Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area
Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area
4
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4.0
27 reviews
Excellent
13
Very good
8
Average
4
Poor
2
Terrible
0
Danielle N
69 contributions
Oct 2016 • Friends
We stayed at Lake Vesuivus at Iron Ridge Campground 10/14/16-10/16/16.
Getting there: At the time of our trip, when we typed “Iron Ridge Campground” into google maps, Waze, or Apple Maps it brought us to the incorrect location. 6518 State Route 93 PEDRO OH 45659 is the MAILING address- it will NOT take you to the campground. Our friend who came with us was able to put the Latitude and longitude coordinates into her car GPS and it brought her to the campground without any trouble. We put “Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area” into our GPS and then followed the signs to Iron Ridge Campground from there. There is limited signage when you are on your way, so keep your eyes peeled. The campground is just over a mile past the main entrance to the recreation area. Once in the campground, the camper and electric sites are well labeled and easy to find, but the non-electric sites are tucked away off of the main road.
The Campsite: We are tent campers so we chose to stay at a non-electric site (sites 023-027). Based on observation, the camper and electric tent sites appeared comfortable and private, but they also appeared less secluded than the non-electric sites. The camper and electric tent sites are also much closer to the bathrooms.
The website stated that the non-electric sites were “walk to”, and we were not sure what that meant so we chose site 024 because it was close to the road. Our campsite was about 25 yards from where you parked the car, but the farthest one away was probably only 100 yards from the car. Bottom line, it really is no trouble to walk and carry your stuff to your campsite.
The campsites themselves are amazing. The site we were at was fairly large- we had two tents set up, but could easily have had another tent. We could only see one other campsite from ours and it was so quiet. I was worried that the road noise would be a problem being so close to the road, but this was not the case at all. All the other campsites in our loop we stayed in were comparable to ours with the ones towards the back (sites 025-027) being more secluded and private than the rest. We also had a great view of the sunset from our campsite, which was an added bonus.
The Bathrooms: In general, the bathrooms were nice. They had excellent lighting and were overall fairly clean. I would bring your own soap – it was hit or miss if there would be any. There was also no mirror in the bathrooms. The one complaint I would have with our specific campsite would be the distance away from the bathroom. Where the non-electric tent sites are is about a 5 minute walk to either bathroom and both ways involve walking up a large hill on the way. We did a combination of walking and driving to the bathrooms- the walk definitely got old after a while.
The Showers: I did not personally shower on our trip, but my husband and our companion did. Their biggest complaint was that the bench for your clothes is right next to the shower head so it was hard to keep towels/clothes dry during your shower. There were no other hooks or shelves to place items on. My husband recommends bringing a small stool or camping chair to place at the other end of the shower to keep clothes and towels dry.
Firewood: You cannot buy firewood at this location, but you also can’t bring firewood from a different county due to the Ash Boor. We called the Ranger District that manages the campground and they recommended bringing a chainsaw to cut down anything that was down and dead. We thought this was a ludicrous suggestion because how many people camp with a chainsaw?? However, as we soon found out, there really isn’t any place nearby to buy firewood (with the exception of a few locals who sell it out of their backyard) nearby, so much to my husband’s delight , he used a hand saw to cut up all of our firewood. There was plenty that was down and dead, but minimal that was sizeable to burn. Bottom line: bring a chainsaw or a handsaw and plan to spend some time chopping wood if you’re going to have a fire.
Hiking:
We chose to do the Lakeshore Trail around Lake Vesuvius which is about an 8 mile loop. It is somewhat strenuous, but well worth it. The lake views and foliage were stunning.
To get to the Lakeshore Trail you take the Whiskey Run Trail which is located right inside the campground right between campsites 028 and 030. It is just under a mile from the start of this trail to the Lakeshore Trail and is well marked. Once you reach the point where the Lakeshore Trail intersects the Whiskey Run trail, there is a sign with directions. As I said, the lakeshore trail makes a loop, but if you were interested in a shorter hike you could easily hike the one mile to the dam and then turn around. If interested in a much longer hiking experience than the 8 mile loop, you can always hop onto the back packing trail for a jaunt.
The time of year when we went the trail was relatively deserted and we say only a handful of other hikers along the way which was lovely. If you do hike the whole thing, there is a beach stop halfway around which has restrooms. Definitely a nice perk.
Other tips:
Personally, I would not stay at sites 028-034 because it is so close to the dumpster and there is a lot of traffic going to and from there to throw things away- might be a bit disruptive.
As for cell phone service, our companion had Verizon and she had a little bit of service at our site. We have T-Mobile who does not operate in that region of Ohio, so it placed us on AT&Ts network and we were able to make any necessary phone calls/texts just fine, just not access to data.
I think that about covers it. Overall, I would highly recommend this campground. It was one of our best camping experiences in Ohio thus far.
