Hands down, the best state park in Ohio. Located within the Zaleski State Forrest with over 26,000 acres! Hocking hills area, so lots of caves and cliffs. We stayed in the Iron furnace cabins. They offer big and dramatic wood burning fireplaces!! Campground has over 200 sites. Close to 70 cabins as well! The cleaning staff does a wonderful job of keeping the cabins spotless! Reconnect with nature because you rarely get phone service. The cabins and campground are perched high ontop of huge hills. Very wooded and relaxing. They have a dining lodge which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offer free wifi if you really need to use your phone! Alot of local attractions as well including the Hope furnace, moonville tunnel, Hope School house and a awesome backpacking trail with 3 primitive campsites. Free of charge gun range is close by as well... Would give 10 stars if I could!!

My mom and I came down to visit for Mother's Day weekend. We stayed in one of the on-site cabins, and we had a great time. The cabins were clean, comfortable, and well-furnished. The fire pit out back was secluded and beautiful. It was super quiet and there were very few people at the site and on the trails. We hiked the Penisula trail and didn't cross paths with anyone. Definitely a good place to go if you're looking to actually get some one on one time with nature. Highly recommend!

We stayed in one of the camper cabins and will make sure to do so from here on out. The cabin was clean and the perk of the a/c and the mini fridge was amazing to have. The cabin itself had 4 beds, a table, and a mini fridge. Outside on the covered porch was another picnic table. Outside the cabin, there was the standard firepit, picnic table, and even a bench! The cabins were located next to water and bathrooms (which were super clean BTW). We hiked a bit and saw some amazing scenery. My kids loved the swimming beach. It was clean but crowded and we had to walk a bit to find parking. We have stayed at Shawnee State, Deer Creek, and this one...and this one is the best.

Wow! What a hidden gem! We stopped off to park and see the Hope Furnace, an awesome historical feature with nice placards detailing the furnace’s history and impact on the region . Ended up picking up the Furnace Trail to the left of the furnace which travels all around the lake. Amazing and dynamic views the entire hike. Lake Hope is gorgeous and serene. Saw many lily pads with bright pink flowers 🌸 and listened to the natural sounds of bullfrogs. Even saw a great blue heron on our trek back! Highly recommend, please check it out if you have a chance.

One of my favorite spots. The cabins are affordable, the food at the lodge is excellent, and there's plenty of opportunity for boating, swimming, fishing, and hiking. Also, it's not far from Hocking Hills, so you can drive up there and spend the day.

Beyond all my expectations! Beautiful (quiet) lake, tons of well maintained hiking and MTB trails, top notch facilities and clean comfortable cabins. We stayed in the Furnace cabins.

I’ve been going to Lake Hope for over 15 years and staying for a week or more at a time. The cabins are all you could ask for for basic comforts in a rustic cabin. I look forward to many years of future stays !

What a gem! We spent a weekend at the pet-friendly furnace cabins with our dog. It was rustic but had everything you need including a fully-equipped kitchen. We had a great time hiking the trails and exploring the area. The lodge staff and rangers were extremely helpful!

Great way to spend time with family! My family enjoyed the kayaks, paddleboards, and of course, the lake! 10/10 experience. Also great for fishing. Several fish by shore. The cabins were also nice. They were old but they had air conditioning. Beds were super comfy. Kithens were nice. Bathrooms were awesome! Cabins 2-8 had a fire every night with every eating dinner and making smores! Great park to stay.

Always a beautiful place. Camp is clean lake is clean. Have to weed through a hundred tiny bass before you get that one quality fish. 3 straight days on the lake and most of the kayak, paddle board, and other pleasure boat renters are respectful to those fishing.

Our family enjoys spending time at the cabins every year! Fully furnished, quiet, and pet friendly cabins available. We stay at the Iron furnace cabins. Beach with swimming and boat rentals available as well

The Park is centered on Lake Hope, a relatively small sickle-shaped lake in Southeastern Ohio. It's larger cousins nearby steal all the limelight. However, that also means relatively fewer people frequent the Park. Therefore, the Park is closer to pristine, untouched nature than its counterparts. This is not to say that it lacks for facilities. Access roads are good. There is a nice camping ground. The Park includes a really, really great mountain lodge-like resort. Do check that out. You can quickly descend from the highway or the Lodge down to the pretty Lake Hope. In that sense, the Park offers the quickest access-to-realization-of-expectation that you can imagine! Head on there if you want to get to a really pretty lakeside quickly and then want to enjoy nature in its natural habitat: NATURE itself!

