WINTON WOODS CAMPGROUND, CINCINNATI, OH

Our Opinion: Rave.  This county campground on the north side of Cincinnati is lush, green, and appealing.

Date of Stay: May 23 through May 26, 2010.

Weather During Stay:  Warm and humid, highs in the mid-80’s, lows in the upper 60’s.

Site Description:  This campground is a very small piece of a very large county park, with lakes, fishing, and boat rentals; biking, hiking, and equestrian trails; a golf course and disc golf; and a huge, very cool playground (removed from the camping area).  The campground itself was recently renovated and expanded, and we were in one of the 37 new, 50 amp FHU sites. 

12 of these new sites are pull-throughs, the remainder are back-ins.  Back-ins have gravel pads and concrete patios; pull-throughs have concrete pads and patios.  All sites have picnic tables and fire rings.  Roads are paved.  Photos of every site are available on their website, here.

The older part of the campground has 68 shady sites with 30 amp E only (no water or sewer), suitably sized for Class C and B RV’s and smaller trailers (or tents).  There is a launch ramp for canoes and kayaks in this section of the campground.

A deluxe dump station is set up to handle rigs both arriving and departing.  The bathhouse includes showers and laundry.  The campground office includes a small store and snack bar (including ice cream).  There are also 8 new, deluxe camping cabins and 10 basic cabins.

Rate: Varies by type of site: $25/night (30 amp only); $35/night for FHU back-ins; $45/night for FHU pull-throughs.  Senior discount (10%) Sunday-Thursday.  We paid $31.50/night for our 4-day weekday stay, plus a one-time day use pass fee of $5 (annual fee good in all Hamilton County parks).

Phone/radio/TV: Good Verizon signal for the aircard and phones.  No obstacles for our roof-mounted satellite, and over a dozen channels on the antenna including several PBS stations.  NPR is available at 91.7.  WiFi is available, but we didn’t use it.  Maybe an extra fee (Tengo).

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain:  Elevation is under 500 feet, with green, slightly hilly terrain.  Views are of other rigs, grass, and big green trees, including towering pines.  Some sites have views of the lake.  Very little shade in the new section of the campground.

Lighting/Noise:  Pleasantly dark and very quiet at night.  Lots of bird sounds in the morning!

Favorite Sites:  For a big rigs, the new sites are best - easy parking and good services.  We thought the pull-throughs were the worst of the new sites, in a row down the middle of the campground with campground roads both front and back.  On hot summer days, the back-ins on the far side (14F through 25F) have the best orientation, facing slightly northwest.  We were in 17F.

Hiking/Walking:  Excellent!  Trails circle the lake and wander all over the park.  Pleasant walking in the older part of the campground, too.

Comments: We really enjoyed this well-cared-for park.  Great amenities, with large sites and plenty to do on-site.  Convenient shopping nearby.  20 minutes to downtown Cincinnati.