Shelby / Mansfield KOA

The Great Outdoors

In a region that’s blessed with the marvelous countryside and stunning state parks, you’ll have no trouble filling your vacation with recreational activities. You can start by taking your campervan rental to Findley State Park, less than an hour's drive away when you’re camping at Shelby/Mansfield KOA. Set on an abandoned farm, Findley State Park is now home to gorgeous pine and hardwood forest. The trees are threaded with hiking and mountain biking trails which are up to nine miles in length. The park is speckled with wildflowers, and patient visitors will be able to spot a variety of birdlife, including scarlet tanager, pleated woodpeckers, and pine siskin. You might even see the rare Duke’s skipper butterfly.Next, you can take your RV rental for a drive southeast to Malabar Farm State Park. Not only was this park the former family home of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield, but it was also the place where many of his novels were written. Now open to the public, the 595-acre area regularly hosts outdoor festivals such as the annual Maple Syrup Festival in March. Throughout the rest of the year, visitors can tour the "Big House" or take a wagon tour of the farm. You can also explore stunning old-growth forests on the park's four scenic hiking and cross-country skiing routes. Malabar Farm State Park is also an excellent place for birdwatching throughout the year. You can expect to see different species in each season.Another place that nature lovers can take a rental RV is Fowler Woods State Nature Preserve. It’s just a 30-minute drive away when you rent a camper near Shelby/Mansfield KOA. This reserve provides a tranquil retreat from city life and is the perfect location to see a mixture of buttonbush swamps and mature forest. The 187-acre area is a haven for both wildflowers and wildlife. Spring is the best time to visit and see the reserve lit up with colorful geraniums, trillium, bishop’s caps, and more. Visitors can enjoy the park using a boardwalk which is wheelchair accessible.

Explore the Area

After you’ve found your way out of Ohio’s forests and left behind the beautiful lakes, you’ll find that there are still plenty of city attractions to discover. When you book an RV in Crawford County, you’ll be just a short drive from the cities of Mansfield, Ashland, and Bucyrus. Mansfield is a cultural hub where you can visit art galleries, see performances in the historic theater, or sample some of the region’s best wines and ales.What’s more, the Historic Carrousel District of Mansfield is a hotspot for specialty shopping. Here you can look for anything from antiques to cigars and vintage records. Or, you can try some blueberry wines, teas, and tasty treats at one of Ohio’s largest blueberry plantations.One of the most interesting attractions in the area is the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield. Film lovers will recognize this castle-like building from The Shawshank Redemption and Air Force One. Although it was abandoned in the 1990s, this site functioned as a prison reformatory for young offenders for over 100 years and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Much of the building’s administration offices remain in their original state and visitors can tour the interior of the building.If you happen to be renting an RV on the 4th of July weekend, then you can see one of the highlights of the year in Richland County: Ashland Balloon Fest. This annual event has been filling the sky with bright, colorful, and uniquely-shaped hot air balloons since 1990. The balloon launch is guaranteed to the most memorable event, but there are also a number of fun games and balloon races to get involved in. You can sign up for sports tournaments, watch live music performances, and browse exhibitions, or grab a bite to eat at one of the food stalls. There’s something to keep everyone in the family happy when you’re camping with an RV at Shelby/Mansfield KOA.