Sitting southwest of Fayette, Ohio, Harrison Lake State Park is an RV camping jewel featuring woodlands, rolling hills, vast agricultural fields, and a terrific fishing and swimming location called Harrison Lake. This state park is all about nature and its splendor.
The park is located in an agricultural region where scents of corn and soybean fill the air, musical birdcalls echo in the air, and gentle hills and pristine lakes paint a captivating scenery. You get a chance to experience nature from inside the comfort of your RV. While staying at Harrison Lake, you can choose from a wide range of activities for your outdoor leisure. From a chance of hiking trails immersed in scenic beauty and paddling in the somber Harrison lake, to swimming, fishing, and grilling barbecue in the picnic shelters – there is something for everyone.
During your RV camping venture at the park, you can enjoy first-class camping facilities in its North and South campgrounds boasting electric hookups, a camp store, dump station, flush toilets, vault toilets, showers, and a laundromat. If you wish to sleep under the stars, you can ditch your RV for a tent camping experience. Four tent-only campsites are also available in the campground. If you are on the lookout for more comfort and convenience, you can try staying overnight in a cabin.
The park is brimming with camping enthusiasts all year long – April to October sees the largest surge in the number of campers. Winter camping is also available.
Harrison Lake State Park is located nearly five miles to the town of Fayette, so it is less than a 10-minute drive from the downtown to the park. Local park roads will conveniently take you around from park entrance to the campgrounds to hiking trails. There are no driving restrictions for RVs, trailers, and other vehicles.
You will find several parking options inside the park including one at the entrance. Of course, you can always park your RV or trailer at your designated campsite. There are special parking lots in the campgrounds. You will also find spots near the day use area and at the basketball and volleyball courts.
Harrison Lake’s North Campground sits on the left of Harrison Lake and features 126 electric campsites and a few cabins and yurts. Camping can be enjoyed year-round at the park.
The North Campground features amenities like flush toilets, showers, restrooms, laundry, and dumping station. WIFI is not provided, but cellular service is available. A swimming beach, soccer fields, basketball and volleyball courts are nearby. A picnic area with tables and a shelter can be reserved. Barbecue grills are also provided. Generator use may be restricted to ensure a peaceful camping experience for neighboring campers.
The sites are pet-friendly and available through advance bookings. A few sites may not be available for reservations. Also, some campsites are closed during the off-season.
A 59-site campground sits on the southern region of the park to the right of Harrison Lake. It is subdivided into two areas, one for non-electric sites and the other for electric sites. There are 26 electric sites in the South Campground, plus four tent-only campsites. There is a picnic shelter and a few picnic tables at the nearby lakeshore with barbecue grills.
The South Campground only features vault toilets. If you want to use flush toilets, you will have to drive to the other campground. There is no WIFI but cellular service can be enjoyed. Generator use is allowed as long as it does not disturb neighboring campers. Pets are allowed.
Harrison Lake covers 95 acres of the park and attracts a large number of RV campers in spring, fall, and summer for its refreshing views and ample opportunities. If you love fishing, Harrison Lake is for you – stocked with bluegill, channel catfish, white crappie, largemouth bass, and bullhead. So don’t forget to pack your fishing gear in your campervan. If you are 16 years or older, you will need an Ohio fishing license before you can begin your fishing adventure. You can also go for a tourist license if you are a non-resident.
There is a lot of paddling at Harrison Lake State Park during the peak season. If you love boating, this gin-clear lake surrounded by pine and oak trees will be your go-to place during your RV camping trip. A ramp will help you to launch your boat in the lake. Only electric boats are allowed in the lake. A boat rental service offers canoes and boats for a minimal fee. This picture-perfect lake will give you a boating experience you will cherish for a lifetime.
A swimming beach on the shores of Harrison Lake invites swimmers and sunbathers to spend some time soothing their raging senses. When summer nails you down, bring your camper for a few days at the park and get drenched in the lake, splash some water around, or just lay down on the sand. You can also walk your dog on the beach area that’s not designated for swimming. The beach is very dog-friendly and very popular among pet-owning Ohio residents.
A three-and-a-half mile hiking trail offers birdwatching, wildlife viewing, and lots of sightseeing. You can jog, run, walk, or stretch some muscles to make sure you do not neglect your health during your RV holiday. This single hiking trail is located around the lake to let hikers soak in all the lakeside scenery. The best part is yet to come. You can also bring along your leashed pets. If you are an avid hiker, don’t forget to pack a good pair of hiking boots in your motorhome because you surely wouldn’t want to miss the chance to hike this trail.
RV camping in the winter? You can choose to go skiing on the hiking trail when it is lushly covered in snow. Don’t forget to bring along your skiing equipment because you won’t find any in the park. Practice caution as the trail is not groomed for cross-country skiing. If sledding is your favorite thing to do on snow, then brace yourself for some terrific sledding. The park’s rolling hills, when covered in snow, serve as outstanding sledding hills. Sled individually or race with your friends – these sledding hills are going to be awesome no matter what.
Harrison Lake, the park’s center of recreation, is ever so alive during the off-season as it is during the peak season. Even under the spell of ice, there is still plenty of fishing and boating at the lake. Harrison Lake offers ice fishing and ice boating during the snowy winters as a substitute for regular boating and fishing. The enormous lake looks magnificent when covered in ice. Take lots of pictures for your social media in your ice yacht – we bet they will get you the most likes out of any other vacation snapshots and will add a unique charm to your RV camping.
