Ohio State Parks Reservation Policy (2024)

PLEASE NOTE:

These reservation policies apply to properties managed by Ohio State Parks. They do not apply to lodge rooms or properties managed by the resort lodges.
Some reservations are managed locally; check the park website for details.
You can make a reservation online any time of day.
The call center is open from 7am to 7pm daily except they are closed New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, President’s Day, Easter Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. On Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, the call center is open 7am to 1pm.
We accept credit cards and Ohio State Parks gift cards and certificates. To pay by check you must reserve over the phone and send the required payment within 7 days.
Applicable taxes plus a $6.50 reservation fee are added to every reservation. The reservation fee helps cover the cost of our reservation system.
You CANNOT use email to change/cancel your reservation.

Making a Reservation

Reservations are required at parks that use the Reservation System.

Parks that use the reservation system no longer offer walk-in campsites. NOTE: Jesse Owens State Park is the only park that offers first-come, first-served camping with on-site registration.

Reservations are available 24/7 online at www.reserveohio.com, or you can make a reservation through our reservation call center at (866) 644-6727. The call center is open from 7am to 7pm daily. The call center is closed on some holidays.

Reservations are available starting 6 months prior to your desired arrival date for campsites and unique getaways and 12 months prior to your desired arrival date for cabins and day-use facilities.
Reservations for campsites can be made as late as the day of your desired arrival.
Cabins and unique getaways don’t take same-day reservations. You must reserve at least one day prior to your arrival for these facilities.

Minimum Stay

WEEKENDS: The minimum stay for regular weekend reservations is 2 nights. On Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, the minimum stay is 3 nights. A few unique rentals on the Lake Erie Islands require a 3-night or 7-night stay during the summer months.

For campsites: If it is within 7 days of your desired stay and campsites are available, reservations will be accepted for 1 night.
For cabins: If you are within 10 days of your desired stay, you may contact the park directly to see if a 1-night cabin stay is available. One-night weekend stays are based on availability and are at the discretion of park management.

WEEKDAYS: There is no minimum for reservations made for Sunday-Thursday nights, except a few unique rentals on the Lake Erie Islands which require a 3-night or 7-night stay during the summer months. Also, for cabins only at Mohican State Park, we do require a 2-night minimum stay on weekdays.

Maximum Stay

The maximum period of time that any person is permitted to stay overnight in any designated campground or other rented overnight facility within a state park shall not exceed 14 days in any 30-day time frame.

Reservation System Availability

You can make reservations online anytime.
The call center is open from 7am to 7pm daily, with the exception of New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr Day, President’s Day, Easter Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
New sites are not released until 7am, so if you want to make a reservation for a site on the first day it is available, you will need to wait until 7am to make the reservation, even if you are reserving online.

Reservation Window

For campsites: You can make a reservation 6 months to the day prior to your desired arrival date. For example if you want to arrive on June 1, you can make a reservation beginning on December 1. You can make a campsite reservation on your day of arrival.
For unique rentals (camper cabins, sherman cabins, cedar cabins, yurts, etc.): You can make a reservation 6 months to the day prior to your desired arrival date. You must reserve these facilities at least one day prior to arrival so we can have the facility ready for your visit.
For cabins: You can reserve up to 1 year prior to your arrival date. If you want to arrive on July 1, you can reserve as early as July 1 of the previous year. You must reserve these facilities at least one day prior to arrival so we can have the facility ready for your visit.
Day-use facilities can be reserved up to 1 year in advance, but there is a 3-day cut-off for reserving shelters.

Paying for a Reservation

When to Pay

For campsites, unique getaway rentals, or a day-use facility: Full payment is due at the time of reservation. This includes your nightly fees, the reservation fee and any applicable taxes.
For cabins: You must pay at least 50% of the total cost of your stay when you make your reservation if you are reserving more than 30 days prior to your arrival. The total cost includes the nightly fee, the reservation fee and any taxes. The balance of your stay is due 30 days prior to your arrival. If you don’t pay the balance due prior to 30 days, your reservation will be cancelled. When reserving a cabin more than 30 days before your arrival, you will have the option to pay for your stay in full.

