The best waterside campgrounds near Jackson, Ohio

Jackson serves up over 890 waterside campsites, with options starting at $20 a night and averaging $59. Think spots where you can swim, watch wildlife, or saddle up for horseback riding. Campfires are allowed, pets are welcome, and you’ll find showers at most sites. Locals swear by Fruitdale Farm (571 reviews) for its fishing pond and open meadows. The Viking Longhall (397 reviews) brings quirky history and easy creek access. Or try Altenbrauch Farm (331 reviews) for shaded riverbanks and friendly hosts. You’ll find both quiet corners and lively shores—just pick your patch of water and roll in.

95% (2.5K) • 17 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Jackson

Jackson serves up over 890 waterside campsites, with options starting at $20 a night and averaging $59. Think spots where you can swim, watch wildlife, or saddle up for horseback riding. Campfires are allowed, pets are welcome, and you’ll find showers at most sites. Locals swear by Fruitdale Farm (571 reviews) for its fishing pond and open meadows. The Viking Longhall (397 reviews) brings quirky history and easy creek access. Or try Altenbrauch Farm (331 reviews) for shaded riverbanks and friendly hosts. You’ll find both quiet corners and lively shores—just pick your patch of water and roll in.

95% (2.5K) • 17 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Jackson

1. Fruitdale Farm

99%

(1190)

42mi from Jackson · 11 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging

Come stay at our little sustainable farmstead amid the beautiful rolling hills of southern Ohio! Our peaceful 20 acres has a good mix of woods, wild meadows and maintained cleared areas as well as a small pond, all of which can be explored via our nature trail. Enjoy the sounds of nature and an incredible night sky. FIREWOOD and seasonal farm goods are available for purchase at a self-serve stand (several payment options available). There is also a wonderful sauna on the property that can be reserved (go to sauna to reserve a time). Great hiking, kayaking, biking, birding, fishing, swimming, and disc-golfing opportunities just a few miles away at Paint Creek State Park and the Highland Nature Sanctuary. Amish country is also just 15 minutes away with a great bakery, markets and greenhouses. This area is home to an impressive network of ancient earthworks including the world famous Serpent Mound. Our accommodations range from primitive tent-camping to "glamping" in one of our tiny off-grid cabins. The sites are spaced out for privacy and each site offers a private picnic table and fire pit. There are two shared privies/outhouses which have basic composting toilets (not flushing). A grassy parking area is provided near the road, however, ALL SITES ARE WALK-IN (with the exception of site #1). ***Please take note that this is private property and the host lives on site. If you are looking for a place to be loud and party into the night, this is not the place for you. If you are looking to spend some quality time in nature, welcome. There are rules.

2. Bare Cove

89%

(14)

46mi from Jackson · 70 sites · Tents, RVs

Bare Cove is a recreation lake with campsites. However, we are not your typical camp ground. We have no quiet hours, we do get loud and have a great time on the weekends. It’s not uncommon for beer pong or card games to go into the early hours. We are open to all ages and backgrounds, anybody that enjoys making friends and having fun on the lake. All guests must sign personal injury waivers to cover our 6. So about the property, it’s 120+ acres with a 5 acre man made lake that features blue waters, a beach area and tikibar. We have atv trails, private camp sites and group sites. Enjoy the day floating in the clear blue water, fishing (separate pond) or hiking. Our lake also features a launch pillow for blasting your friends up to 20 ft in the air! We do have large float's for rent, which are great for groups. Thanks for looking, would love to host you and your party out at the lake.

3. Zaleski State Forest

17 sites · Zaleski, Ohio

Discover Zaleski State Forest's lush trails and historic sites.

Pets

Toilets

Campfires

4. Wayne National Forest

94%

(8)

121 sites · Murray City, Ohio

Drive, hike, fish, and camp in The Wayne for a wilderness adventure.

5. Greenbo Lake State Resort Park

101 sites · Greenup, Kentucky

Discover Greenbo Lake State Resort Park's natural splendor and outdoor fun.

