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11 acres
1 site
1 Tent
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Location
Powell, Ohio, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
Hosted by John M.Joined in July 2020
Response rate: 100%
98%
26 ratings · 23 reviews
Sarah Noel B.recommends
October 4, 2022
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Wonderful Retreat!
We absolutely loved our time at Riverside Drive Retreat! John had everything well prepared, stocked and ready to go. The campsite is designed very thoughtfully and wonderfully peaceful and private.
David H.recommends
September 29, 2022
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Beautiful spot in the woods! Easy access from Columbus! We will be back.Great to be able to camp with our dogs.
Christopher D.recommends
September 25, 2022
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Had a great weekend escape! Site was exactly as described; will absolutely be returning.
Kirsten B.recommends
September 11, 2022
Riverside Drive Retreat.
It was a great weekend tent camping here! Lots of land to explore and feels very secluded. Only down side is that you can hear the cars from the road but not a deal breaker. River access across the street was a beautiful place to watch the sunset. Highly recommend staying here! John was a great host and we’ll definitely be staying here again.
Sadie P.recommends
July 4, 2022
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Seclusion so close to C-bus!
It was a beautiful, super-private site so close to the city. You could hear some traffic but I really don’t know how you could be anywhere near Columbus, knowing the population density, and escape it completely. The picnic table and fire pit area (with a grate and logs for sitting) were in excellent condition and the free firewood was a huge benefit. The toilet was definitely primitive but you know what - when ya gotta go, ya gotta go, and you make it work. The boys ended up practicing their marksmanship in the woods most of the time 😂. It was much less stinky than a port-a-potty, though - not too bad at all. Most importantly, my kids had a blast and we felt like we had escaped even though we were only twenty minutes from home. Highly recommend!
Chris S.recommends
June 13, 2022
Riverside Drive Retreat.
John has a great spot which he gives very clear directions to find and is a nice secluded spot. There's a seldom used road not far away that you'll hear an occasional car from , but it's nothing compared to the noise pollution at busier campgrounds. This is a nice, large, private space with a great campfire spot with a setup for cooking or sitting around it. There's a picnic table we weren't expecting as well as cooking tools! We really had a terrific time and would recommend it as a camping spot for anyone to check out the greater Columbus area.
Dave W.
October 10, 2021
Riverside Drive Retreat.
The Valley In the Wood
The campsite itself was well laid out and accommodating. Nice space, picnic table, fireside cooking supplies, firewood, back-up supplies, back-up tarp, rustic toilet accommodations, bottled water, fire ring with adjustable fire grate, and natural log fireside seating. The only deterants were: having a high traffic street 500 yards away from the site. (considerable amount of audible late evening traffic) and an unusual amount of flies. Overall, a nice campsite and enjoyable father-son trip!
Katie S.recommends
October 3, 2021
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Great palace to stay
This was a great place to camp, not to far from Columbus but still “in the wilderness”. John had all the essentials waiting for us at the campsite and I we had a peaceful, stress free weekend.
Gene A.recommends
September 27, 2021
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Great for families
We reserved Riverside Drive Retreat to camp with our family of four for the first time. John responded to our reservation request quickly and explained the ins and outs of the location and amenities before we arrived. The campsite was roomy, even larger than we expected from the pictures! There was plenty of space to set up our tent and two hammocks. Firewood was included, and we enjoyed cooking our evening meals and snacks over the campfire. Thanks, John!
Carl W.recommends
September 26, 2021
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Beautiful and peaceful setting. Very surprised with the extras provided. Look forward to returning in the spring.
Heather D.recommends
August 31, 2021
Riverside Drive Retreat.
A True Retreat!
I visited the Riverside Drive Retreat for 2 nights for some time away from family without being too far away. This spot is a gem tucked away on the owner's property. A nice flat spot to set up a tent (mine was a large 8 person despite being alone), 2 options for hanging hammocks, a picnic table, a fire ring with cooking rack, a private toilet trail marked and equipped with supplies for use, firewood and a handy box full of things you may have forgotten like firestarters, lighters, bug spray and a lantern. 10-15 mins from groceries and Walmart if needed. Nice wooded area that felt very secluded and was the perfect get away for me. I will be back...and recommend to others!
Brooke B.recommends
August 15, 2021
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Very nice camp site and easy to find! We had a blast with our paddle boards on the very near by Scioto reservoir. John was super helpful and quick to respond! We later requested the outdoor shower and was quick to accommodate.
Daniel T.recommends
August 8, 2021
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Really enjoyed our stay. The site is lovely — roomy, private, and extremely well appointed (water, firewood, fire pit, cooking grate and utensils, etc — everything in great shape). Fishing spots on the (beautiful) river are just a short walk. And John was a top host, super nice and easy to communicate with. The only minor downside is that it is somewhat close to road so you can notice traffic in the quiet hours when the cars are more sparse. In my opinion, the many pros easily outweigh that con, but worth noting.
