Community Forums

buddy110 · 08-08-2022, 10:54 AM

Hi all,
We are going to be in Columbus for the Halloween weekend. Can anyone recommend a good park for us?

TIA

Lakehouse 2 · 08-08-2022, 03:06 PM

Check out Alum Creek State Park which is just north of the city and not far off I-71. Very nice park mostly electric only but there are a number of full hookup sites. Reserve a site now as the park is popular and reservations can be hard to get.

Gasman 2 · 08-08-2022, 06:39 PM

Bruce,
Buckeye Lake KOA is a possibility.
East of Columbus off I70
We have stayed a few times, lots of shade.

Richard

RVFunlovers · 08-08-2022, 08:15 PM

If you want to stay north of Columbus and want full hookups Cross Creek Camping Resort is right across the street from Alum Creek State Park.

**NLOVNIT** · 08-08-2022, 10:05 PM

That's my stomping grounds. My input:

With Halloween on the last Monday of the month, the commercial parks may have a 3-night minimum because they'll have extended their Halloween activity weekends through the end of the month. Be sure to call to check.

The comment by Richard regarding shade @Buckeye Lake KOA is for the close together sites in the older section. I go here a lot because it's close to where I store my RV. If you want in the newer section, there's little shade - but that won't be an issue the end of October when the cool weather has set in. There's another KOA up in Sunbury (called Columbus North/Sunbury KOA Holiday). Haven't been there though. Be aware, you'll pay a steep price for a site at these KOA's...as in $80-$100+/night.

The 2 state parks in the area (Delaware & Alum Creek) may already be mostly booked. Our SP's are HUGELY popular for Halloween weekends celebrations. For sure FHU's at AC will already be gone...they've pretty much been gone all season right from the get go.

Cross Creek is probably already booked but you can call the office to get on a wait list.

Cardinal Center CG is north of the city (Marengo). It's huge with 400+ sites. It's next to their trap shooting center so, depending on if anything's going on at the trap shoot, it could be packed or not very. It's right next to I-71, so there will be interstate noise.

2 others to check on would be Tree Haven in Westerville or Berkshire Lake in Galena.

Whichever ones you try, I would suggest you call & not rely on online booking. Often online will show "unavailable" but speaking directly to someone at the park you may find there is availability.

Good luck.

buddy110 · 08-09-2022, 04:14 AM

Thanks everyone.

**hamm2018** · 08-09-2022, 04:51 AM

We used to live in Cardington, Ohio which is NW of Columbus.
The Sunbury KOA is nice, they have a grill and bring the food to your rig. But, remembering with this comes the cost. We stayed there in 2019 for a friend's son's wedding.
Cardinal Center is getting huge. We will be in there week of August 22 to visit with friends/family. For their Halloween weekend, it is packed, good chance it is full already.

If you want something to do during this time, go to Mansfield, Ohio, up I-71 from Columbus. While there you can take a haunted prison tour. But be ready to wait probably a couple of hours to get in for the tour. I know you have seen this old prison in the movies. One of the most famous movies filmed there was "Shawshank Redemption". Also, around Mansfield you can follow the Shawshank Trail movie tour route. But don't try to find the huge tree, it was destroyed by a lightning strike a few years back. Several prison employees were used in the movie as prison staff/inmates.

Another movie filmed there was "Air Force One". All of the prison scenes were filmed there. They filmed the helicopter landing in the prison yard during the daytime.

Oh, in case you are wondering how I know about the movies so much, I retired from the Ohio Prison in 2018, I worked at the prison that replaced the "Shawshank Prison, Ohio State Reformatory, OSR". I would take inmate work crews over to OSR, after we moved to assist setting up for the haunted prison for several years.
The old castle portion of the prison is still standing, it is where the tours are conducted, weddings, funerals, and music videos are filmed.

jbhobbs54 · 08-09-2022, 05:09 AM

You can also camp at the Ohio State fairgrounds. Full hookups including 50 AMP if you stay in the most northern campground. There is no shade in the northern one and there are a few pull thru sites that will handle a 45 coach along with a sizable stacker. It's not a resort by any means, but it is right off I71 with easy access.

0rion · 08-09-2022, 07:08 AM

If you don't mind a bit of a drive the Jellystone in Hocking hills would be fantastic that time of the year.

ArtJoyce · 08-09-2022, 07:58 AM

Depends on the weekend? All the parks around have a holloween weekend one of the weekend around holloween and they will be booked. There are 3 large state parks around columbus. North: Alum Creek, Delaware and South Deer Creek