Mill Creek Campground — Hotel in Alliance

When in Ohio I’m just camping while traveling instead of getting a motel. I mean, I’m not camping to enjoy a campground. So I’m not expecting much. Just a quiet place to walk the dogs and sleep. Especially not expecting much from anything in Ohio. I just want to get through it as quickly as possible.

Starting with the worst part- the cops drive through constantly, which does not give one a feeling of safety but more makes me wonder what the heck is going on around here that is so very bad the police need to cruise the strip like it’s a crime show? Were they looking for someone? Is a killer on the loose in the campground? It was terribly unsettling.

Overall it wasn’t horrible though. Not as bad as a couple one star Ohio camps I’ve reviewed. But pretty bad. The lake has no access except if you have a boat. There’s no soft area where you could wade in with dogs. The boat launch is not nice for bare feet and it’s not a place you’d want to hang out. There were so many motor boats on the lake the noise made it unbearable to be there for long.

The butterfly garden is okay, except that it’s overrun with invasive species and clearly not tended at all.

You’re allowed 2 vehicles on your site but many sites had at least 4 giant trucks. So the cops are driving around all the time but clearly not to enforce any rules.

I’ve added a photo of the weird benches placed so one can sit and gaze upon… the toilets? Why would anyone want to do this? I understand that some people would need to sit down while waiting for the bathroom. But they could be nearby and not right in front of the building, facing the doors. It would be so awkward to use the bathrooms knowing someone is sitting out there looking at the door waiting for you to come out. And one of the benches has a dedication on it. I really hope I never have a toilet viewing bench dedicated to me. It’s like something my kids would do as a prank. The bathrooms themselves were not terrible, but also not great.

Three stars though because the non electric sites were good. Not many campers when I was there so there was some privacy. If it was full though it’s the kind of campground where you’re basically hanging out with your neighbors.

Not the campground’s fault, probably more like Ohio’s fault, but when I parked in front of the office, having arrived after it was closed, to look at the park map and try to figure out where I was to go (it’s fairly complicated but the map is accurate) someone pulled up behind me and parked. So I couldn’t leave until they did. And then someone pulled up and parked behind them, like it was a queue. Obviously I was parked in front of the building and could not move forward, so obviously it is not a freaking queue! Why oh why would anyone, let alone two people in a row, do this? Is this an Ohio thing? Instead of parking in like a normal person with cars side by side so anyone can leave when they choose to (and I feel silly even having to explain how parking works)they double and triple park in a place where there are plenty of spaces to not do that?! And do it while you can clearly see the car you parked behind is occupied?!

Overall it’s an okay campground, would be a fine place for family camping if you didn’t have better options. But it’s not a great place if you want an actual forest experience. More for suburbanites who imagine themselves to be outdoorsy and want to “camp” with their giant trucks and giant boats and giant RVs…but they don’t want to be too far in the forest so that they’re scared...

Being a frequent traveler and camper, I was astonished at the size of this campground. Mill Creek should be designated a transient city as compared to a campground with the capacity they can hold.

That said, the majority of sites are non-electric, which means that many areas are desolate, as modern campers seek modern conveniences. I'm no exception to the rule, converting to RV camping a few years ago.

The facilities are maintained, but starting to show some signs of wear, and are undersized for the areas they service. I had to take a stroll to an adjacent non-electric area just to use the bathroom at one point during the weekend. Also, shower facilities are not integrated with the bathrooms, and depending on your site, it can be quite a hike. On a warm evening, you would need a new shower after taking the hike back from the shower stalls with the amount of walking you'd do.

Unfortunately, despite the impressive size of the grounds, there is no store on-site, so if you forget or exhaust supplies, it means a trip to restock, and since it's in a moderately rural area, it could be a significant journey, depending on what you need. On the other hand, for simple things like ice or firewood, there is a drive-thru just down the street.

The campgrounds have their own launch ramp, along with a number of areas you can suitably anchor your boat near your site. This way, you can circumvent the need to constantly launch and load throughout your stay.

Some areas are a lot more private than others. We stayed in the Hickory grounds and felt we had sufficient privacy from our neighbors as there was good foliage. Conversely, the camping area right by check-in is the equivalent of a suburban neighborhood, which no privacy and sites built on top of each other.

The rangers were actively running programs during our stay, which would be a nice addition if you have young ones.

The campgrounds are also alcohol-free, which might be a deterrent if you're an old one.

Overall, it was a nice stay on one of Ohio's best inland lakes, and it's not a long haul from the Akron area.

Nearby West Branch has superior facilities in their grounds, but Mill Creek has them beaten in size (by a lot), and boasts the superior lake.

If you plan to be on the water, I'd go with Mill Creek. Otherwise, I'd opt for...

To start, I placed my reservations on line and paid with a credit card. I was expecting I would use my reservation copy to get my camp sites. Instead I received a "Prereservation Form", It needed to be completed and printed to take to the camp ground. Upon arrival I expected to show my form and get my passes. Wrong, I had to park my tow vehicle and TT, get in line to show my form. Waited about 15 minutes to get to one of the 2 windows. I was lucky I got the volunteer not the full time staff (the women was just short of hateful), who took all of the information from the form and copy it to a log. He the made out my passes while being interrupted by the full timer, who want to know did he do this or that. The road network is only wide enough for one vehicle, so much of the traffic is one way. This make for difficult backing into camp sites if have TT longer the 25 feet or more (which I do). All camp sites are electric only (our site was max 50 amp). I use the camp shower when we do not have sewer hook up. The shower head was missing on one and two of the remaining that I used had only a stream of water. The water had a preset temp even though the facet appeared to be able to control the temp. The water was so hot I could not stand under it, I had to wet my wash cloth and wet down my body, then soap, then rinse, the same way. MY SHOWER ON A FIRE SUPPORT BASE IN V.N. WAS BETTER. What a poor set up for showers 4 singles with a handicap at the end. The shower stalls a stone block. There are hooks on the wall and a bench under the hooks that run the length of the wall across form the shower. This provides about an 18 to 20 inch walk way between bench and shower wall, needless to say it is difficult for a walking individual and probable very difficult for handicap. Two sinks, one for handicap and one for general use. I think only 2 toilets, one handicap and the other general use. Other than direct access to the lake, there is very little to do on the camp ground. The on great point is the dump station. Big hole for drain hose and good water pressure for flushing and wash...