Pets

Electrical hookup

Toilets

6. Forked Run State Park

23 sites · Tuppers Plains, Ohio

Forked Run State park features hickory and maple trees lining lake shores, making this a classic Appalachian beauty. Walk along one of the hiking trails where you can keep an eye out for white-tailed deer and gray foxes tucked away behind the blue phox and bloodroot wildflowers. Catfish, bluegill, largemouth bass, and crappie are plentiful for the taking if you plan on bringing your fishing pole, and a ten horsepower limit on boating guarantees to keep the waters calm. If you're interested in catching some deer or turkey for a pre-emptive Thanksgiving feast, be sure to bring your hunting license with you. A small sandy beach and athletic courts provide that perfect balance of recreation and relaxation.

Pets

Toilets

Campfires

Recent reviews from the Hipcamp community

J

Jacob

6 days ago

Weekend Trip to Fruitdale Farm

Great space and a great setting. Loved our time at sugar shack.

L

Laura

December 2025

4 nights at Fruitdale Farm

We stayed for 5 days in the sugar shack cabin and it was the coziest experience ever!! Aimee is such a great host and made sure we had every we needed. The wood stove keeps the cabin really warm even in the middle of a snowy night, we accidentally made it too warm one night and went on a night hike in the snow, the most beautiful experience ever. Oh and if you see a little orange cat, that’s Aimee’s cat Tangie, he likes to say hi to the campers!

K

Kirby

November 2025

Weekend Trip to Fruitdale Farm

Peaceful and beautiful! Enjoyed my stay in the Sugar Shack, it was just what the doctor ordered. A place to get away after the holiday craziness and just unwind. Will definitely be looking at trying to go back. 😎

Site 4 is the farthest from the road and is "open-air" so you can see the night's sky

J

Jeremy

November 2025

Tent

1 night at Fruitdale Farm

This is my second time camping at Aimee's place. I came during the off season and there was some work being done on the trail leading to my booked site. She happily gave me the option of site #2 and I liked the different experience it offered. This site #2 was closer to the neighboring fields and roads while still feeling secluded with not so much road noise that it made the experience poor. Since the property is in the country you might hear people riding quads which was the case for a short time that evening. I even got several visits from her cat during my stay to keep me company. I will definitely be back to see the improvements she is adding to the property!

P

Phylip

November 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Fruitdale Farm

We didn’t pick the best weekend to go camping, but Aimee’s land made the stay the best that it could have been with the wet weather. The outhouse was convenient and conveniently located to our relocated site, since our van only allowed us to park at site 1. I didn’t realize that the other sites were walking access only, and especially since the land was wet, our van, which was our RV, prevented us from accessing our original requested location. The sauna was a feature that we really enjoyed; and the wood, which was convenient to buy there, after many attempts in the wet weather, finally took fire. Overall, considering the conditions, Aimee’s property made the stay the best.

A

Andrew

November 2025

13 ft travel trailer

With pets

Weekend Trip to Fruitdale Farm

Lovely spot. Nice vibe and grounds well maintained.

Josh

November 2025

Tent

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Fruitdale Farm

We absolutely loved this place! The property is beautiful with so maybe wonderful touches, including a Farm Stand with eggs, jams, and other goodies for purchase. The sites are far enough away from each so it feels very private and quiet. We are definitely coming back, can’t wait!!

R

Rachel

October 2025

Tent

With kids

3 nights at Fruitdale Farm

I camped at site 4 for a few days with my 6 yr old daughter, and it was lovely. The property is beautiful and very well maintained. There were free range chickens, which my daughter really enjoyed, as well as the pond and the koi fish. We stayed late in October, so it was very quiet and peaceful. It definitely takes a few hauls to get your gear to site 4, but it is worth it. My daughter has not yet mastered the art of peeing in the woods - so having the 'privy' close by was a great bonus!. Aimee was also very kind, and easy to get in touch with if we needed anything. Hopefully we can return next year!