Monica S.recommends
July 19, 2021
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Super secluded, loved the walk through the woods, really nice fire pit/grill, very generous amount of firewood. No water was left for me and I couldn’t find the toilet but I also never asked about either of these so I can’t really complain. Was also very thankful there was bug spray! Overall would recommend and definitely would come back 😊
Carlie C.recommends
November 15, 2020
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Very cool camp site for a quick weekend away. The fire wood provided and fire starting kit was perfect. The main road and neighbors are closer than expected but the houses are far enough away they are not an issue.
Joseph A.recommends
November 9, 2020
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Beautiful site, just as described
Amanda H.recommends
October 14, 2020
Riverside Drive Retreat.
We had a great stay! The only thing that I can say bad about the place is the street noise but definitely not a deal breaker. The backdrop is amazing and the little waterfall is cool lots of close parks and rivers to visit and enjoy. The host is more then accommodating with the wood and “bathroom” and map of property, would recommend for sure if you are looking for complete privacy
Tiffany R.recommends
October 4, 2020
Riverside Drive Retreat.
This campsite blew my expectations out of the water! Beautiful wooded area but still room for sun to shine in on you. John, the owner, thought of all the amenities and that makes this a steal for the price. He was super responsive to texts and provided great details for arriving with no issues. Area is large and roomy, fire ring was great and firewood was so convenient and included. Birdwatching was amazing and deer sightings each day. We took a hike in the woods around the camp and the owner even provided a map so we knew where to roam. The private bathroom really set it off for me. I am already dreaming of winter being over so we can come back and enjoy again. Thanks for having us John!
Lori S.recommends
October 4, 2020
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Thoughtful host.
John put in a lot of effort to make this site as welcoming as possible for his guests. He tried to anticpate the needs of the campers and provided firewood, kindling, bottled water, and other amenities which most sites do not offer.
Nathan W.recommends
September 23, 2020
Riverside Drive Retreat.
I'll start with a few critiques. There are a lot of positives to close with.
- The campsite is not as easily accessible as I had hoped. You cannot pull up directly to the site. There is a short trail to walk. Which wouldn't have been a big deal if it weren't for the 7 downed tees across the path that made it difficult to haul our gear from the car to the site.
- There are a few trails around the camp that seem newly made. They're clearly marked with white flags but could be broadened and cleaned up a bit.
- The campsite is in close proximity to a couple homes. It sort of felt like I was camping in someone's back yard at times.
- There is a large heavy duty metal fire ring. While great for simply sitting around, it's not very good for cooking. It's hard to get the grill grate into and out of. And once it is in and the fire's going, it's hard to feed the fire to keep the heat where you need it. My personal suggestion would be a stone fire pit that can be re easily reconfigured however folks need it to be when cooking.
Ok, now it's time to go over the good stuff.
+ If you live in or around Columbus, it's a great getaway close to home.
+ The parking is off the main road and feels private and secure.
+ The campsite itself is large, well laid out, and more or less flat.
+ Roughly half of the cleared area has been mulched with fresh wood chips. This is great for keeping the undergrowth at bay and it helped to insulate us while sleeping in our tent.
+ The site has a great blend of shade and sun. Mostly shade.
+ John provided a very generous and neatly organize wood pile for FREE. Super awesome!
+ Lug-a-loo and gel toilet system provided just a short walk away from the main campsite. Enough for privacy. The kit included toilet paper and wet toilet wipes.
+ Nice picnic table provided.
+ A few backup tarps were provided. We didn't need them but it was a really nice thought.
+ John provided a box of useful camp extras that included a knife, some fire starters, and other little things that can come in handy. Again, we didn't need them but it was really thoughtful.
+ There are some nice log benches provided for sitting around the camp fire.
All in all, I would recommend this site to others and I can see myself returning. Especially given how quick and easy it is to get to from home for me.
Erendira F.recommends
September 16, 2020
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Hidden Gem
Amazing stay. Our host was more than accommodating. We loved the site and how hidden it was. Loved sitting by the fire at night and being surrounded by nature. Beautiful stay.
Autumn K.recommends
September 8, 2020
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Riverside Drive Retreat couldn’t have a better name. The site is located just across the street from a beautiful river and is situated in some cozy, beautiful woods. Our host was a great communicator and was very accommodating. The site was well kept and had a beautiful fire ring with log benches. We loved our visit and would definitely recommend this listing!
Brandon F.recommends
September 6, 2020
Riverside Drive Retreat.
Great private spot, great host too!
Stayed at this spot for two nights. John prepared a really beautiful spot in the middle of suburbia. Kind of wild to turn off a busy road and all the sudden be hidden away in a chunk of forest.
The spot is a little hard to find but if you follow Johns directions to a T, you won’t miss it. It was clear that John put a lot of thought and intention into preparing the space and my girlfriend and I were incredibly grateful. We were running a handful of minutes late after checkout and John met us as he was preparing for another group. He was very friendly and seemed genuinely interested in making sure we enjoyed our stay. Highly recommend you give this spot a try!
One note: the space appears to be recently cleared and much of the brush was rose. As a result, there are small thorny branches everywhere. Not for bare feet or thin sandals but not a problem at all if your feet are protected. I imagine as the site matures, much of the thorny branches will be burnt up as kindling and become less of a problem.
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