5 Perfect Places for Camping Near Cuyahoga National Park

Cuyahoga is one of our nation’s beautiful national parks. It covers over 32,000 acres and attracts more than 2 million recreational visitors every year. And if you are planning on being one of those 2 million visitors anytime soon, I am sure you will be interested in what I have in this article today because it features 5 of the best campsites you can find near Cuyahoga.

Most of these campsites are around 20 minutes to a half hour drive away from the park. And I highly recommend staying at the ones as close to the park as possible.

And if you are planning a trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, be sure to check out GiftYa to find a list of all the great restaurants and attractions in the area where you can use one of our quick and convenient digital gift cards. I personally find them to be a great way to help with the planning and budgeting part of the vacation process.

But that’s enough with the intro, let’s get right to that list of great campgrounds near Cuyahoga that brought you here!

1 - Woodside Lake Park

100 Acres of Serene Camping At This Family-Oriented Campground!

2486 Frost Rd | Streetsboro | woodsidelake.com

Woodside Lake Park is open from April 15th through November 1st during the peak camping months of the year. They have a wonderful lake attached to their 100-acre wood campground. You’re close enough to Cleveland itself that you can easily go into the city for some fine dining or shopping. And on top of all the great camping activities at the park itself (swimming, fishing, hiking, paddle boarding, biking and more) you are also just a short drive from Cuyahoga Valley National Park where you can have plenty of great outdoor adventures as well.

They have plenty of spots for RVs and even offer plenty of rental cabins for those of you who don’t have an RV but don’t feel like sleeping on the hard ground in your tent every night.

They have a camp store, a game room, hot showers, a four acre lake, and plenty of great hiking trails that are all available in a clean family-oriented campground.

And you can enjoy all of that at one of the campgrounds that is the closest to Cuyahoga State Park. It’s only about 20 minutes away by car if you follow I-80 East!

“Wow! What a great campgrounds! Owners are salt-of-the-earth and run a clean, organized park. We'll be returning many weekends to come!” - Yelp Review

2 - KOA Streetsboro

A Basecamp for the Great Outdoors!

187 State Route 303 | Streetsboro | koa.com

KOA stands for Kampgrounds of America, and in my experience, it’s very easy to understand how they are able to have over 500 great campsites all over the country. They offer plenty of space for RV campers and tent campers alike. The campground has Wi-Fi access all across the premises.

But at a KOA you get free Wi-Fi service so that way after you have been out in nature exploring the park all day, you can check in with your loved ones or significant other and let them know about all the adventures you had that day. Not to mention one of my favorite things to do at a campsite is sit around a campfire and listen to some music while I am surrounded by friends or family. And with the free Wi-Fi you never have to worry about not being able to stream everybody’s favorite campfire songs.

And on top of all of that, I have always found KOA locations to have the absolute cleanest bathrooms and showers of any campsite I have ever been to. After a long day of hiking, or a long night laying on the ground in your sleeping bag, there is little that is more refreshing than a nice hot shower in a clean bathroom. And on top of the great bathrooms, they also have a pool that you can access as well as a full kitchen that you can use, as well as a basketball court, a game room, and a playground to keep the kids entertained all day. And if you are looking for a more private camping experience they even have great Glamping tents and cabins that you can rent!

And you get access to everything the campsite has to offer while you are only about a 20 minute drive away from Cuyahoga State Park. So if you are hoping to spend as much time as possible exploring the park, and less time stuck in the commute, then this is going to be a great campsite near Cuyahoga for you!

“Checking in went smoothly. Was asked about an hour slot for pool. Very considerate. Escorted us to our pull thru spot which was only a short walk to pool and office. Pool was divine temp just right. Not crowded.  Almost forgot good wifi and great cable channels. Definitely going back in Jun 21.” - Yelp Review

3 - West Branch State Park Campground

5570 Esworthy Rd | Ravenna | ohiodnr.gov

West Branch State Park Campground is a great place for families and adventurers alike. There is plenty of biking, hiking, and swimming that is accessible for people of all ages. There is a lake attached right to the property so you can also enjoy a great day of boating, kayaking, and swimming while you enjoy your stay. They have over 200 sites available for campers and even allow pets to be permitted on each site.

