Alum Creek State Park

A panoramic view of Site B22 at Alum Creek State Park
A panoramic view of Site B22 at Alum Creek State Park

While we were in Delaware (both times) we stayed at Alum Creek State Park.  Ohio has many wonderful State Parks and they are generally cheaper, with larger campsites, than any of the private campgrounds.  Alum Creek is no exception.  Although there are 280 campsites, not counting the group camp areas, the sites are deep and separated by trees, lending a feeling of privacy even though there are so many of them.   Sites are primitive or electric only.  The private campground across the street (Cross Creek) is twice as expensive and you are within touching distance of your neighbors – although it does have full hook-ups.

We can easily go a week on our tanks, so electric only was no hardship.  We stayed in the B loop which had lots of trees.  The sites were slightly sloped but the asphalt pads were plenty long for our “big rig.”  There are other sites that accommodate even longer rigs, but you should check them out carefully beforehand (look at the satellite view of the campground) to make sure you won’t be too tall for the trees.  All sites are back-in, so Tom got a little practice.

There is a dump station as you drive to the campground.  We filled our fresh-water tank with potable water as we entered, and then dumped the grey and black tanks when we left.  When we left the second time, on a Sunday, there was a line to use the dump station.

Alum Creek is a reservoir State Park, along Alum Lake between I-71 and Delaware.  Most of the people who go there are boaters, and it was not unusual to see one vehicle pulling a camper and one pulling a boat.  Sites are limited to two vehicles and six people and this was better enforced the second weekend we were there than it was the first weekend.  On weekends in the summer the campground is full, but during the week there are lots of spots open.  I suggest reservations if you are camping in the summer over a weekend.  There are Camping Cabins but no lodge or restaurant.

There is plenty to do besides boating at the park, although the different areas of the park are separated by the lake and by private land.  At the campground there was a playground, Nature Center, horseshoes, volleyball, disc golf, a small beach, and a nice little campstore.  There were pancakes on Saturday morning and donuts on Sunday.  There is a little hiking, a dog park, and mountain biking trails at other parts of the park.

Delaware is half way between John and Jackie’s house in Columbus and my parent’s house in Lexington, so we will be returning to Alum Creek.  It will probably be where we park our home when we are in Ohio.  In fact, I bought a t-shirt at the campstore that says “Home Is Where You Park It:  Alum Creek State Park.”  Certainly true for us.

Site C13
A “private” site
Very nice playground
A mile long nature trail
Site C7
Site B22 – our first week
Site B28, our second week
A very basic Camping Cabin
The bath and shower houses were basic, older, but clean enough
Neighboring site – could only see it by stepping out into the road