A.W. Marion State Park Campground / Campground in Ohio
"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my sense put in order." ~ John Burroughs
A.W. State Park Main Parking Lot - 7519 Warner-Huffer Road, Circleville, OH 43113
Campground is located on the opposite side of the lake as the State Park Parking Lot - 8498 Township Hwy 77, Circleville, OH 43113
ANNOUNCEMENT
ODNR will be installing a new spillway and rehabilitating the dam in 2021. The water level has been lowered. The project is expected to be completed in late 2022. This rehab project will also affect other park features. See the ODNR press release for further information.
A.W. Marion State Park is one of the many State Parks in Ohio. The large 310-acre State Park became part of the ODNR Division on Parks and Recreation in 1950. It was renamed A.W. Marion State Park in 1962. A.W. Marion State Park has a wide variety of plants and wildlife. The terrain varies throughout the park. It includes outcroppings, wooded areas, open fields, riverbanks, small waterfalls and Hargus Lake.
The Ohio Campground
27 electric sites
27 non-electric sites
2 Group Sites
Seasonal camp store (Call 740-474-9201)
Water (seasonal)
Picnic tables
Fire rings
Vault latrines
No showers
Dumpsters
Dump station
Amphitheater
Volleyball courts
Basketball courts
Playground
Plenty of shade when trees have all their leaves.
Games and sporting equipment available at the camp office for registered campers during seasonal times.
Cell Phone Service -Verizon had 3 bars/LTE Service - Worked well
Ohio campground open year round.
Reservations may be made up to six months in advance online at ohiostateparks.gov or by calling (866) 644-6727.
Hiking
Hargus Lake Perimeter Trail (3.8 Mile Loop)
Pine Grove Trail (.5 Mile Loop)
Squawroot Trail (.6 Mile Loop)
***Trails can be accessed from the campground. You must walk the trails to get to Hargus Lake from the campground. If you plan on fishing or boating you will probably want to drive to the main A.W. Marion State Park parking lot.***
Boating
Electric motors only
2 boat ramps at park
Boat rental is available (call first to make sure they are open)
Fishing / Hargus Lake
146-acre lake
5 miles of shoreline
Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Catfish & Crappie
Birding
According to eBird there have been 182 species observed at A.W. Marion State Park. It is a birding hotspot during spring migration.
During our early March visit we spotted:
Our Experience at A.W. Marion State Park Campground
We enjoyed our visit to the A.W. Marion State Park Campground. For the most part, the Ohio campground was quiet and serene.
Since there was only one other campsite booked when we reserved our camping lot, we chose to camp near the playground. During the day, there were a lot of vehicles that parked in the empty lots. They would hang out at the playground or hike the trails. This could be a major problem if a camper were to show up while there was a car parked in their reserved spot.
Additional Notes:
The pads are narrow.
The sites are fairly level.
The road that winds through the campground is narrow.
Pads and road are blacktop.
Website says there is a shower house. We could not find it.
A lot of people did not have their dogs on a leash.
There was some trash throughout the campground and the park.
Each campsite had a picnic table and fire ring (there were some missing fire rings)
You must drive through a small residential area to get to the campground. The road is barely wide enough for 2 trailers.
A.W. Marion State Park / Campground in Circleville Ohio
Make a Reservation at:
What You Can Expect at A.W. Marion State Park Campground
Please note that Ohio Campground trail rules and regulations can change at any time. The following information was in effect for A.W. Marion State Park Campground as of March 2021.
Vault Latrines.
Bicycles are permitted on some of the trails.
Is a birding hotspot per eBird.
Several foot bridges on paths.
Concealed carry is permitted.
Dogs are allowed in campground and on trails. There is a designated beach area.
Trail surfaces are natural. The trails are steep in places. The trails are easy to mildly difficult.
Campground pads and roads are blacktop.
Each lot has a picnic table and fire ring. A few of the fire rings were missing. There were some nice picnic tables while others were about ready to fall apart.
Small playground is located at the end of the campground near 2 trail heads.
There is a bench at the playground and a few on the trails.
A lot of shade.
No shelter house.
Trails are well marked with paint on the trees.
There are a few dumpster located throughout the campground..
Large 146 acre lake.
There are ADA parking spots at the main parking area. Not the campground.
