Knoebels Campground — Attraction in Cleveland Township

Knoebels is an amazing and special place. Being able to camp right next to one of the best parks in the country is why so many rate this campground higher. But if we take Knoebels out of the equation, most would likely rate this campground much lower. So let's start with the positives: First, it is next to Knoebels. They have a great store and some of the sites are fairly large with room for your entire family. They DO not nickle and dime you if you happen to bring extra people or vehicles, so the overall cost is actually quite affordable.

The campground is HUGE with 600 sites. If you happen to be in the back area they run a convenient "Fun Bus" that takes your right up to the front (or back to your site after a long day at the park). Throughout the park are several large bath houses and staff work around the clock to pick up trash and keep things relatively clean - but keep in mind you have 600 sites and a ton of people!

Our site was large (BC063) and we had plenty of room for our large gathering. This site was also level and had some gravel, but that is not always the case for every site. We were conveniently located across from the bath house, which made showers and late night runs to the bathroom more manageable. On our departure, they had a good dump station (4 stations), which were functional and adequate to clean your grey and black tanks and the electric was good.

Now for the negatives. First off, this site is electric only. They do have water to fill your fresh water tank at the front (3 stations), but no sewer or water hookups anywhere. This means, especially with a large group, you will be taking baths and using the toilet at the bath house. This experience was a 1-2/5 depending on if you were accessing the bathroom or shower before or after they clean. The showers were push button types that ran for about 30 seconds and the water temperature varied from lukewarm to cold. The floors were tile and would benefit from some barrier since it was easy to track dirt from the campground into the shower stall. The toilets had a door that was far too small and as I completed the process of going to the bathroom, I found myself towering over the door and greeting everyone who came in. I don't mind camper bathrooms, but invest a few extra bucks and put some decent doors in the place. Personally, I opted to use the facilities in the park, which were more private and felt cleaner.

From a staffing standpoint, it was hit or miss. I found some extremely helpful and friendly staff embracing the Knoebels tradition and some "cranky" who, unfortunately, didn't always add to the camping experience.

As I mentioned, we had a nice big campsite, but while it was level, it was also muddy. Gravel would really help in this area. It looked as though gravel was used to "patch" areas, when they should have just covered the campsite instead of leaving so many muddy patches. We managed by relocating mounds of gravel to cover some muddy areas and it made a world of difference.

So in summary, the sites varied in size, were electric only, but the campground really doesn't impress and would not be rated as high if it weren't located next to one of the best parks in the country. For that reason, we will continue to camp there, but its NOT because of the campground, which is...

We left Knobels Campground disappointed. I booked an Eagles Roost. (2 night min. $570) I was given the speech of how lucky I was to find vacancy a month and half before arrival because guest book one year or more in advance. I felt like I struck gold! We knew to expect rough conditions, we just didn’t expect them to be this rough! Dirty sheets, so much hair on the floor (please get rid of those dirty bathroom rugs, they bring no benefit other than making the place look even dirtier). Every wall had paint peeling, doors kicked in, duct taped ceilings. I knew it was bad when my husband said “let’s go home, they can keep our money.” I work too hard for my money, I wanted the try to make the best of it. I came prepared with Lysol and Clorox wipes. I wiped and sprayed the place down. ||I voiced my thoughts to customer service. The lady was very nice and listened, she explained that over time the cabins will be replace by new. That is great news for future guest but my 2 day trip resulted with me giving Knobels $800 total with lodging, food and park tickets. ||We arrive on Sunday (8/24/25) after a 3 hour commute and decides to walk the amusement park, get a feel for the campground and park layout. The luckiest thing we did on Sunday was ride each train (the most important thing for my 5 year old). We figured we would leave Monday for the amusement park. Well… Monday the park opens for an hour or so and a tree falls on the power lines and shuts the entire place down. I completely understand, this is not Knobels fault. I went to guest service, the lady would barely let a sad mother vent her frustration. She backed away from the window to signal she was done talking to me. I understand my cabin has power but we did not come to Knobels to sit in a dirty cabin. There was no rides, no food. Forget trying to find a restaurant on a Monday night, there is a pizza place 11 minutes away that basically sums up the selection if you have already been to Nickle Plate. ||I had no intentions of writing a review because I can tell by social media that Knobels has a great following and if you even post anything slightly negative about the place, you will be bashed. But I decided as a working mother who never has free time to get away, this was disappointing! I truly feel Knobels could have did something towards compensation, just a $100 reimbursement could have been helpful. Clearly by my photos they have not put $100 of improvements into the cabin expect for the fairly new looking...

I'll start off by saying, I see the appeal of this campground, and the proximity to the park. I think a lot of people that visit have come here for a long time, and it bring nostalgic emotions for many. This was my first time at Knoebels, and first time camping here.

We rented a platform tent site that was very close to a bridge entering the park. I was optimistic about the spacing to other sites when setting up. When evening came, we quickly realized how crowded the campground is. There was commotion all around with people settling in for the night. Music playing, laughing, and kids running around well past 10 pm. Quiet hours are set for 11 pm, and it was almost followed the first night, except for an obnoxious bug zapper near our tent. Unless you are with a bigger group, it was awkward to sit out on the deck after dark and try and enjoy the evening. Our second night, Friday, was a completely different situation. Multiple large groups camping together were talking loudly until at least 11:30 pm. It is a strange thing to walk to the bathroom at 11 and people are just carrying on like no one is around them.

I couldn't wrap my head around it. Maybe I'm just getting to be old and grumpy in my 30's, but so many people just ignored common courtesy for the sake of their own good time. I understand, it's fun to stay up late and chat with friends and family. I was just with my immediate family, so my wife and I just talked for by ourselves for some time while our kids slept at 9. I was grateful to be packing up on Saturday morning.

My second complaint about the campground was that the cleaning staff would close the bathrooms from around 8am-9am. This was the time we typically needed to use the restroom after waking up. There were many people walking to the bathrooms, seeing the sign, then turning back to their tents. I think this timing could be adjusted.

On a positive, the bathrooms were very clean. Staff are friendly. The area were stayed was amidst the trees. And of course, you walk right into the park. But if this is your first time to go to the campground, anticipate a lot of activity and talking around you. A box fan...