I had not visited Shawnee State Park since I was a teenager. The last time was with my aunt for a family cookout. I remember we hung out at a picnic table by the creek near the campsite. On this visit my sister and I came to check out the trails. A helpful park employee pointed me to Lampblack Trail. It was less than a mile long and on the easy to medium difficulty range. We had the trail to ourselves. The trails were wide and well-maintained. We were surrounded by a beautiful forest with thousands of trees and lots of singing birds. We stopped by the lodge to use the restroom. The restroom was super duper clean. I'm so glad we went inside as it was so nice with a lovely view overlooking the pool, lake and rolling hills. We spent nearly 15 minutes checking out the dacor and view. I overheard a guest scheduling a reservation for the pool. After our hike we drove through the park. We started with the cabins. They look as though they have been remodeled recently and I want to plan a trip to come back and stay for a few nights. They are pet friendly which is great. Each cabin had a fire pit and grill. We also passed a playground, camp ground, lake beach, boat dock and dam. Shawnee State Park offers so many outdoor adventures. If you are looking for some family fun or a quiet getaway this is your spot! read more

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Wow! This hike is great! So inviting and lovely! The tree roots and rocks along the path can trip you a bit but of course well worth it! I would love to get a cabin or camp here and will definitely be back to do some creekin' the water was clear and beautiful read more

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Enjoyed camping and hiking here. The sites are small and packed but still enjoyable nonetheless. Of all the campsites we've been to, this place has the cleanest bathrooms! Great staff at the front office, too. read more

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Pretty cool state park in southern Ohio! We enjoyed a hike around the lake that turned into a bit more than we expected! We ended up turning around to be honest. I wish there was a map like shown below at least halfway through to assure people they are halfway through. It is ALOT of uphill (we've hiked lots of western mountains) and at one point you start to go away from the lake and further up the mountain. If you aren't an advanced hiker I would suggest turning around towards the end of the lake and walk back. That way it's still a nice hike around part of the lake without risking getting in over your head. read more

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In the area and stopped in for lunch......hamburger and onion rings....well proportions and tasty. After lunch walked the common building areas inside and out. Well maintained with ample room for family getaways. On the way out drove into the cabin area which looked to be about 50% occupied. The forest offers plenty of activities....camping, hiking, horseback, fishing etc.. I would recommend a stay. read more

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Absolutely beautiful place to get out and commune with nature. A comfortable drive from Columbus, Ohio to a wilderness that offers multiple terrains for hikers, nicely (not great, but nice) equipped cabins, camping, boating/paddle rental and many types of trails. The lodge is very nice with both an indoor and outdoor pool, putting range, free laundry- bring your own detergent, organized nature events, and pet friendly options. TIP: BRING BUG SPRAY and TICK PREVENTION. Went hiking and there are definitely dog and deer ticks here. Had to pull a dozen off my pup. read more

We recently four days, three nights camping at Shawnee, which was our third time staying at the park. Many of the camping spots aren't large RV friendly, which makes it a better place to tent in. Loved our site, just up the steep hill next to Turkey Creek. During our stay, we hiked, enjoyed one of the two beaches, and more. We also took advantage of the park's wonderful lodge, enjoying the outdoor pool and restaurant. We also enjoyed the outdoor movie in the campground. Park is very well maintained. read more

Shawnee State Park - Campgrounds Near Me - West Portsmouth, Ohio

Rooms need updated and WiFi does not work outside of lobby. Cabins are old and outdated and need upkeep bad. Start reinvesting some of your profits in updating your rooms and cabins. read more

My husband and I stayed here in cabin #3 for two nights. We both left with multiple insect bites (either bed bugs or fleas). I have 20 on one arm and a total of around 50 bites total. Left a note for the cleaning company and called the lodge only to be told, "we are aware" and "we are sorry this happened." We make a point of staying at one of the Ohio state parks every year. Before this, no issues with any park. We will never go back to this one. When they post in your cabin that its been cleaned and is ready for you to stay there, the cleaning should include looking for bedbugs, fleas or other insects and ridding the cabin before you let an unsuspecting couple stay there. Additionally, the cleaning was insufficient as the flatware in the drawers had dried on food still on most of the pieces. If you've stayed at other Ohio State park cabins, this one does not measure up to others. The yard is mud, no grass and the cabin smelled musty like it hadn't been opened up for months. Beware of these cabins and the lack of cleaning and inspection done prior to being rented read more

First off the park is beautiful and the hiking trail we did was challenging. We spent two nights in a cottage, when we called to reserve we were told that we would have to switch but most likely they would let us stay late in original cottage and get in early to next. Although the park was full that weekend not sure why we had to switch because they made multiple people switch. I am sure there was a way to organize it better but no one had logical explination. Any way we ask in the morning and they said we had to leave at 10 and can't check in to new coytsge until 4! We ask if we can leave stuff in new cabin they say no its against policy. They also tell us the cabins where people are switching will be cleaned first. So we end up waiting around lodge until 315! It was a cold rainy day and we didn't want to hike and come back to sit in lodge. Also they were very rude and had no customer service at all. On top of all that, the kitchens are claimed to be fully stocked, good luck piecing together enougb pots and pans and utensils together to make your meal. I will not be back to spend the night. Too high of price for such complications. read more

We (party of 6) drove for 2 hours to eat here. After waiting for 20 minutes to get waited on in an EMPTY restaurant, Not only did our food come out in pieces, half of it was wrong AND they ran out of some of the items! read more

We have stayed in this lodge many times. However, this last stay with them we got bed bugs. We had bites all over our bodies and found 2 dead bed bugs in our suitcase when we came home. A pest control company confirmed the specimens we found. read more

We've camped here twice in June with two small kids. Great experience both times. We are tent campers, and enjoy the fact that there are several secluded, quiet, walk-in sites. Flush toilets and hot showers definitely a plus with kids. The bathhouse furthest from the entrance is definitely worth the walk. Swimming beach was a hit with kids. Nature center is worth a visit. Catching crawfish in the creek is a hoot. Staff are friendly and helpful. Neighbors can be rowdy, but it is a state park, so kind of expected. Some ticks, but no more than you'd find in the woods anywhere else. read more

We stayed at Shawnee State Park this past weekend in the cottages. The cottage was fairly clean...slightly under equipped as far as kitchen utensils and supplies go but we were prepared....and very comfortable. We enjoyed our weekend and actually booked ahead for a bigger family gathering in July. We enjoyed lunch in the lodge restaurant and it was very good and the staff friendly and attentive. The front desk attendants were super! They went out of their way to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable. We have stayed in the past during the warm months and have used and really enjoyed that beautiful, huge outdoor pool. We decided to hit the indoor pool while here this past weekend and we were pretty disappointed. It seemed very dirty, dingy and old. There were hair clumps all over the pool deck and the carcass of a dead frog next to the handicap chair old dried leaves laying in puddles of water. The pool water was treated and didn't feel dirty and we could certainly smell the chlorine but the deck floor was slimy and gross. The bathrooms and showers were not dirty but they had a mildew odor and seemed dingy. We love Shawnee and will continue to enjoy it and visit but we probably will not use the indoor pool area again. It could use some serious TLC...a good power scrub, some bleach and some brighter colors, stronger light bulbs or sun windows and a good coat of fresh paint. read more