We needed to get out of the city for a vacation so we opted for a camping/cabin week in SE Ohio. We spent the last two days in the camp sites at this park. The facilities were very clean and the camping areas were really well maintained. The campsite has access to several short hiking trails (less than 4 miles each) and is also close the the Zaleski backpacking trailhead. Lake Hope also has a beach, boat rental, and fishing areas. The wildlife was plentiful, especially if you like birds. Lots of Eastern Bluebirds, Scarlett Tangers, Robins etc. In the evenings we heard turkeys, coyotes, and whippoorwills. Definitely going back again!

Great no-fee to use beach, boat rentals for a fee, and the nearby dining lodge to grab a snack after having fun all day. They smoke their own meat, and bake pizza in a wood fired pizza oven right in the dining room. You might want to bring your own changing tent, which I temporarily set up one for myself in the parking lot, to change into and out of your swimming attire, as the bathrooms are rather cramped, with sand on the floors.

We enjoyed our short stay here (3 days & 2 nights). The beach side of the lake was puzzling. The water was muddy & smelled & was right on the edge of a construction site yet…everyone was in the water?? I was so confused. Not sure if that’s just the closest thing to a beach they have. The woman at the boat rental shop & her grandson were so nice & kind. We rented a paddling boat for $20/ hr & took it out onto the lake. However, some other rentals seemed expensive. One couple came back, said they were out for 3 hours, & I overheard their total was $367!! So be mindful of what you’re renting & for how long I suppose. The campground was okay. Most campsites are very slanted. Pit toilets available & a shower/ laundry room.

❤️❤️❤️😍

Very peaceful, a lot of great trails for hiking, big lake for fishing and swimming, choice of camping and air-conditioned cabins (some pet friendly), restaurant with locally smoked meats if you want a break in meal prep. The cell connection is very spotty, in most places none.

This is a very nice state park. We did however hike the furnace trail and it definitely needs some attention. Alot of down trees on the trail. We even had to get off the trail to get around a few of them. Other than that awesome trail to walk!

Unfortunately, it was very cold the weekend we stayed. We still found fun in just cruising around and picking out sights to see later when the weather is better and we can stay longer. I highly recommend visiting here.

Shhh! It's a secret....

Mostly tent sites, few electric. Nature center and lots of hummingbirds was great. We bought wood for fire it was real dry which is good. Only downfall is sites are blacktop, but it took 3 1.5 inch boards under tire to level trailer which was close to level but afraid to put 4th one under it.

it's a nice place to get away. my husband and I have spent our last 2 anniversary's at these cabins and they are so peaceful we will probably spend many more here too they are very clean and have everything you need all you have to bring is clothes , food and drinks and that's pretty much it.

Park is nice. Camping spots were small. And you have to book online, which the park has zero internet service, so we had to drive to a town to get service to book a campsite, and drive all the way back.

It was a great campout the cabins felt like you were staying in your own RV super clean and you felt safe. It was also a family friendly atmosphere with plenty of things to do. We are looking forward to going back soon.

We hiked many of the trails around the park. They were well marked and had a lot of elevation changes. The Peninsula trail was fun, but provided few clear views of the lake. The dam was being replaced, which made the beach view unattractive. In addition, there were warnings posted about the water quality and swallowing the lake water. We elected not to swim. The lake seemed best for boating and fishing and there were ample watercraft available for rental. The lake only allows electric motors and has an open, public launch. The lake surrounds a tall hill, upon which have been built a good number of rental cabins and a lodge with a public restaurant. It all looked good, but we were camping nearby and did not experience them directly.

This weekend I was backpacking and camping at Zaleksi, got extremely sick on the trail. The rangers came and got me and got me out of there. I wouldn't have made it with out them. Fine group of people to say the least, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Our very favorite vacation spot. Very quiet and off the beaten path. Hike, swim, kayak. Ride a horse at Uncle Bucks. Raccoon Creek is a fun place for a canoe trip. The food at Lake Hope Lodge is amazing too. Many complain about the lack of cell service, but we love getting off the grid for a week!!!!

Phenomenal experience! Beautiful cabins literally stocked with everything you need except food. Full kitchen, bathroom with shower, bedrooms with linens. There was a really nice private deck too. I will definitely be going back.

Awesome view awesome food.

Sleigh riding fun

Staying in their cabins felt like a step back into the recent past. No wifi, no phone signal and maybe ten channels on the TV. It was so relaxing to have a break from all the notifications on my phone. My kids and I had a blast just hanging out and exploring.

