RV Rental Ohio | Good Sam RV Rental

Right in the heartland of the country is Ohio—a state full of Midwestern comforts, surprising sights, and fun recreation. Add in an RV, and you’ve got everything you need for a classic, yet equally one-of-a-kind American road trip. Renting an RV in Ohio lets you take in the many sites, state parks, and other attractions that make Ohio a popular place to visit.

With Lake Erie to the north and the Ohio River to the south—plus many lakes in between—there’s far from a lack of recreation to experience. Whether you’re traveling on your own or with your family, Ohio’s a great place to rent an RV and get away from it all.

Why Renting an RV in Ohio Is the Way to Go

As a state, Ohio isn’t among the most geographically diverse. You won’t find soaring mountains or rolling hills here. But—during the right parts of the year—giant fields of crops, Lake Erie, and the Ohio River rival the views of any other destination in the United States. Renting an RV in Ohio lets you see all of this and focus on the parts that are most interesting to you and your travel companions.

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Renting an RV lets you enjoy your vacation spots all day—and night—long. A big part of camping is enjoying a campfire, sitting under the stars, enjoying the quiet that nature offers. After a long day of hiking, kayaking or even visiting an amusement park, camping in your rental RV is a great way to unwind.

Are you thinking about buying an RV? If you’re on the fence, renting an RV is the perfect way to test one out. Get used to the way they drive, the parking, and setting up camp in one. Plus, renting one allows you to get out on vacation quickly—just load up and go.

10 Perfect Places to See in Ohio in Your Rental RV

With its 75 state parks, one national park, and numerous other forests and recreation areas, Ohio is an easy choice for an RV vacation. To make the most of your trip, you’ll probably not want to move every day, but find several spots around a few campgrounds. Here’s a list of 10 places in Ohio that are fun-filled and should be high on your list.

Hocking Hills State Park

Hocking Hills State Park is a veritable treasure trove of hiking trails. There are actually seven separate hiking areas within the park itself—each with its own views, attractions, and appeal. Waterfalls, recess caves, and unusual rock formations are all on these trails. But it’s not just hiking in Hocking Hills.

Elsewhere in the park you’ll find other recreational activities like canoeing and kayaking on the rivers and Lake Logan and rock climbing and rappelling on the rock formations. Bird watching, trail rides, and even canopy tours are also great ways to enjoy your leisure time. With seven hiking areas, it’s the perfect place to post up and enjoy yourself.

Learn more about Hocking Hills State Park

Cedar Point

What’s a vacation without a few thrills? Cedar Point is called “America’s Roller Coast” for good reason. Located on Lake Erie, it’s an amusement park that has a record 71 rides—including 17 roller coasters. Consistently ranked as one of the top amusement parks in the world, Cedar Point is a must for thrill enthusiasts.

There are sites in Camper Village dedicated to RV camping, complete with hookups. It’s the perfect way to enjoy a day of fun-filled rides and coming home to your comfortable rental RV. And you’ll need some rest, as many of those coasters are considered the best—and most thrilling—in the world.

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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a must-stop for any music lover or even for a quick look (the famous building was designed by architect I.M. Pei). Otherwise, plan to spend a day in the museum to take in some of the exhibits, which include the entire history of the genre. You’ll see jumpsuits from Elvis Presley and David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, Johnny Cash’s 1943 Martin guitar, Jimi Hendrix’s famous Stratocaster, the awning to defunct punk club CBGB, and more.

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Serpent Mound

Ohio (and other parts of the Midwest) were once home to many Native American tribes long before European settlers moved in. Serpent Mound is evidence of this. Serpent Mound is an effigy mound—a pile of earth that’s been stylized to look like something else. In this case, a large snake with a curled tail and a head eating an oval (what some presume to be an egg).

It’s estimated that the mound was built in either 320 C.E. or 1070 C.E. The serpent is more than 1,300 feet long, and its purpose is still debated. In any case, stop by and walk the length of the serpent. Then visit the museum where you can learn how it was built, some of the theories on why it exists, and why it’s so important to preserve it.

