About Iron Ridge - Lake Vesuvius
Iron Ridge is one of two campgrounds in the Vesuvius Recreation Area in southeastern Ohio's Wayne National Forest. Iron Ridge offers a great location for outdoor recreation, with activities like boating, swimming and fishing on Lake Vesuvius. Horseback riding and hiking are also available in the rolling hills surrounding the campground. Boating, fishing and swimming on Lake Vesuvius are the area's most popular activities. Anglers may catch bass, catfish, crappie or bluegill. More than 40 miles of trails exist in the area, with trailheads beginning at or near the campground. A 1/2-mile hiking trail connects the campground to Lake Vesuvius. Lake Shore Trail offers an 8-mile loop around the lake and shorter trails lead to Rock House Cave, a grand, tunnel-like sandstone cave that was once used by Native Americans for shelter. The campground offers multiple sites for RV camping, many of…
- Fees: There is a $5 electric hookup fee. The total fee of electric site is composed of $15 basic camping fee and $5 electric fee.
- Season: April 23
- Managed by: Wayne National Forest, USFS - Wayne National Forest
- Where: 6 mi northeast of Ironton, OH · 38.61075, -82.61507
Things to do:
Official page for this camp (fees, closures, booking)
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: Apr–Jun & Aug–Oct (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Dec–Feb.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backpack | Hiking | 0.1 mi | 15.3 mi |
| Vesuvius Main Loop | Horse | 0.2 mi | 29.6 mi |
| Hungry Hollow Connector | Horse | 0.3 mi | 0.4 mi |
| Sandhill Connector | Horse | 0.3 mi | |
| Lake Shore | Hiking | 0.5 mi | 7.5 mi |
| Whiskey Run | Hiking | 0.6 mi | 0.7 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
Verizon 4G · AT&T 5G · T-Mobile 5G
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way is clear overhead but fades toward town glow.
Class 4 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.Propane: 6.1 mi
Nearest of each within 25 miles, straight-line.Camps nearby
- Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area 0.9 mi
- Balancing Rock Trailhead 0.9 mi
- Pine Knob Loop 1.1 mi
- Oak Hill - Lake Vesuvius 1.1 mi
- Two Point Group Campground 1.3 mi
- Ironton Ranger District - Ironton Area 1.7 mi