With rising costs making travel tough for many this summer, camping is being considered as a more economical way to get out of the house and have some summer fun.
Ryan and Camille McPeek have owned the Coshocton KOA Holiday Campground since 2013. While they don’t keep exact numbers, thousands of campers come out every year. Some are from just a few miles down the road.
“We do have a lot of local and regional campers and we see this as a budget-friendly vacation,” Ryan said.
New this summer is a two-weekend special for $10 a night where folks can leave their RVs or mobile trailers parked. Ryan said they’ve had people take advantage of this by going home and working during the week and then coming back the next weekend as hauling your home-away-from-home can be an extra cost.
“We had one camper in particular say he can’t tow his camper back and forth for $50,” Camille shared.
Here’s a look at just some of the camping options in and around Coshocton County.
Coshocton KOA Holiday Campground24688 County Road 10, Coshocton740-502-9245
Coshocton KOA has RV camping, glamping tents and woodland cabin rentals. It’s open from April to December. It offers Wi-Fi, swimming pool, propane and firewood sales, dog park, playground with jump pad, event pavilion, nature trails, restrooms with hot showers and a camp store/boutique gift shop. Coshocton KOA also hosts an annually sunflower festival in August and a corn maze in October. New on site is the Jolly Bee food trailer.
Coshocton Lake Park Campground23253 Ohio 83, Coshocton740-622-7528
Coshocton Lake Park has 69 camping sites for tents, trailers and RVs. Two sites have 50 amp electric hookups and the rest have 30 amps. Some have a water fill station. All sites have a picnic table and fire ring. The campground is near a parking lot, play area, picnic shelter and restroom facilities with showers. Fee is $40 a day.
Spring Valley Campground800 Dozer Road, Cambridge740-439-9291Spring Valley offers RV and tent sites as well as rustic cabins. It has a three-acre swimming and fishing lake, pavilions, swimming pool and Wi-Fi. Rates start at $44.
Shady Grove Campground42310 County Road 27, Warsaw740-824-4622
Shady Grove has sites for tents, RVs and trailers and camper cabins. There are public restrooms and dogs are allowed. It has a pavilion with kitchen for gatherings. There is access to the Walhonding River for fishing and trails for hiking. Tent sites range from $10 to $15 a night with RV sites starting at $60 a night.
Whispering Falls Campground42539 U.S. 36, Warsaw740-824-3507
Whispering Falls is known for its small waterfall, scenic views along the Walhonding River and fishing. It offers sites for tents, RVs and trailers starting at $15 a night.
Relaxing River Campground111 Bridge St., Warsaw740-502-4295
Relaxing River Campground offers camping, fishing and canoeing along the Walhonding River. It has 13 camping sites with a pavilion and restrooms.
Walhonding Hills Campground32236 Township Rd 364, Walhonding740-824-4575
Walhonding Hills Campground is along the Mohican River and has 56 campsites. All are short-term primitive sites without electric, water or sewer. Standard rate is $40 a night. There are special events throughout the summer including fireworks at 9:45 p.m. July 11, music with Ryan Bandy on July 18, poker run on July 15, karaoke Aug. 1 and 20 and live music with Tucker Munz on Aug. 15.
Forest Hill Lake Campground52176 County Road 425, Fresno740-545-9642
Forest Hills has 85 camping sites with water and electric hookups. Tent camping is in the woods. It has a six-acre lake for swimming, four picnic shelters, playground, concession stand and public restrooms with showers. Tent camping starts at $25 per day.
Lake Lila Campground18223 Township Road 121, Newcomerstown740-202-1207
Tent camping starts at $25 a day. There are also spots for RVs and trailers. It’s open from April 15 to Oct. 15.
Rocky Fork Ranch Resort74978 Broadhead Road, Kimbolton740-498-4134
Rocky Fork Ranch Resort is a Travel Resorts Of America park open year around with 273 sites and 850 acres of land with various amenities for guests. This includes an archery range, horseback riding, mini-golf, paintball, boat rides, game room, two pools, hiking trails and events most weekends. There are cabins, RV camping and tent camping.
Salt Fork State Park Campground14755 Cadiz Road, Lore City740-432-1508
Ohio’s largest state park offers sites for all sizes of RVs as well as some tent-only sites. Sites include full hookup, 50-amp electric, and tent-only with electricity. The campground offers handicap-accessible sites, heated shower houses, flush toilets, a dump station, camp store and playground area. Registered campers may access a separate beach, boat launch, and 60 docks for exclusive use. Pets are permitted on all sites.
A Primitive Camp is limited to tent camping and offers picnic tables and fire rings. Reservations required. Equestrian Camp can accommodate rigs of various sizes. Tie lines, wash stations, flush restrooms, two shelter houses, picnic tables, and fire rings are available to registered campers. Group Camp is available for organized groups and is primitive with restrooms, fire rings, and picnic tables available.
Turkey Hollow Campground7836 Township Road 102, Millersburg330-231-6935
Turkey Hollow is a primitive campground that doesn’t allow RVs. It opened in 2012. It’s for tent camping, but camper vans and camper trucks and small campers are allowed. It has swimming, fishing and hiking. Some sites have electric access and there are open air tree showers. Cost is $25 per site for two adults with $10 for each additional adult, while children age 6 and younger are free.
Berlin RV Park and Campground5898 Ohio 39, Millersburg330-674-4774
Berlin RV Park and Campground opened in 2011and has 71 sites. It has hiking trails, pavilion, private showers, playground, pickleball court, basketball court, cornhole, on-site laundry and group picnic area. Each site features a fire ring and picnic table. Sites with water and electric start at $62 a night.
Scenic Hills RV Park4483 Township Road 367, Millersburg330-893-3607
Scenic Hills RV Park has 112 full hookup sites and nine super sites with concrete pads. Regular sites start at $45 a night. All sites have a fire ring and picnic table. There is a group meeting room and on-site laundry. There is one rental cabin.
Timbercrest Camp and RV Park5552 Ohio 515, Millersburg330-893-2720
Timbercrest has RV and tenting camping with full hookup or electric only. There are 75 sites with each having a picnic table and fire ring. There is a playground, cornhole, horseshoes, nature trails, shower house and laundry room. Full hookup sites start at $59 a night.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Area campgrounds offer affordable alternatives as travel costs rise
Reporting by Leonard L. Hayhurst, Coshocton Tribune / Coshocton Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Leonard L. Hayhurst, Coshocton Tribune | USA TODAY Network
