Tar Hollow State Park Campground

Open — The drive-in campground closed January 1, 2025 for major renovations including full hookup sites, flush restrooms, and infrastructure improvements. Expected to reopen spring 2026. The hike-in Northridge Campground and backpacking sites remain open during construction.

About

Tar Hollow State Park Campground is set in a secluded wooded hollow near 15-acre Pine Lake, surrounded by the expansive 16,046-acre Tar Hollow State Forest in Ross County, Ohio. The campground offers a mix of 28 electric hookup sites and 60 non-electric sites spread throughout sunny and shaded areas, providing options for various camping preferences. The park's name comes from the scattered shortleaf and pitch pines growing on the ridges, which early settlers once used as a source of pine tar. The rugged wilderness setting makes Tar Hollow a stronghold for diverse wildlife, including timber rattlesnakes, game birds, songbirds, and various reptiles and amphibians. The park provides extensive recreational opportunities with 24 miles of hiking trails, including a 21-mile backpack trail, 25 miles of bridle trails, and 3 miles of mountain bike trails. Pine Lake offers fishing, boating (limited to 4 HP motors), and a 500-foot swimming beach. Eight picnic shelters are scattered throughout the park, and a nature center provides educational programs. The drive-in campground underwent major renovations starting January 2025 to add full hookup sites, flush restrooms, and infrastructure improvements including a modern sewer plant and roadway repairs. During renovations, the hike-in Northridge Campground remains accessible for more primitive camping experiences. The park's twisting roads pass through deep ravines and dense woodlands, with dogwoods, redbuds, and wildflowers coloring the hillsides in spring.

Directions

From Columbus: Take US 23 South to Circleville Exit. East on US 22/OH 56 through Circleville. Continue east on OH 56 and State Route 180. South on State Route 327 for about 7 miles to Tar Hollow Road. Follow park signs.

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