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As the longest natural sand beach in Ohio, it’s an obvious destination for swimmers and sunbathers alike. But, if you are itching to do some fishing, head up to the breakwall and try your hand at large and smallmouth, yellow perch, walleye, and more. The Headland Dunes State Nature Preserve sits adjacent and is a great spot for hiking before or after a day at the beach.

Learn more about Headlands Beach State Park

Ohio Caverns

Billed as “America’s Most Colorful Caverns,” the Ohio Caverns are an intricate cave system—the largest in the state. Especially on hot, humid days in the summer, a trip to Ohio Caverns is a fun, fascinating way to cool off while still taking in spectacular sights. As the temperature in the caverns hovers around 54 degrees.

Ohio Caverns offer several tour options from which to choose. Among these is the History Tour, which takes you in through the point where the caves were originally toured by visitors in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Natural Wonder tour walks you a mile through the cave and shows you Ohio’s largest stalactite: The Crystal King.

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Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

Franklin Park is a massive conservatory and garden. Inside the conservatory there are more than 400 species of plant and flower. There are biomes that showcase plants from different climates—including the Himalayan Mountains, Tropical Rainforest, Desert, and Pacific Island Water Garden.

While it’s entertaining to simply walk around, the park offers classes as well in which you can learn about specific plants. Beyond that, there’s also a vast exhibit of 19 Chihuly glass installations. They’re bold and vibrant, and worth checking out alone—and in the midst of the flowers, it’s untold beauty.

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Rock House Cave has a long history associated with Native Americans, and you can find traces of them in hominy grinding holes and even crude ovens. There are also stories about robbers, thieves, and other bad guys who used the space as a hideaway. The Rock House Cave trail is ¼ mile

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Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve

If you’re looking to beat the heat, head to Conkles Hollow, a gorge located inside Hocking Hills State Park that always keeps it cool, literally. The gorge sits between cliffs that rise up about 200 feet, and the gorge itself is only 100 feet wide in some parts.

This is a lovely hike with great views of the incredible rock formations and there are also several waterfalls that cascade across the sandstone formations—they’re further eroding the sandstone even today. The rim trail is 2.5 miles long and it’s worth noting that the upper trail is quite challenging. Horsehead Cave, on the lower trail, is even said to be haunted. You’ll have to be the judge.

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10. Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve

Small but mighty, the Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve is a little more than 250 acres, but it contains one stellar two-mile hiking trail. The gorge was formed by glacial meltwater thousands of years ago. The Little Miami River runs alongside tall limestone cliffs.

The preserve requires you to stay on the trail, but inside the park you’ll find a nature center and a connection to the John Bryan State Park. The trail itself is surrounded by old growth forest, wildflowers, and creeks.

Learn more about Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve

Campgrounds and RV Parks in Ohio

Most of Ohio’s state parks have campgrounds available; and, of those, many offer electrical hookups, while some also offer full hook ups. Not all state parks in Ohio have camping available, but for those that don’t it’s very likely that you’ll find campgrounds or RV resorts nearby. Those sites are the best alternative to actually camping inside the camp—and may offer other amenities that the park doesn’t. Good Sam maintains a list of campgrounds in Ohio that are worth looking into.

It’s rare these days to pull up to a campground and find an available space on a first-come-first-served basis. In fact, many Ohio campgrounds request (if not require) reservations ahead of time. These reservations can be made online. It does require that you think your trip through ahead of time and plan a loop that will let you see everything you want while giving you a place to stay each night. You can see a list of Good Sam campgrounds in Ohio here.

Things to Note About Camping in Ohio

Ohio has a classic Midwestern climate. It gets hot and humid in the summer and cold and potentially snowy in the winter. When camping and hiking, plan to sweat. Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Ohio also has ticks and mosquitoes, so plan on wearing bug repellent of some kind.

Dry Camping or Boondocking in Ohio

Feel like roughing it? Or at least as much as you can in an RV? Then you may want to try out boondocking or dry camping. That means camping in an RV without hookups—no electric, no sewer, no water. You rely instead on your water tank and a generator for electricity.

Boondocking is a challenge that many experienced RVers enjoy to get farther away from other campers. It’s legal to camp on any public land in the state, so you can get off the roads a bit and find a nice place to set up. Otherwise, if you need a late-night break from driving in between locations, many large stores and restaurants allow RVers to dry camp overnight in their parking lots.