Paddle Creek Horse Camp
This horse camp is a large level field with ample area for trailers and horses. Some hitching rails are provided. This camping area is open year-round and is kept mowed and has a capacity for approximately 100 people and horses to camp. This campground and trailhead are part of the Lake Vesuvius Horse Trail System. The Lake Vesuvius horseback trails system 46.66 miles long and is composed of 9 trails, 4 trailheads, and one horse campground. The Lake Vesuvius horse trails wind through some of the most striking landscapes in Ohio. They will lead you through a variety of vegetation where many species of wildlife live. You will ride along rock cliffs, water falls, streams and along ridge tops.
More like this: first-come in Ohio · free in Ohio · tent only in Ohio
Amenities & rules
| Equipment | Tents |
| Fees | No fees required. |
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Open |
| Forest | Wayne National Forest |
| Booking | Not available. |
| Fees | No fees required. |
| Rules | You can build a campfire as long as you have a 10-foot clearance around it and put a ring around it with rocks. Fires must be extinguished before leaving camp. No bon fires are allowed. No standing or green trees may be cut. Check the bulletin boards to ensure no fire bans are in effect. |
Weather by month
Getting there
| Coordinates | 38.6309° N, 82.5816° W · Directions ↗ |
Supplies & services
| Outdoor gear | River City Adventure Company ↗ | 24.1 mi |
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 25.6 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Worth a stop
- 1.6 miBluegrass Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 2.2 miJohn's Creek Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 6.7 miSuperior Ohv System ↗OHV / range
Trails nearby
- under 0.1 miPaddle Creek Connector0.2 mi trail · hiking
- 0.2 miHill Loop0.7 mi trail · hiking
- 0.3 miPaddle Creek Loop2.6 mi trail · hiking
- 0.7 miKimble Loop ↗5.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 0.9 miAldridge Connector1 mi trail · hiking
- 0.9 miWild Berry0.2 mi trail · hiking
Trailheads within three miles
- 1.6 miBluegrass Trailhead ↗Wayne National Forest
- 2 miSand Hill Trailhead ↗Wayne National Forest
- 2.2 miJohn's Creek Trailhead ↗Wayne National Forest
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Public land it sits in
This campground sits inside Wayne National Forest.
- inWayne National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 856,184 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Vesuvius FurnaceStructure · Ironton · 3.2 mi
- Vesuvius Furnace–Stone Bridge (Boundary Decrease)Structure · Ironton · 3.2 mi
- Grand Army of the Republic Memorial HallBuilding · Ironton · 8.6 mi
Guidebooks for Ohio
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to camp at Paddle Creek Horse Camp?
Nothing. Paddle Creek Horse Camp is listed as free. No fees required.
Source: Forest Service
Is Paddle Creek Horse Camp open right now?
Open as of Oct 26, 2026.
Source: Forest Service status
Can I bring an RV to Paddle Creek Horse Camp?
Paddle Creek Horse Camp is listed for tents only.
Source: Forest Service
What if Paddle Creek Horse Camp is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Lake Vesuvius Horseback Riding System (1.6 mi, first-come), Iron Ridge (2.3 mi, partly first-come), and Oak Hill (2.9 mi, partly first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby