Camping within metro areas can be sketchy at best. In Cincinnati, we are very fortunate to be able to get away to the few campgrounds with the Hamilton County parks system. We grew up playing on the playgrounds at Winton Woods, but haven’t had much opportunity to explore the campground. When spring weather finally arrived, we decided to head over for the work week.

For a suburban campground, Winton Woods is rather large – 123 total sites, including 37 with full hookups. The full hook up sites (including 12 pull-throughs) are located near the entrance and feature large paved parking pads. The tent sites are not as level and are more variable in size, but at least feature 30 amp electricity and many are on the water. The tent sites are doable for all but the largest of trailers or RVs.

We booked site 22 and were a bit disappointed. The water access was down a steep bank and there was not much sitting area. We eventually moved the picnic table when we were expecting guests and that gave us more space.

Since, Winton Woods is a Hamilton County park, a car entrance pass is required. It is available at the camp store or the gate house on the drive from Winton Road. The annual pass is only $10 for Hamilton County residents or $14 for non-residents.

The park was surprisingly quiet. There was plenty of activity during the day and some traffic noise in the distance, but very little at night. The campground itself is gated, providing a bit more security.

Even on a fair weekend in April, the campground was booked well in advance. There is a limit of two cars per site. A visitor’s lot is located at the entrance of the campground, but there is a fee of $3.50 to park there ($10 for overnight). Free parking is available at the boathouse about a half mile away.

We enjoyed our stay at Winton Woods and I would highly recommend the park for anyone wanted to visit the sights of Cincinnati. It would be a great option for anyone wanting to take in a Reds game or spend the day at Kings Island. However, there is not much in the way of hiking trails, no pool, and little else in the park worth a weekend there. I would suggest driving a little further to visit one of the great state parks in the region.