Getting there: At the time of our trip, when we typed “Iron Ridge Campground” into google maps, Waze, or Apple Maps it brought us to the incorrect location. 6518 State Route 93 PEDRO OH 45659 is the MAILING address- it will NOT take you to the campground. Our friend who came with us was able to put the Latitude and longitude coordinates into her car GPS and it brought her to the campground without any trouble. We put “Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area” into our GPS and then followed the signs to Iron Ridge Campground from there. There is limited signage when you are on your way, so keep your eyes peeled. The campground is just over a mile past the main entrance to the recreation area. Once in the campground, the camper and electric sites are well labeled and easy to find, but the non-electric sites are tucked away off of the main road.
The Campsite: We are tent campers so we chose to stay at a non-electric site (sites 023-027). Based on observation, the camper and electric tent sites appeared comfortable and private, but they also appeared less secluded than the non-electric sites. The camper and electric tent sites are also much closer to the bathrooms.
The website stated that the non-electric sites were “walk to”, and we were not sure what that meant so we chose site 024 because it was close to the road. Our campsite was about 25 yards from where you parked the car, but the farthest one away was probably only 100 yards from the car. Bottom line, it really is no trouble to walk and carry your stuff to your campsite.
The campsites themselves are amazing. The site we were at was fairly large- we had two tents set up, but could easily have had another tent. We could only see one other campsite from ours and it was so quiet. I was worried that the road noise would be a problem being so close to the road, but this was not the case at all. All the other campsites in our loop we stayed in were comparable to ours with the ones towards the back (sites 025-027) being more secluded and private than the rest. We also had a great view of the sunset from our campsite, which was an added bonus.
The Bathrooms: In general, the bathrooms were nice. They had excellent lighting and were overall fairly clean. I would bring your own soap – it was hit or miss if there would be any. There was also no mirror in the bathrooms. The one complaint I would have with our specific campsite would be the distance away from the bathroom. Where the non-electric tent sites are is about a 5 minute walk to either bathroom and both ways involve walking up a large hill on the way. We did a combination of walking and driving to the bathrooms- the walk definitely got old after a while.
The Showers: I did not personally shower on our trip, but my husband and our companion did. Their biggest complaint was that the bench for your clothes is right next to the shower head so it was hard to keep towels/clothes dry during your shower. There were no other hooks or shelves to place items on. My husband recommends bringing a small stool or camping chair to place at the other end of the shower to keep clothes and towels dry.
Firewood: You cannot buy firewood at this location, but you also can’t bring firewood from a different county due to the Ash Boor. We called the Ranger District that manages the campground and they recommended bringing a chainsaw to cut down anything that was down and dead. We thought this was a ludicrous suggestion because how many people camp with a chainsaw?? However, as we soon found out, there really isn’t any place nearby to buy firewood (with the exception of a few locals who sell it out of their backyard) nearby, so much to my husband’s delight , he used a hand saw to cut up all of our firewood. There was plenty that was down and dead, but minimal that was sizeable to burn. Bottom line: bring a chainsaw or a handsaw and plan to spend some time chopping wood if you’re going to have a fire.
Hiking:
We chose to do the Lakeshore Trail around Lake Vesuvius which is about an 8 mile loop. It is somewhat strenuous, but well worth it. The lake views and foliage were stunning.
To get to the Lakeshore Trail you take the Whiskey Run Trail which is located right inside the campground right between campsites 028 and 030. It is just under a mile from the start of this trail to the Lakeshore Trail and is well marked. Once you reach the point where the Lakeshore Trail intersects the Whiskey Run trail, there is a sign with directions. As I said, the lakeshore trail makes a loop, but if you were interested in a shorter hike you could easily hike the one mile to the dam and then turn around. If interested in a much longer hiking experience than the 8 mile loop, you can always hop onto the back packing trail for a jaunt.
The time of year when we went the trail was relatively deserted and we say only a handful of other hikers along the way which was lovely. If you do hike the whole thing, there is a beach stop halfway around which has restrooms. Definitely a nice perk.
Other tips:
Personally, I would not stay at sites 028-034 because it is so close to the dumpster and there is a lot of traffic going to and from there to throw things away- might be a bit disruptive.
As for cell phone service, our companion had Verizon and she had a little bit of service at our site. We have T-Mobile who does not operate in that region of Ohio, so it placed us on AT&Ts network and we were able to make any necessary phone calls/texts just fine, just not access to data.
I think that about covers it. Overall, I would highly recommend this campground. It was one of our best camping experiences in Ohio thus far.
Written 23 October 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Larra F
Ashland, KY5 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
A great place for a family outing. Beautiful scenery, great kayaking and a nice beach with picnic areas.
