A great campsite is only a short drive away at eight area Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District sites. The MWCD operates campgrounds ranging in number from 58 sites at Leesville Lake to 651 sites at Atwood Lake. The other campgrounds and their number of sites include Clendening, 87; Charles Mills, 391; Piedmont, 69; Pleasant Hill, 496; Seneca Lake Park, 503; and Tappan Lake Park, 541.
There are plenty of activities to keep campers and the public engaged during their visits including geocaching, hiking, biking, Frisbee golf at Charles Mills, birdwatching, kayaking programs, movies at the lake, nature camps, live music, fishing, boating/rentals, paddle boarding and horse trails.
Roughly half of the sites at each location are reserved for permanent campers who stay throughout the season while the other sites are available for those vacationing a day, a week or a month at a time.
The best way to reserve one of these sites is by going online at www.mwcd.org. Campsites can be reserved up to 340 days in advance.
The MWCD lakes with their picturesque scenery are a favorite for many people. Since the development of a master plan in 2013 with work starting in 2015, many campsites and updates for the parks have been added.
“The recent renovation to our campgrounds has increased demand because we are able to provide more camping amenities and services such as full hook-up, water, sewer and 50-amp electric service,” said Adria Bergeron, director of marketing and communications.
The campsites are open year round, and there are a limited number of frost-free hydrants available for use in the colder months. Campers should call in advance to check on the availability of the hydrants.
Seasonal camping is from April 1 through Oct. 31, and there is a storage fee for campers leaving their RVs parked during the colder months.
“Seasonal camping is very popular. We are sold out everywhere on seasonal camping, and we have a waiting list at some campgrounds of more than 100 people,” Bergeron said. “If you get a site, you can keep it until you decide you don’t want it anymore. We’ve had some people who have camped seasonally for 30 years.”
A lottery for seasonal campers on the waiting list is held each March to fill any vacancies.
There is something for everyone at the MWCD parks, and that is something for campers to consider before they find a campsite.
“Our campgrounds are all very different and unique,” Bergeron said. “A lot of times what would make a campground someone’s favorite could have to do with the horsepower limits on the lake.”
The MWCD lakes have horsepower limits from 10 HP to unlimited. The smaller limited-HP lakes attract many fishermen and kayakers. Pleasant Hill is the only unlimited-HP lake. The two most popular lakes for sail boating are Atwood and Charles Mills.
Atwood, Charles Mill, Pleasant Hill, Seneca and Tappan have the largest number of campsites.
“We have a naturalist and a special events coordinator on staff at those parks, so we have a lot of activities and events from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It draws a lot of families,” Bergeron said.
A few events are being added to some of the smaller parks, even though people are generally going to those lakes to fish and relax. “We have added some kayaking events and some limited movies at those locations as well, but the five major lake parks are hopping all summer long,” Bergeron said.
Kayaking brings in a lot of people to the parks, and many campers kayak.
“We have increased our number of kayaking events,” Bergeron said.
For more information about these programs, visit the website to learn more and sign up. No matter the water sport, everyone is reminded to wear a life jacket.
For programs, everything can be done online. There are program descriptions and schedules. The programs are available to campers and the public. Day camps are another popular program.
“We encourage the community to come out and use the park as well. You do not have to be a camper to take advantage of the activities,” Bergeron said.
Movies under the stars are held using a big inflatable movie screen and are available for all.
A per-carload gate fee is charged at most parks from Memorial Day through Labor Day to enter the recreational areas.
Since work began around 2015 following the development of a master plan, the MWCD has invested $165 million so far in campground renovations.
“We have been doing renovations and adding new campgrounds everywhere with the exception of Clendening and Leesville,” Bergeron said.
RVs have changed much since the original campgrounds were developed. “The new camp areas we have offer full hook-up connections with 50-amp power. In the past you only needed 30-amp connections,” Bergeron said.
They also have built or renovated new restroom and shower facilities.
“At Atwood we have added a new welcome center to help with the flow of guests as they’re coming in, and we are going to be building a new welcome center at Tappan. Construction on that should begin in the fall,” Bergeron said.
The completion of the renovations of the campground upgrades could not have come at a better time. Last summer a record number of a half-million in RV sales occurred as people looked for an activity they could do safely during the pandemic. That record is expected to be broken in 2021.
“We had a surge of people at all locations,” Bergeron said. “If you talk to any of our campground managers, they described it as every weekday was like a weekend and every weekend was like a holiday. It was very busy last year, and granted, we’re at the start of the season for this year, but so far we’re seeing a lot of people come back.”
Campsites are available, but for a better selection, Bergeron recommends booking during the week.
Phase one of the master plan is wrapping up, and the organization will move to phase two, which includes adding more amenities like trails, improving beach access and adding activities.
“We conducted a large survey this past winter, so right now we’re in the process of compiling a lot of that data and evaluating that and making plans for what amenities will be needed,” Bergeron said.
Bergeron is looking forward to some activities that were canceled last year returning to the parks. Fireworks will be held at Atwood, Charles Mills, Seneca and Tappan on July 3. Pleasant Hill will have its fireworks on July 17 in conjunction with its Christmas in July activities.
At Atwood the Alive festival is scheduled July 15-18. The Fall Festival also will return Oct. 1-3. Check the website at www.atwoodfallfest.org for more information. These events keep the campground there full.
The parks do use volunteers, mostly to assist with events and nature programming. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact the park of interest and speak to the park manager.
“They can talk to you about what needs we might have for them to do,” Bergeron said.
The MWCD campgrounds attract visitors from all over the country, but it is local people who appreciate them the most. Larry and Holly Hatcher of Stone Creek recently spent a few days away at the Atwood Lake Campground, which is less than an hour away from their home. They enjoyed their campsite with a view of the water.
“You don’t have to go far from home to have something nice,” Holly Hatcher said.
