Natural Springs Resort Campground
Camping is something I really love doing and finding the perfect place to take my family for a few days away where everyone can find activities to do can be a challenge. When Natural Springs Resort Campground came onto my radar my interest was immediately on high alert.
Our children have grown up into teenagers and planning camping trips have changed a bit for me. Now when I plan I look for things that will get my teens involved and having a good time while enjoying the outdoors. As I looked over their website I knew that the kids would love it here…and I was not wrong.
Full Disclosure: To help offset the costs of running Gleason Family Adventure, you’ll find affiliate links throughout the site. If you choose to purchase through one of these links, there’s no additional cost to you, but I’ll earn a small commission. You can read the entire legal disclosure on the full disclosure page. We were hosted by Natural Springs Resort.
Getting to Natural Springs Resort and Checking in
Arriving at Natural Springs was very convenient and easy! Located just minutes off of I-70, this 47-acre oasis of family fun awaits you at the end of your journey. It is just a few turns off the interstate and your here and pulling into the entrance where you are met with the friendly staff.
You check-in right as you enter at the entrance, no need to park or walk into a store. On weekdays you are given everything you need right as you enter, parking passes, waivers, wristbands, campground map, and on busy weekends they come to your site to personally check you in. I felt like this was the perfect setup for the campground.
Natural Springs Resort Address: 500 S Washington St, New Paris, OH
Natural Springs Resort Campsites and Set-Up
Getting to your site simple and we found it to be easily accessible. As you pull in you will note that the layout of the campground road is done well and the width was perfect for getting the travel trailer around the other campers and turns.
Our site was #59 which was a back-in full hook-up site. I was not part of the full hook-up team this trip and my teenage boys took the lead. When I asked them about how it went they said everything was within reach and the hookups went effortlessly.
This was our maiden voyage with our Heartland Sundance 294 BH, which means they had never hooked up the camper to any site. When they say it went off without a hitch, you can believe it.
They have a campsite for any kind of rig here. As I took the $10.00 tour around the campground I took time to look at the sites they offer that are not for seasonal campers. You can find Pull thru or back-in options, 30 and 50 AMP services, you can choose from waterfront sites or interior sites, some with and some without shade, every site has a fire ring and picnic table
Natural Springs Resort Amenities
Let’s talk amenities of Natural Springs Resort. As I mentioned above most of the time we travel with teenagers. This creates a set of challenges because I can not just let them loose at the playground and they are happy and content. These mini-adults need a new set of entertainment and NSR had it!
Natural Springs Resort Water Amenities
I’ll start with the obvious, the crystal clear 12-acre spring-fed lake with beautiful natural rock formations situated on a lovely coarse sandy beach. This sentence is the capstone of our time here the kids literally shut down the beach and stayed until 9 PM. When you are swimming here it is so clean you can use the go pro to swim with the fish who hang out at the edge at the deep parts of the lake. We have some great footage from the kids! As the sun began to set I found myself wrapped in a towel trying to keep warm while waiting for them to be ready to leave. What an excellent way to end the day!
There are a few other things that are notable about the beach area and you won’t want to miss those. Our kids enjoyed an hour on the Wibit, which is a large inflatable floating obstacle course. You can reserve space for play at one-hour increments for $8.00 per person. Once your hour is up you can rinse off at the outdoor showers and enjoy some time in the outdoor heated pool. Once you are done swimming, jumping around the wibit, or building a sandcastle you can dry off to use the kayak or paddle boat rentals. I am sad to say the weather was not our friend and during the time we had slated for boating was rained out. All that means is … we need to plan another trip back.
If you enjoy fishing you can fish in the designated catch & release areas on the main lake. We saw people catching catfish and panfish like Bluegill. The store has live bait and fishing gear for you if necessary.
Natural Springs On Land Amenities
Kids can spend hours on the newly renovated playground, I did imagine that my grandkids would love to play there. We had brought our volleyball and wanted to make it to the sand court but due to the rain we were unable…again, just another reason to return.
We were given a golf cart to use, which is one of the amenities that you should not miss. Pile on and drive around the park from activity to activity. Sometimes the kids just wanted to go for a drive … for no other reason than just exploring the campground and off we would go to enjoy the park.