If you reserve a cabin less than 30 days prior to your arrival, you will need to pay for the full stay at the time of reservation.

Accepted Forms of Payment

When making a reservation online or through the call center, you can pay by credit card, gift card, or gift certificate. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

Discounts

Discount codes need to be applied before you complete your reservation. Some discounts require you to make your reservation over the phone. Check the Discounts webpage for the most current information.

Upon arrival to the park, you must show proof of eligibility for a discount, if applicable.

Changing a Reservation

You CANNOT use email to request a change to your reservation.

You CANNOT change your reservation during the 90-day freeze period, if it applies.

For campsites and unique rentals: If your departure date is more than 6 months from the date the reservation was made, you will not be able to make any changes for 90 days.
For cabins: If your departure date is more than 1 year from the date the reservation was made, you will not be able to make any changes for 90 days.

TO MAKE A CHANGE ON YOUR ARRIVAL DATE: Contact the park directly by phone to make a change.

TO MAKE A CHANGE PRIOR TO YOUR ARRIVAL DATE (after the 90-day freeze, if it applies): Contact the reservation call center (866-644-6727) or log into your online account to make the change.

Ifyou modify a reservation, you are subject to any nightly rate changes that havebeen implemented between the time you originally booked and the modificationdate. Reservation modifications include but aren’t limited to changingthe length of your stay, changing sites, changing dates or adding/removing adiscount.

Change Fee

For most reservations, you will be able to make one free change (transfer to a different site, change the dates, or shorten your stay) without any fees.

After your one free modification, you will be charged a $6 transfer fee to change your site, change dates, or shorten your stay. There is no charge (other than the nightly rate) to extend your stay.

Cancellations

You CANNOT cancel your reservation via email.

You CANNOT cancel your reservation during the 90-day freeze period, if it applies.

For campsites and unique rentals: If your departure date is more than 6 months from the date the reservation was made, you will not be able to cancel your reservation for 90 days.
For cabins: If your departure date is more than 1 year from the date the reservation was made, you will not be able to cancel your reservation for 90 days.

TO CANCEL ON OR AFTER YOUR ARRIVAL DATE: Contact the park directly by phone to cancel your reservation. There is a cost to cancel (see below).

TO CANCEL PRIOR TO YOUR ARRIVAL DATE (after the 90-day freeze, if it applies): Contact the call center (866-644-6727) or log into your online account. There is a cost to cancel (see below).

Cancellation Fee

For campsites, group camps, and unique rentals (camper cabins, sherman cabins, cedar cabins, yurts, etc.):

Cancellations made up to the close of business 31 days or more prior to your scheduled arrival date will result in the loss of the reservation fee.
Cancellations made 4 to 30 days prior to your arrival will result in the loss of the reservation fee plus a $6 cancellation fee.
Cancellations made 3 days or less prior to your arrival will result in the loss of the reservation fee plus one night's rental fee.

For cabins:

Cancellations made up to the close of business 15 days or more prior to your arrival date will result in the loss of the reservation fee.
Cancellations made 14 days or less prior to your scheduled arrival date will result in the loss of the first night's cabin rental fee and the reservation fee.
Guests not checked in by 11:00am on the second day will forfeit all money paid.

For day-use facilities:

Cancellations made up to the close of business 15 days or more prior to your arrival date will result in the loss of the reservation fee for each reservation.
Cancellations made 14 days or less prior to your scheduled arrival date will result in the loss of the rental fee and the reservation fee.

When calculating days prior to your arrival, the arrival date is not included in the calculation. For example, if arriving on the 15th, the 11th would be 4 days prior to your arrival.

If you don’t arrive for a reservation and if you don’t contact the park to cancel, you will forfeit all fees paid.