Reservations can be made daily from 7 am to 8 pm by calling 1-866-OHIOPARKS, or campers can reserve their site on the Internet 24 hours a day at www.ohiostateparks.org. Nearly half of Ohio's most popular campgrounds, including South Bass Island, Hocking Hills, Mohican and Salt Fork are routinely filled to capacity on summer weekends. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources said this made planning a camping vacation difficult for travelers.
State officials were concerned that some campers were unwilling to make a long-distance trip to camp at Ohio's state parks without a guarantee of a campsite being available when they arrived.
"This new reservation system is going to help us a lot," said Park Manager Steve Riddle. "There has always been a problem with campers having to take a chance on driving the distance and then finding out the campground is already full. "In order to make sure they would have a site for the weekend, campers would come to the island as early as Wednesday," he said. "I think we'll see an end to that practice with the ability to call and make a reservation."
Riddle estimates that 1,000 people use the campground each weekend during the summer and that as many as 120,000 people camp at South Bass Island State Park each year.
South Bass Island Camping Information: Kids under 18 are free and seniors receive a 10 percent Golden Buckeye discount Sunday through Thursday on campsites. Guests allowed until 10 pm if registered by a camper. Only registered guests allowed in the park from 10 pm to 6 am. No alcohol allowed in the park. Campers
may stay only 14 days out of every 30 day period. Cabents: Sleeps six (6). Rented only by week. Allocated by lottery system (see www.ohiostateparks.org). Cabin walls and a canvas roof. $463 plus tax. Rustic Cottage: Sleeps up to eight (8). Rented only by the week. Allocated by lottery system (see state park website). $570 plus tax. Primitive Sites: Cost for 2 persons, up to two (2) tents and one (1) vehicle is $22 per night Sunday-Thursday, $27 per night Friday and Saturday. Sites allow up to six (6) people. $5 per person per night after the first two. RV Sites with Electric: Cost for two (2) persons is $27 per night Sunday-Thursday, $32 per night Friday and Saturday. Up to six (6) persons on a site. $5 per person per night after the first two. Campsite rates, as any other rates on this website are subject to change. Please contact the Ohio State Park Service at 1-866-OHIOPARKS for the most current information.
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Campers will be able to reserve a campsite at South Bass Island State Park and Ohio's other 56 state parks as long as six months in advance using Ohio's new Statewide Reservation System.
Many campers reserved sites in advance of their stay to make sure a site would be available when they were on vacation. The new service will require a two-night stay on weekends and will charge a non-refundable $8 reservation fee. The new statewide reservation
service requires a deposit to cover your full stay. Up until the new service went into effect in February, sites were rented on a first come basis.
South Bass Island State Park officials said it has been difficult in the past to handle the large number of telephone inquiries for island campsites. The popular island camping destination has just one telephone line for incoming and out-going calls.
South Bass Island State Park has 125 rustic campsites, 10 more have full electrical hook-ups.
The park also has four "ca-bents," a combination cabin with a canvas tent roof. These are allocated by a lottery system as is a rustic cabin in the park.
The island park is located on the same property as the famous Hotel Victory which covered the entire park area. The hotel could seat 1200 people at the same time for dinner and had more than 600 guest rooms. Before it burned in 1919 the Hotel Victory was considered the largest hotel in the world and
was a popular meeting place for large groups across the state and the country.
Ruins from the hotel remain on the park property, including the old natatorium. This was the first swimming pool in America where men and women were allowed to "bath" together. Also on the property is the pedestal that once held the
statue "Winged Victory." The statue was the first island memorial commemorating Perry's Victory over the British in the Battle of Lake Erie.
South Bass Island State Parks rebuilt their restroom and bath facilities in 1999. Many campsites are located along the rocky cliff overlooking Lake Erie.