Written 27 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jteirich
Cincinnati, OH15 contributions
May 2018
I motocamped here a few nights earlier this year for the first time and overall really enjoyed it. The landscape is beautiful, almost reminiscent of the Hocking HIlls area not too far away, and yet far less crowded. The campground facilities were okay, somewhat volunteer-maintained and there were a couple of sketchy cars driving through, clearly not campers but probably looking to steal stuff. Such is the nature of our world right now. The hike around the lake was a great workout, not a short or easy hike but not too much by any means either. I did discover that this park is located just on the edge of rattlesnake territory and found a black timber rattler sunning itself on some rocks in the middle of the trail, quite large - probably close to six feet long. The restrooms were not bad. My experience was above average. I plan on returning.
Written 6 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
YorkForrester
Blacklick, OH286 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
If you are not familiar with the area, do not attempt to find the Oak Hill campground in the dark. The signs are deceiving and if you are pulling a 42' camper and arent comfortable with turning around on a dime, go in the daylight cause turn around spots are rare. The campground is nice, does not have sewer hook up, but has water and electric. Bath houses arent far no matter where you're at in the campground and they are nice and clean.
Written 28 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark R
Lewis Center, OH1,102 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
A great campground, nice beach and kayak/canoe rentals with an 8-mile trail around the lake. We were very pleasantly surprised by this National Recreation Area. The campground has complete RV facilities but is just a good for tents. The friendliness of the campers was very notable as I do not think we passed anyone who did not say hello. Even the teenagers were polite and friendly. (Fee for camping) I should note the kayak/canoe concessionaire on weekends was friendly, helpful and fair.
Written 7 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joe_Denise
Chesapeake, OH95 contributions
Sept 2018 • Couples
Nice trails around the lake - the campground is nice! They have a swimming area but we
didn't go - Nice walkway from the Marina out to the lake/damn area - great for handicap individuals to fish off from - lots of benches for seating - kayak rental.....
didn't go - Nice walkway from the Marina out to the lake/damn area - great for handicap individuals to fish off from - lots of benches for seating - kayak rental.....
Written 6 September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LoisB
Mentor, OH137 contributions
Mar 2018 • Couples
The walk around this lake was really fun with our grandson, as he rode his tricycle on the boardwalk. Watching and feeding the ducks and seeing the fish in the lake were all exciting for young ones and the boardwalk is very safe, as there are guardrails to prevent accidently falls into the lake.
Written 2 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cherlyn642003
Ironton, OH3 contributions
Jun 2017 • Family
Use to be able to use shelters when they were not rented, now you have to pay for them, no play area swings sets or slides for kids.. just walking in woods
Written 21 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SDurham14
Huntington, WV7 contributions
Sept 2017 • Couples
We loved Iron Ridge...much better than the Oak Hill campground a few minutes away. We tent camp and it's difficult to find campgrounds in the area that don't cater to large campers. It's also difficult to find sites that are spread out so that you don't feel like you're right on top of your neighbors. The first area of Iron Ridge has sites for both tents and campers, but they didn't seem terribly close together. The second loop was mostly tents and spaced out enough so that we had plenty of privacy. We don't prefer loud areas and this one was very quiet at night. There was a view of the lake at the back of our site and Whiskey Run Trail was beside us (connects to Lakeshore Trail, which goes around the lake). There are bathrooms and showers for men and women in both areas of the campground and they were kept fairly clean. Take soap for washing hands! We felt like we were hours away from home, but were actually very close and Ironton is just a few minutes away if you forget something. I left a star off because there is no firewood available to buy and we didn't see many options nearby. It was tricky because they don't want you bringing firewood in from other areas. Despite that, we will definitely be visiting again.
Written 14 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tseas930
Republic, OH9 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
My wife and I spent 3 nights at Oak Hill Campground at Lake Vesuvius. This is one of two National Park Service campgrounds located on the lake. While the camp sites were spread out, some sites did not have much space for tents. The sites on the insides of the loops are best suited for tents. The restrooms/shower houses are relatively new and very nice. There are many trails for hiking and backpacking. The lake has a boat dock and kayak rentals and plenty of places to fish from the boardwalk. The beach is was clean although the water was quite murky. There is a $3 per carload fee for the beach. We drove through Iron Ridge campground on the other side of the lake out of curiosity. Iron Ridge also has newer bathrooms/shower houses, the sites are a little larger and better accommodate campers and tents. The last loop of the campground is non-electric though. Iron Ridge is further from the beach and boat ramp. Either place is a great value at $20 a night.
Written 22 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
how many miles is the lake from the ramp, all the way to the end? Is there a charge to kayak if I have my own kayak? May I launch my Kayak at the beach? are there any awesome trails that i can kayak to, then hike to waterfalls or caves or cliffs? Thank you. Tristate Kayakers are camping june 22-24, 2017
Written 17 June 2017
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