You can make a reservation here up to 6 months in advance and it might be well worth your effort to make sure you have one reserved well ahead of time because it stays busy all throughout the year. From November 1st through April 1st of the next year they only keep their electric sites 1-32 open.

So if you are planning to do some winter camping you will have even more competition for the number of slots that are available to you. There is a camp store that sells firewood and a wide variety of different camping supplies, and there are games and sporting equipment that can be rented to any registered camper. So you will have everything you need to enjoy your stay in Ohio right at the campsite. And you’ll obviously be able to enjoy all the great activities at Cuyahoga State Park because it’s only about 40 minutes away if you follow I-80 East!

“This may be the nicest state park My wife and I have ever camped in.  Everything works.  Everything is clean.  Staff is knowledgeable and friendly.  ” - Yelp Review

4 - Punderson State Park Campground

A Pet-Friendly, Family-Friendly Campsite With Over 150 Sites

Cleveland | ohiodnr.gov

The great thing about this campsite is that it overlooks Punderson Lake. Which means that you will have fantastic views of the lake, as well as be able to enjoy great kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and swimming right from your campsite. They even have the kayaks and canoes available for you to rent right on site. And if you are hoping for some great activities on dry land they also have an amphitheater, a playground, and a basketball court. The campground is pet friendly and has plenty of trees to help keep you cool in the shade.

They have 15 non-electric sites, 137 electric sites at 20-amps (currently being upgraded now through 2024 so that every site will be 50-amp) and they have 20 full hookup sites with 50-amp electricity, water and sewage. But just so you know, reservations are required for every campsite and the reservation can be made up to 6 months in advance. And since it’s located in a beautiful state park, and is near a great national park, you can expect it to stay fairly busy, so you may want to make your reservation as far in advance as you can.

And the great thing about this campsite is that you obviously have access to Punderson State Park the entire time you are camping. But if you are planning to spend more of your time at Cuyahoga National Park, it’s about a 40 minute drive to get there.

So if you are hoping to spend the majority of your trip at Cuyahoga, I would probably recommend one of the sites closer to the National Park so that way you can avoid being stuck in traffic. But if you are just hoping to enjoy the great outdoors, and aren’t too picky about which amazing park it happens at, then Punderson State Park Campground is going to be the perfect location for you!

“The lady at the entrance to the campground was always very nice when we came up. Originally, when we arrived, they placed us right next to some other campers. We went back to the front office and asked if we could switch sites, and she gave us a couple different options and switched us!” - Yelp Review

5 - Countryside Campground

A Quaint Family Friendly Campground

2687 State Rt 43 | Mogadore | countrysidecampgrounds.com

Countryside Campground has 95 water and electric sites for RV campers, but they also have plenty of great sites for tent campers as well. And they even have plenty of great recreation activities too. There is a pool, a playground, plenty of fishing and hiking, along with a mini-golf course. And you get all of that in addition to the great showers, restrooms, and free Wi-Fi.

And for those of you who don’t have an RV, and don’t feel like camping out on the cold ground, they also offer on site rental units. They have a few travel trailers, two room cottages and rustic cabins for their guests that can sleep anywhere from 3 to 6 people depending on what is available at the time.

So if I were you I would make my reservation here as far in advance as possible if you need lodging to accommodate a group of three people or more. The campground’s welcoming atmosphere will really help you feel like you are at home after a long day of hiking or exploring Cuyahoga National Park. And if you still aren’t sold, be sure to check out their website where they offer an aerial flyover of the entire property so you can get a bird’s eye view of the whole thing!

And hey you get to enjoy all of that while only being about a half hour drive from Cuyahoga State Park. You can take OH-8 S or I-76E and make it there with plenty of time to spare!

“This was a gem of a campground we found.  It is very clean with lovely amenities.  We only stayed one evening but would have enjoyed more time there.” - Yelp Review

That’s it for the best camping spots near Cuyahoga National Park.

And that concludes my list of great campgrounds you can find near Cuyahoga. I hope this at least helped you narrow down your list of options and help you get your vacation planned. But if you are thinking you might want to spend a night in the city enjoying some fine dining or shopping, be sure to check out some of our other great articles.

We have articles on the best things you can find to do in Cleveland, the best museums in the area, and the best restaurants in the area that we hope will make your vacation one that you will remember for the rest of your life!