Iron Ridge - Lake Vesuvius

Unfortunately they were doing brushwork on the OHV trails we were using for mountain bicycling and lots of thorny branches on the trails, not good for our tires. And the lake was drained due to broken dam so the lakeview trail was not as scenic. On the upside, campground and bathrooms were clean, showers hot, paved campground site was level, easy backin, quiet and relaxing. Lower bathroom had a sink, but no soap or hand sanitizer. Lower men’s shower head sprayed across the room and could not be adjusted manually, needs a tool adjustment. Upper bathrooms good.

The camping was great! Not a fan of the loud Halloween decorations the site host had up that we’re going off every 30 seconds from 4-10. Really made the night un-enjoyable. Morning was great, though and the site itself was nice.

This is a hidden gem of a camping park. The camping area is well kept, with private spaces and lots of room. I loved the picnic table and easy access. I arrived at night and had no problem finding my spot. The bathrooms were a close walk--clean and with showers well lit. The best part of this campground is the night sky--just gorgeous. I also took a hike to the lake in the morning on a well marked trail and it was beautiful with changing leaves. The staff at this park were super helpful and friendly, too. I really appreciated them and this lovely respite on my drive cross country.

Where else in Ohio can you jump in a deep lake and the water is so clear you can see your toenails?
Great campsites with plenty of space between, clean bathrooms and showers

I usually love my trips to Iron Ridge but there were some issues on this trip. The water was cold in the lower shower and the men’s shower in the upper shower house didn’t work at all. There was no soap in any of the restrooms and the hand dryers didn’t work in any of the bathrooms. The lake is empty and I don’t see where there are any public notice on the reservation site. People showed up to camp from 2 hours away with kayaks not knowing the lake was empty. Please update the status of the lake and timeline for refilling.

nice spot plenty of room
quiet neighbors narrow roads

Very relaxing weekend! Camp ground host was out walking and interacting. All grass was cut, campground was very clean. I will definitely be back A nice quiet get away in the woods

Clean and quiet campground. Only problem we had ( the dog and I ) was ticks. After a 2 hour hike thru the woods , I found 20 ticks. Not the campground or NPS fault. Just a sign of things to come.
T

This was our first visit to this location. Although it rained most of our weekend there, we knew it was needed and we did not let it dampen our spirits. The campground and surrounding areas were well kept and clean. We enjoyed our site, although it was a little more unlevel than preferred. We plan to possibly revisit in the future and we can hopefully experience less rain and more outdoor activities.

Nice walk in sites. Very tidy.