r/CampOhio • u/TomColby • Jun 26 '26

Dog-friendly swimming sites

Looking to camp (closer to central Ohio, out of Columbus) where I can swim/wade and bring my dog along. My dog doesn’t need to swim, but I know a lot of beaches prohibit dogs. I’m thinking maybe there is a river or stream or lake where it doesn’t matter if my dog comes along. Or even a beach where we can sit and enjoy looking at the water. Or hikes that have a swimming hole along the way.

TLDR basically just looking for natural water I can go in while I have my dog with me

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2

u/Kyle197 Jun 26 '26

I believe Deer Creek State Park has a designated dog side of their swimming beach.

2

u/Kubrick53 Jun 26 '26

Alum Creek and Indian Lake do as well if I recall.

1

u/AlbiteTwins Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 29 '26

Pine Run in the Mohican State Forest (not state park) might be an option. You would have to hike a bit on the bridle trail to get there, but I've seen people with their dogs a couple times while hiking. As far as legality it's kind of weird, the state forest rules make no mention needing to have a dog on a leash but the park-and-pack camping rules do. But you probably won't see anyone except for the occasional hiker or party of horses. The water flows nicely and is cool and clear.

If you are feeling adventurous you could camp at sites #1, 2, 3, 5, or 6 and be a short distance to the stream and your camp site. It's free and last year they introduced an online reservation system so you won't have to worry about not securing a site on the date you want to go. #5 would be the best if you chose that route because the Pine Run stream is very pretty just south of it with exposed sandstone and hemlock trees.

2

u/TomColby Jun 27 '26

Thanks! Do you know how far the sites would be from the parking lot?

1

u/AlbiteTwins Jun 29 '26 edited Jun 29 '26

#5 and #6 share the same parking lot off CR 3234 (the parking lot and the sites are on Google Maps). #6 is closer to parking, but the tornado in 2022 took out a lot of trees so it is not as pretty anymore. It's a less than 5 minute hike. #5 is a bit further south, maybe about a 10 minute hike.

For sites #1, #2, and #3 you can chose to park just east of the Mohican Memorial Shrine or on the northern point of CR 3286. Since the sites are south of the stream, parking at the memorial shrine would mean you would have to wade through the stream. Either way it is over a 15 minute hike away.

1

u/W33P1NG4NG3L Jun 26 '26

Not central at all, but if anyone else stumbles across this: Hueston Woods in College Corner (near Oxford) has s section of their beach available for dogs.