Other things available:
- a well-stocked General Store (including bait, tackle, propane, firewood, and more)
- beachside café and grill (We had pizza on the night we set up and that was awesome! There is nothing like having someone else cook for you after your set up…especially if it was in the rain.)
- signature ice cream
- a historic on-site chapel
- picnic shelter
- bath houses (Don’t let the outside of these buildings fool you…the insides are immaculate and beautiful!)
- laundry facility
- dump staition
Pro-Tip: Because of the clear and deep water you can scuba dive at this facility. Grab your gear and dive for the hidden things at the bottom of the lake.
Ways to Stay at Natural Springs Resort
If you are not the tent or RV camping type, don’t worry. Naturals Springs Resort has something for every kind of camper.
Up Country: The cabin’s sleeping arrangements offer one or two private bedrooms with a queen-size pillow-top bed, a full-size sleeper couch in the living room, and an XL-twin size bunk bed in the hallway. The full bath offers a shower & tub with endless hot water. (Bonus for those with little sandy kiddos after a day at the beach.) The kitchen has a full-size refrigerator, microwave oven, full-size gas range, small appliances, pots & pans, bakeware, utensils, dishware, and silverware.
You will find a fire ring, gas grill, Adirondack chairs, and picnic table outside the cabin.
Loft Cabins: these cabins provide sleeping arrangements for up to six people. Like the Up Country cabin, the loft version includes a kitchen with a full-size stove & refrigerator, a full bath with tub & Outside the front door is an open porch with a sitting area to give you space to enjoy your morning coffee or a cold drink at night. Inside you will find two full-size futons and a loft with a full-size mattress.
Mini Cabins: These tiny but perfect for a weekend getaway have sleeping arrangements for up to] 4 people. These beautiful and charming cabins offer two twin bunk beds right as you come inside. These cabins also include a mini-refrigerator, a microwave, and a full-size bathroom with a shower.
Outside you will have a small porch, fire pit for evening fires, and a picnic table.
Pro-Tip: You can bring your own linens or rent them from the campground.
Things to Do Nearby While Staying at Natural Springs Resort
Everyone knows camping is a great way to enjoy a week or weekend, but sometimes weather comes into play, and you need a day trip to beat the rainy day blues. Since we experienced some rain, we took a day trip to Richmond, Indiana, and Quiet Harmony Ranch.
Richmond offers many places to explore; however, we only had time to visit the Levi and Cathrine Coffin house. One of Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. We spent about 2 hours here watching the video, toured the house and grounds, and visiting the gift shop. It was one of the best places I have been to learn more about the Freedom Seekers that crossed through Indiana and Ohio to Canada.
As the sky began to clear up and we made our way to Quiet Harmony Ranch. I had grabbed a flyer at the campground and thought’ “This sounds interesting; let’s give it a shot.” Let me cut to the chase; we were blown away! I had no idea that this existed in Ohio, and it is a true hidden gem.
You can take an Outback Tour for an up-close and personal tour of the Elk, which we did. Totally worth it. One of the guides at the park told us that every season at the Ranch is special. We might have to go back in the fall to hear the Elk bugle call.
Before we left to return to camp, we grabbed some elk burgers from the Food Cabin. We had never eaten elk before, and it was absolutely delicious! In the trading post, you can grab some elk steaks or burgers to take back to camp.
There is something here for everyone in your family.
I would be remiss if I did not mention The Cedar Coffee shop beside Natural Springs! You can drive your golf cart up to the shop, park in the golf cart parking, grab a cup of coffee, and sit in the quiet atmosphere. We did it twice… #coffeewithBrandy
Pro-Tip: John Bryan State Park is nearby, where you can hike and explore western Ohio’s most scenic park.
Natural Springs had the family in mind when they planned it!
We were honestly sad to leave when our two-night and three-day stay was over. Kids were slow helping to get the camper packed up and ready for departure. Since the weather did not really cooperate with us, they were even more bummed knowing they could not swim one more time before we left.
I was dragging because I never really got to sit by the campfire and enjoy the sounds of camping, but we will defiantly get back here to experience the things we were not able to do. #ReturnBucketlist
Natural Springs Resort Campground Official Website
Happy Camping,
Brandy
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