Teepee Vacations in Ohio
If the least favorite part of your camping trip includes setting up your tent — or trying to fit it back in the bag at trip’s end — enjoy a stay in a tepee that is already set up for you. In Ohio, you’ll find several places where you can overnight in the roomy structures.
Thick canvas walls provide protection from the state’s wet summer weather, and a wood-burning stove or chimnea inside offers warmth against the evening chill.
Pet Friendly Seclusion
Tipi Buteo at Secluded Sanctuaries lies 6 miles south of Logan. The tepee is named after a red-tailed hawk, and bird feeders surround the structure decorated with hawks soaring over mountains into a sky filled with moons and stars.
The 20-foot diameter tepee has a queen bed and chairs with a wood-burning chimnea in the center of the room. Outside, you’ll find a picnic table and fire pit with grill. Be sure to bring your own bedding, dishes and dishpan.
On the Banks of the Mohican
Create your own adventure along the Mohican River near Loudonville, known as the Canoe Capital of Ohio. The Mohican Reservation Campground lies just north of Mohican State Park along the state-designated scenic stretch of river.
While you won’t be next to the river when you stay at the campground’s tepee, you will be close to the camping service center, restrooms and sport courts. The tepee sleeps up to six people, and includes a table and fire ring. The campground has tent sites, bunkhouses and cabins for rent as well.
On the Edge of the Wild
Boulders Edge Cabin and Tipi Retreat in Hawking Hills has three tepees that sleep up to 10 people each. Each tepee sits on a wooden platform that elevates it from the cold earth, with a wood-burning stove inside for when the weather is cool.
Outside, a picnic table and fire pit sit on a lawn surrounded by trees. Wooden Adirondack-style chairs and air mattresses are inside. There is no electricity; drinking water is available at a nearby tap. An outdoor solar-powered shower operates from May through October.
Another Type of Tenting
Nine state parks in Ohio have overnight accommodations that include yurts. The round canvas tent-like structures are supported by wooden lattice and rest on a wooden platform. Deluxe yurts are found at Kelleys Island or South Bass Island in Lake Erie, just north of Sandusky.
Each yurt has a private bathroom with a shower, an efficiency kitchen with cookware and dishes provided, as well as a furnished living area. Beds include futons and bunk beds that accommodate up to six people. Additional yurts can be found at Delaware, Harrison Lake, Hueston Woods, Pymatuning, Paint Creek, Maumee Bay and Mosquito.
