Summer around Thornville goes to Buckeye Lake. Early in the day at Buckeye Beach Park, the boats start pulling out of the slips before most of the rigs along the lake edge have opened a door, and the dock rows fill with people carrying coolers down to the water. Families come out for a week at a time, with days on the boat and evenings in lawn chairs outside the door.
The other half of the lake's RV crowd parks off I-70 at the Buckeye Lake KOA on Walnut Road, where a shaded lane of pull-throughs runs under oak and buckeye canopy. It's the closest KOA to Columbus, and the pool keeps kids busy from late May to mid-September. A rainy afternoon there still feels like a lake week, with the rig cool and the pool a short walk away.
Setting up the rig at Buckeye Lake
In summer, lock the pad first and the rig second, because the pad decides which motorhome makes sense. At the KOA, the pull-throughs are full-hookup patio sites and the back-ins carry water and electric, so a pull-through is the one to want for a parked week with the air running. The dump site sits on the road out next to the office, which turns the last morning into a single stop before SR 79.
Buckeye Beach Park puts its RV spots against the water, with direct lake access, docks and a marina. That suits a family towing a boat for the week, since the boat and the rig end up a few steps apart. When the lake pads are full, the campground at Dillon State Park is the state-park alternative in the area, though its loop lengths and hookups are worth confirming with the park before you pick a rig.
For two people doing a lake weekend rather than a family week, a smaller rig from the Ohio campervan listings is the easier fit. Columbus is close enough for a day in the city, and the Columbus RV page covers the fairgrounds and game-day weekends there. South of the lake, the sandstone gorges of Hocking Hills make a long day out, and that trip is laid out on the Columbus campervan page, with the RV version on the Ohio RV page.
Lost Lands weekend at Legend Valley
Once a year Legend Valley fills for Lost Lands, and the RV campground sits inside the wristband perimeter, within the same fence line as the stages. Groups make the motorhome the whole weekend's base, cooking between sets and sleeping a short walk from the music. The 2026 edition ran in mid-September, and 2027 dates hadn't been posted as of October 2026.
The RV campgrounds are open to any wristband holder, the camping pass is bought through Front Gate, and camping vehicles get no re-entry once they're in. That makes the pass the pad, so buy it before you book the rig. Load groceries, water and ice before you roll through the gate, because the motorhome stays parked until the festival ends.
Festival weekend and a late lake weekend compete for the same motorhomes in the listings and the same pads around Buckeye Lake, so they can't be planned as separate trips. Groups who miss the festival's RV pass often look to the lake's campgrounds instead, which tightens the KOA that weekend. Book the rig as soon as the festival posts its dates.