (it was clean and stocked with toilet paper), trash bin by the toilet building, picnic tables, camp fire ring with cooking grate, and lantern post.    It is right on Ohio state route 26, but there was very little traffic noise.  The entire campground is paved and the parking spots and sites were very spacious. There are parking spots in front of the toilet building.  As with many rustic national/state forest campgrounds there is no potable water there.  That didn't bother us as we came prepared with our own water and toilet paper.  The Little Muskingum river on the east side of the campground was very shallow and slow moving in September.  I don't know what it would be like earlier in the camping season.  All four sites are close to the river.  I was surprised to find that a week after labor day weekend there was still plenty of laying dead wood in the woods available for camp fire wood.  The forest service changed their web site structure and you'll find most of the links posted online won't take you directly to the campground page.  The current working link for the campground is  https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/wayne/recreation/lane-farm-campground

  • Ruby W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 12, 2019

    Zaleski State Forest

    Ranger Review: Banner & Oak Firebiner at Zaleski South Loop

    Campground Review: With a close friend coming to visit from Spain, I wanted to show her a cool backpacking location in Southeastern Ohio. Zaleski State Forest seemed like a good choice for a new backpacker. There are multiple loops to trek, averaging about 10 miles per loop. Overall the trails are well maintained (minus a few dense areas). There was almost an excessive amount of blazes. Campsites are plentiful along the trails. We stayed at Campsite C. Each site has access to communal well-water and a restroom. Each site usually has a small fire ring and logs to sit on. Overall, the campsites were pretty decent and secluded, but nothing special view wise aside from the typical Ohio forest. I would say pretty overall, but nothing quite outstanding.

    Product Review: The Banner & Oak Firebiner is a neat little tool that has some really fun features! Most notable being the fire starter. The Firebiner uses a small spark wheel and replaceable ferro rod to create sparks. The sparks are pretty large for the little tool. I now use my Firebiner to start my MSR stove quickly and with zero plastic waste! I haven’t used it to try to start a straight up fire, but friends have successfully before. Most importantly, the spark wheel is just darn right fun to play with. The device has other little uses like a bottle opener, utility blade, and screwdriver. I absolutely love this device! Only complaint would be that I wish it came in different colors, but who really cares.

    Here is a link to check out the Firebiner yourself: https://bannerandoak.com/products/banner-and-oak-firebiner?variant=9696793034788&currency=USD&gclid=CjwKCAjwnMTqBRAzEiwAEF3ndu9CmerLos5Y1yvjGHJ2L4FG732wg9bMpyPAJRa3m8dxlxffZ6Nt-RoC6LQQAvD_BwE

  • Andrea F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 21, 2020

    Burr Oak State Park Campground

    EGGS Hike

    I spent my time at the group camp area tent camping. I was there for a Buckeye Trail Association event called EGGS hike. It’s a 20 mile hike around the backpacking trail. We have 12 hours to complete the challenge. The group camp area only has pit toilets and no showers but the fields are mowed and level so it’s easy to set up camp.


Guide to Ravenswood

Tent camping near Ravenswood, West Virginia offers several primitive camping options across the Ohio River in Wayne National Forest. The forest areas provide elevation changes between 600-1,000 feet with well-marked trails connecting various camping locations. During summer months, temperatures typically range from 70-90°F with high humidity levels, making spring and fall the preferred camping seasons for most visitors.

What to do

Mountain biking on Baileys Trail System: Located about 45 minutes from Ravenswood, Baileys Trail Tent Camping provides direct access to extensive trail networks. "Wonderful little location. We drove for about 3 hours to get from where we are. Nice wide open space surrounded by woods," notes camper Alex A. The surrounding trail system supports various skill levels.

Hiking historic routes: Wayne National Forest offers numerous day hikes with historical significance. A camper at Benton's on the Baileys mentioned, "The hiking is decent, but seems like it heads into private property pretty quickly. It is not a long drive from Hocking Hills so that is a better bet for hiking."

Fishing local waters: Chief Cornstalk Wildlife Management Area provides lake fishing opportunities about 30 minutes from Ravenswood. Though facilities are basic, the area supports catfishing and day fishing trips. As Andrew S. notes, "Going for a one or two night stay is plenty for catfishing or day fishing."

What campers like

Privacy between sites: Many campers appreciate the natural separation between camping areas. At Benton's on the Baileys, a reviewer noted it's "Very private and quiet. The bathrooms are down the hill too, but very clean and private."

Clean facilities: Despite being remote, several campgrounds maintain respectable bathrooms. At Athens Ranger District, visitors can access information about camping in Wayne National Forest. As one reviewer shares, "The building has a lovely welcome center / small gift shop that is full of SUPER useful maps and information on trails, camping in the Wayne, the ATV trails, etc."

Historical features: The covered bridges near camping areas provide unique character. A camper at Hune Bridge Campground mentioned, "Adorable little campground, with a historic covered bridge and lovely creek in the backyard. There are 4 campsites and a vault toilet that is relatively clean and well-stocked."

What you should know

Water availability varies: Many sites require bringing your own water. At Hune Bridge, "No drinking water is available, but there are creeks all around, so come prepared with a water filter!"

Limited cell service: Most camping areas have poor or no phone reception. At Lane Farm Campground, "There is no phone service within 4-5 miles of the campground."

First-come, first-served: Most primitive sites cannot be reserved. "First come, first served. No reservations available or even possible" applies to many campgrounds near Ravenswood.

Expect rustic conditions: Facilities at some locations are minimal. At Chief Cornstalk WMA, "There is an out house that looks like something from an 80's horror movie... It oughta be bulldozed."

Tips for camping with families

Choose beginner-friendly trails: The area offers routes suitable for young hikers. At Zaleski State Forest, a camper shared, "I have backpacked the trails here since the 1980s. More recently, I have taken my kids for several treks on the lower loop."

Bring entertainment: Since many sites have minimal amenities, pack accordingly. "We did the South Loop at Zaleski - 10.9 miles. The hike was great. Lots of ups & downs, a pond & beautiful rock outcroppings," noted a family that visited with their 8-year-old.

Check for wildlife concerns: The area has various wildlife including snakes. "We have seen salamanders, deer, snakes, a wild turkey even wandered into our camp in May 2018. Back in 1988, I saw two rattlesnakes together beside the trail on the northern loop," reports a frequent Zaleski visitor.

Print maps and guides: Online resources may not be accessible during your trip. One family camper recommends "printing maps & seeing additional information about the area & trails" before heading to Zaleski.

Tips from RVers

Limited hookup options: Most camping near Ravenswood is primitive with few RV amenities. Lane Farm Campground is "designed for tent camping, but Hamlet (our small camper) fit fine with some strategic parking."

Consider site access: Many tent camping areas require careful navigation for vehicles. At Hune Bridge, despite being a drive-in site, access can be challenging as "the bridge is closed, a detour is available on the site, although it is not entirely clear."

Pack water supplies: With limited facilities, water management is essential. "No drinking water is available and the creeks are quite muddy, so come prepared with water!" advises an RVer who visited Lane Farm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Ravenswood, WV?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Ravenswood, WV is Zaleski State Forest with a 4.4-star rating from 17 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Ravenswood, WV?

TheDyrt.com has all 20 tent camping locations near Ravenswood, WV, with real photos and reviews from campers.