Beautiful layout of trails great for bicycles though I don't have any The lake is much cleaner than Burr Oak

This park is tight for big rigs (Class A). There are a couple of sites that will fit 40’ with tag axle but be sure to have a way to level. Neither of the sites we’ve stayed in were close to level. It’s convenient to the Hocking Hills attractions and very quiet during the week. This was our second visit and would go back if in the area.

You just have to experience for yourself. GREAT place to hike, bike, boat, and of course. Everyone should go to Lake Hope.

Great park with lots of surprises! Lots of amenities, mountain biking, backpacking, beach, picnicking, boating, standard hiking, dining, camping and more!

we ran the two hiking loops from the main parking area by the massive brick furnace. great area with maintained trails and challenging climbs. i think the one loop was around 9 miles and the other around 11. pay close attention to the map and where to turn off the loops or you could end up well and far from your car... like us. ☺️

Clean and spacious cabins! We stayed in cabin 67 and were quite impressed with the interior. The kitchen had two tables, each with two long bench seats. We were able to use one for dining and the other for a puzzle/game table. There's cupboards and closets galore in the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms. The hiking trails are well marked and adventuresome. Would definitely recommend for a week of family camping.

the state park was beautiful! i loved the lake, the staff, and the cabins! it was a great time! i will definitely come again. Not a lot of accessibility if you need it. lots of steps and uneven roads, walkways and trails. 3 sets of stairs to get to the lake, 2 sets of uneven & rocky steps to get to the boat rental. the restaurant in the lodge was not great (food & service), but that could’ve just been us/the day. also the bathroom at the lodge has really bad stalls. you can fully see through the door, & be ready for no cell service, (which is what we were hoping for with cabin camping, ultimate spooks 🖤) BUT the lake was absolutely gorgeous, the swimming cove for boats was amazing, and the iron furnace cabin was very nice and felt just like home away from home :)

My family and I just completed a five day two cabin stay at Lake Hope State Park, Ohio. The staff was accommodating, knowledgeable and professional. Everyone we talked to answered our questions and helped us plan our activities in the area The setting is idyllic. The cabins were clean and serene. We ordered several dinners from the lodge and all were delicious with ample portions. The smoked meats in particular were exceptional! The beautiful surroundings include a National Forest and many historic sites, each one more interesting than the last. I will definitely be scheduling another family vacation and cabin rentals at Lake Hope Ohio State Park. Do yourself a favor and spend some time together with your family at Lake Hope Ohio State Park cabins!

Camping here and going to the Nelsonville fireworks is the best possible way to spend the 4th. This was our 5 time in the last 6 years. Beautful scenery and wildlife, caught some bass and big panfish in the lake, kids swam at the beach, cooked dinner and roasted marshmallows over the fire, blew off fireworks in town before and after the show. The only bad part is driving back to Columbus.

Was just down there July 20 nice place to get away the bad for this day and age cell service is bad and wi fi is only at the lodge which they only have outside sitting so if you need to keep in touch forget it😃

Best beach around!!!

Nice camping for sure. But the spots are small and hilly at some spots. But so far very nice. No spill station tho.

Beautiful area remote very private ,clean,peaceful.

It seems to be a nice park, but don't make the trip for the mountain biking. It's a great reminder of memories made in the 90s, mountain biking's early days! The trails are very overgrown with limbs and vegetation, and in a half-hour ride we had to hike around eight fallen trees.

Have been renting the lodge, or cottages for at least 50 years! They never disappoint. Favorite State Park!

Swimming and fishing were great! Camping ground was nice and quiet.

It is a drive from the campground areas to anything. Good hiking and close to Hocking Hills. The Lake Hope beach area is nice but rentals there are expensive.

Very nice sand beach. Not much algae. Few stray lily pads.

Loved our cabin spacious, clean, everything I expected

Great state park with nice cabins

I like the view and the camp area seem cleaned. I really liked that they had people on patrol. I didn't like that the campsite was on a hill.

Great state park. Good places to camp well-organized friendly staff. Queen of naan running water restrooms that I've ever experienced

Not bad for a free lake, but it was a bit dirty and the water had a lot of floating debris wherever you went . I understand the virus has things not operating as usual, but closing the bathrooms is silly if people are swimming and swapping fluids. So much urinating in the water wasnt funny. There is also no where to change into dry clothes so make sure your prepared for that.

Beautiful state park with a lovely lake for small boat rentals, fishing, and swimming. Plenty of hiking, and a short-ish drive to Hocking Hills. The lodge has excellent food. Great value for the price.

Nice beach area and hiking around the lake. The lodge has the best food around.

Great get away place

Great day at Lake Hope

Awesome hunting and fishing opportunities

Very nice place to visit

Hiked peninsula trail had a great time