Ready to get away by taking a pet-friendly trip less than 30 minutes away from Wheeling?
You can be at the lake, feet in the sand, kayak on the water, and fishing, and that’s because there’s something for everyone at Barkcamp State Park. Whether you pitch a tent, back in your camper or rent one of the four cabins, Barkcamp is a destination packed with opportunities.
Excluding the cabins, all of the campsites are dog-friendly, spacious, and surrounded by trees. We recently stayed in campsite 37 and could hear the horses in the Wilbur “Gibby” Gibson Horse Camp area. There is something special in the air when you can sit by your campfire in the evening and hear the sounds of horses.
Bring your kayak and fishing rod and explore the vastness of over 100 acres of the beautiful lake and see if you can spot a Great Blue Heron or a Cooper’s Hawk. If you are a birder, you won’t be disappointed with the numerous species around the area. Check out Barkcamp SP, Belmont, Ohio, United States – eBird Hotspot to view what birds have been spotted and logged by over 85 birders.
One part of camping we really enjoy is cooking at the campsite.
Cast iron skillet cooking over an open fire to cook dinner and then switch in the morning to more conventional cooking for the bacon and eggs breakfast, cooked inside the camper. We like the taste of our own food and enjoy slowly waking up to the smell of breakfast and coffee.
This weekend there were groups of friends who booked camp sites all together and were having a fun time laughing and enjoying each other’s company. One group brought folding tables and sat around together for lunch; another group rented all of the sites in the Group Camping area and a third group were people who worked with together in the school system and made time for a weekend getaway before school starts.
If you are a day hiker, look no further. There are over 20 miles of hiking trails between a half-mile walk on Storybook Trail and 7.4 miles on the Blue Trail. And, on occasion, you will get to share the trail with people on horseback.
The main office is located in the log cabin next to the newly constructed bathhouse. The cost for our overnight stay was only $36.50. Where else can you have a comfortable bed, a home-cooked meal plus plenty of adventure?
The Ohio State Park System has a gem of a park hidden in plain sight.
Barkcamp State Park | Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ohiodnr.gov)
Don’t miss out on an opportunity to have an affordable vacation just minutes from Wheeling.
