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Home to spectacular natural scenery, tranquil lakes, rugged mountains, and deep, forested valleys, Ohio is the perfect place to spend the weekend camping, hiking, biking, and soaking up the state’s natural scenery. Home to hundreds of campgrounds and campsites, I love that Ohio has a camping spot for every taste.

Best Camping Ideas

1. Kelleys Island State Park

Rating: ★★★★★

Kelleys Island State Park

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Kelleys Island State Park is a 676-acre state park that makes up almost all of the northern third of Kelleys Island in Lake Erie. Established in 1956, Kelleys Island, also known as Lake Erie's Emerald Isle, has unique geological, ecological, and archaeological features and is a prime destination for nature lovers and outdoor adventurers. It also provides a relaxing escape for visitors wanting a quiet retreat with picturesque landscapes. The 677 acres of Kelleys Island State Park feature a campground with electric and non-electric campsites, restrooms with flushing toilets and hot showers, picnic tables and fire rings, and a dump station. Other facilities include an amphitheater, a beach, boat launching ramp, fish cleaning station, comfort station, children’s playground, and activities such as swimming, boating, and fishing. 920 Division St, Kelleys Island, Ohio 43438, Phone: 419-746-2546

2. Countryside Campground

Countryside Campground

© Countryside Campground

Countryside Campground is a quaint, family-oriented campground situated next to the Mogadore Reservoir. Surrounded by spectacular countryside in a quiet secluded location, the campground offers both tent and RV camping with 95 RV sites, complete with full hook-up sites and water and electricity hook-ups as well as a propane filling station. Primitive tent camping is available in a beautiful setting with picnic tables and fire rings on each site, and campground amenities include restrooms with hot showers, laundry facilities, complimentary wireless Internet access, a camp store that sells essentials, and a dump station. Countryside Campground also offers rental cabins. 2687 OH-43, Mogadore, OH 44260, Phone: 330-628-1212

Romantic Camping Ideas

3. Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

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Resting along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland, Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a was established to preserve the land along the river. Administered by the National Park Service, the park is home to the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trails, which offer excellent hiking and mountain biking, and the Canal Exploration Center, which tells the story of the 19th century waterway’s history. Other attractions in the park include the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and the towering Brandywine Falls, and the park features plenty of campgrounds with a variety of amenities.

4. Findley State Park

Findley State Park

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Once a state forest, 838-acre Findley State Park boasts beautiful woodlands of hardwoods and stately pines and has a network of scenic hiking trails that wind through meadows of spectacular wildflowers. The fields, forests, and quiet waters are abundant with wildlife and offer a peaceful refuge for visitors wanting to camp or rent a cabin. The campground offers RV and tent camping with electricity and water hookups, as well as three rental cabins, and features restrooms with showers and flush toilets, a dump station, a boat launching ramp, laundry facilities, a comfort station, picnic tables, fire rings, and potable water. Activities in the area include boating, swimming, basketball, volleyball, mountain biking, hiking, and naturalist programs. 25381 Ohio 58, Wellington, OH 44090, Phone: 440-647-4490

5. Grand Lake St. Marys State Park

Grand Lake St. Marys State Park

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Grand Lake St. Marys State Park is a state park and public recreation area in the Auglaize and Mercer counties that is open for year-round recreation. Set on the shores of 13,500-acre Grand Lake, which was initially constructed as a feeder reservoir for the Miami-Erie Canal and is the largest inland lake in Ohio today, Grand Lake St. Marys State Park offers an array of outdoor and recreational pursuits, boating, fishing, swimming, hunting, and camping. Facilities in the park’s campground include an amphitheater, bicycle rentals, picnic tables and a children’s playground, mini-golf, basketball courts, a boat launching ramp, a camp store that sells essentials, a dog park, modern restrooms with showers, a swimming pool, and naturalist programs. 834 Edgewater Drive, Saint Mary’s OH 45885, Phone: 419-394-3611

6. Great Seal State Park

Great Seal State Park

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Great Seal Park is a 1,862-acre green area that offers camping, hunting, and an array of recreational activities, including hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Dedicated to the wilderness spirit of Ohio and depicted in the Great Seal of the State of Ohio, Great Seal State Park offers non-electric tent and equestrian camping as well as a network of challenging trails through the rugged hills that were once home to the Shawnee nation. Facilities include a restroom, picnic sites with tables, a comfort station, potable water, bike and bridle trails, and disk golf. 4908 Marietta Rd, Chillicothe, OH 45601, Phone: 740-887-4818

7. Hocking Hills Adventures

Hocking Hills Adventures

© Hocking Hills Adventures

Based along the banks of the Hocking River in Logan, Hocking Hills Adventures offers three different camping locations depending on the camper’s needs, including the Riverside, Canoe Livery, and Fun Center Campgrounds, each of which boasting its own unique characteristics. The Riverside and Canoe Livery Campgrounds are ideal for those who prefer to camp in a pristine natural setting with basic camping sites, picnic tables, and fire rings, while the Family Fun Center offers campsite with electricity and water hookups. The Riverside Campground has 80 large spacious primitive sites overlooking the Hocking River, with showers and flushing toilets a short walk away. Recreational activities include swimming, boating, canoeing, a games arcade, driving range, mini-golf, and go-karting, which are all located close to the campgrounds. 31251 Chieftain Drive, Logan, OH 43138, Phone: 740-385-8685

8. Indian Lake State Park

Indian Lake State Park

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Indian Lake State Park is an 800-acre multi-use park set around a 5,800-acre lake that offers a variety of water-related recreational opportunities, such as boating, fishing, and skiing as well as camping. The park features a scenic campground on the northwest section of the lakeshore, with 441 family campsites with electric hookups, restrooms with heated showers houses and flush toilets, laundry facilities, and a camp commissary. Additional amenities include a private beach, a boat launching ramp, 20 spaces for boat docking, and rental cabin or trailers furnished with convertible futon bunks and sofas, refrigerators, gas stoves, microwaves, and outdoor gas grills. Recreational activities include hiking and biking along the 3-mile Cherokee Trail or the 1-mile Pew Island Trail, which encircles Pew Island and boasts spectacular views of Indian Lake. 12774 OH-235, Lakeview, OH 43331, Phone: 937-843-2717

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