4401 Ft. Loramie Swanders Road
Minster, Ohio 45865

Note: make sure to have good directions prior to leaving.  GPS often does not take you directly to the campground and the signs can be confusing. A nice resident came out to show us the way and explained that campers often end up on her street using GPS.

Park Office: (937) 295-2011
Camp Office: (937) 295-3900
Reservations: (866) 644-6727

Lake Loramie is a 1655 acre lake that feeds into the Erie Canal. The lake is unlimited horsepower but most of the lake is no wake with the exception of one area on the west end.  Waterskiing is prohibited. The park is located near the small town of Minster OH, approximately an hour north of Dayton. The state park is located on 407 acres and offers campsites ranging from full sun to mostly shade.  There are 160 electric sites and some primitive sites along the river.  Many of the river view electric sites fill up quickly in summer months.  None of the sites have water/sewer. There is an on-site water filling and dumping station.There is no cable, but there is free public wifi which was a nice surprise as many state parks do not. There is a small commissary that had limited food/snack items. They also sell ice cream, ice, bait, and firewood ($4.50 a bundle)  It was a pretty small bundle but burned well.

Appearance:

This State Park has a lot of very large, mature trees that offer nice shade for many sites. Some areas in the campground are full-sun.  The roads are all paved and in good condition.  All of the sites also were paved with additional grassy area for picnic table and fire ring. The campsites are spread out among the park and are fairly spacious.  There were very few trash containers, we only saw one dumpster near one end of the campground.  The campground is well maintained, clean, and inviting. We loved seeing all of the beautiful flowers in bloom when we were there in early May. There were several camp hosts that routinely toured the campground to offer assistance when needed.

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Area Attractions:

There are a few small towns near the campground such as Minster, home of one of the best known Oktoberfest festivals, and Fort Loramie home to many historical markers. Visitors can also enjoy a walk along the historic Erie Canal. We were somewhat disappointed in the hiking opportunities, however.  There are 8 miles of trail adjacent to the campground but most were flat, with tall grass or poorly blazed and offered little in the way of wildlife or wildflower viewing. There are some unique antique shops to visit, but primarily those staying at this campground are there to enjoy the fishing/campground experience.  There isn’t much else to do in the area.

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Family/Pet Friendly:

Most of the campground is pet-permitted and we saw several camp families with dogs.  There are many open grassy areas to walk the dogs, although there are no fenced in areas designated as pet-playgrounds.  There is a bridge to an island area that is good for walking dogs, although when we were the grass was fairly high and we worried about ticks. Near one of the bath houses there is an area with doggie pick-up bags and trash cans.

There are a host of activities for kids to enjoy including the swimming beach , and some playgrounds throughout the park.  We saw several children enjoying biking and skateboarding on the nice paved roads.  There is a sand volleyball court and many basketball hoops throughout.  Lake Loramie features a 600-foot sandy beach with adjacent picnic areas, playground and shelterhouse. Boating is a popular activity at Lake Loramie. Unlimited horsepower boat motors are permitted. Dock rentals and launch ramps are provided. The entire lake is classified as “no wake” with the exception of the designated “speed zone” in the west end of the lake. Water skiing is prohibited.

Kayaks, Banana Bikes, Paddleboats, Bikes, canoes, rowboats, etc. are available for rent. There is a nice sand volleyball court and several basketball courts within the campground. There are ample places to fish in the campground along the channels or on the main lake.

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Restrooms/Showers:

We found the showerhouses to be very nice and appeared to be newly renovated.  They were clean and well-maintained.  Some of the showerhouses have individual shower rooms with individual entry doors to the outside, while others had shower stalls within the bath facility.  it was nice to have the options.  The shower stalls were good-sized, had a separate dressing area with bench, and plenty of hooks.  A big disappointment to us was that the water was push button (approx. one minute) and the water was luke warm at best. A nice feature to this campground is that each showerhouse has a camp sink and laundry machines.

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