9/2 Ohio Turnpike Camping

Did you know you could camp on the Ohio Turnpike?  I don't mean near the turnpike.  I mean at one of the several service plazas that have special parking areas for RVs with electrical hookups, potable water access, and dump stations! 

I had noticed one last week as I was driving in from Indiana, so I looked them up on the Internet and found this brochure:  http://www.ohioturnpike.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/rv_generalinfo2014.pdf 

I ended up having a last-minute doctor appointment yesterday, which meant that I would have difficulty getting to my son's house and driveway before dark.  I did NOT want to back into this tight driveway in the dark, so I decided to drive part-way and stay here at the Vermillion Service Plaza at about Mile 137 eastbound.  There is also supposed to be one on the opposite west bound side. 

Note that my screen capture from Google maps shows eight back-in spots.  Cost is $20 per night and the camping area is a little off to one side but still not too far from the service plaza restaurants.

There was some road noise and also noise from trucks driving past to the truck parking area, but it was not too bad.  The spots were large enough to put out slides and maybe even park a car or truck next to your RV.  I was able to get a satellite signal for TV and use my Verizon hotspot.

This is looking towards the restaurant area.  I was told there also were showers there if you wanted to use them.

One problem is that the pay machine takes only cash and does not give change, so I had to dig into my drawer to find a $20 bill. It gives you a receipt which you are supposed to put in your window. There is also a dump station and a water fill station right next to this pay station.  It was nice to be able to dump my tanks so I did not have to worry about them when staying with my son and his family. 

This shows another RV parking area on the eastbound turnpike not too far from the Indiana border.  These are pull-through sites, so much better for trucks pulling trailers or motorhomes towing cars.

  
These are not exactly scenic or recreational campgrounds, but they are very convenient and a great option in a pinch, such as on a big holiday weekend when everything else is filled up.  There ended up being three other RVs spending the night, so I had a good night's sleep.  I will not hesitate to stay at one of these again.