L

Laura

October 2025

Tent

With kids

3 nights at Fruitdale Farm

We loved camping with our kidddos on Aimee’s beautiful farm. Felt like we packed the house (if you have kids..you know) and that def kicked our butt getting to site 5 with the multiple trips down and up steep hills lugging carts and wagons! If you don’t want a serious leg workout, choose sites 2 or 3 :) The camp store was cute and stocked with goodies that we had to try! The dill pickles were uh-mazing. We loved walking the trails and were fascinated by the pawpaw trail. The privy was clean and served its purpose well for the rest of my family lol Site 5 was well laid out, semi private in late Oct with so many fallen leaves, a couple great spots for hammocks, and sits across the creek from site 3 (empty while we were there). There was a loud-ish crew staying close by at another site - but we were all so tired by the end of the day, it didn’t bother us at all :) Already can’t wait to come back! Aimee was very nice and you can tell that she just loves her farm and sharing it with others. Thanks Aimee! 10/10 would recommend!

Brittni

October 2025

Weekend Trip to Fruitdale Farm

The Sugar Shack is the perfect secluded primitive stay! Be prepared to take one of the wagons if you packed a lot of stuff. Aimee did a fantastic job utilizing her land for campers, It’s family friendly and there’s plenty to do. The wood burning stove was the perfect addition to our cold autumn evenings, it makes it so cozy while settling in for the night. When we first got there, Aimee had the stove packed for us already and a bundle of wood. I would recommend a trip here 10/10!!

R

Robert

October 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Fruitdale Farm

This is an excellent place to camp. Beautiful and extremely well-kept. Highly recommended!

A

Ashley

October 2025

Tent

2 nights at Fruitdale Farm

Great place with nice secluded sites & small cabins. We stayed at site 3. It’s closest to drop off, stage, firewood, and farm stand. It’s also the first site before going down the trails to site 4 & 5. Toilet (pivy) area is well kept with a hand washing station outside. Other than neighboring dogs barking at night, we had a great time!

K

Koltron3030

October 2025

Tent

1 night at Fruitdale Farm

Everything about this place is lovely, from the camp spots to the privies. I would absolutely come back here.

R

Ryan

October 2025

Tent

With kids

Weekend Trip to Fruitdale Farm

Our family stayed in the Juniper trees area at Camp 4. We found this site to be quite private, protected from any wind and it felt like our own space. The grounds are kept quite nice and appreciated the well water access. The homemade goods for purchase were a great little surprise also. The pond and chickens kept our daughter entertained and the nearby hikes in Rocky Fork Gorge we pretty impressive. Loved the no fuss check in and check out. We will definitely be back.

P

Petra

October 2025

Tent

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Fruitdale Farm

If you love camping you will live Fruitdale Farm! The campsite was super nice, enough away from others to feel private, and close enough to the bathrooms. We stayed at site 5 and loved it. The little farm stand was really nice, the garden is amazing and we loved the Sunday morning sauna session while it rained outside.. I totally recommend this place and will be back again!

M

Matt

October 2025

19 ft Class B

Weekend Trip to Fruitdale Farm

We loved Fruitdale Farm! The property is well maintained and very peaceful. We enjoyed sitting in the sauna in the evening and enjoyed sitting by the pond with our coffee in the morning. It was a great one night getaway for us!

D

Daniel

October 2025

Tent

With kids

Weekend Trip to Fruitdale Farm

Fruitdale farm was fantastic. The site (Site 3) was perfectly secluded in a grove, with ample tent space and close to privy and unloading/ loading area. The whole site was just beautiful for kiddos to run around and check out fish in the pond, gardens, chickens, and the trails. We had such a great time and can't wait to go back.

B

Beth

October 2025

Tent

2 nights at Fruitdale Farm

This was the perfect place to camp while hiking in the area! Campsite #2 felt very private and secluded and was a great spot for both hammock and tent camping.