Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area
October 2026
About
Overview
Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area, named for the old Vesuvius iron furnace, is the Wayne National Forest's premier developed recreation site. The 143-acre lake and 1,200-acre complex provides the perfect spot for a getaway.
Recreation
Lake Vesuvius is a popular location for swimming and fishing. Anglers may catch bass, catfish, crappie and bluegill. A boat ramp is located on-site. A swimming beach is located at Big Bend.
A large playing field and multiple hiking trails are available within the recreation area. The accessible 1/3-mile boardwalk along the southwest edge of the lake provides an opportunity for a leisurely stroll through the area, and the slightly longer 1/2-mile Longbow Archery Trail, accesses at least 25 field targets for shooting practice. The area boasts more than 25 miles of hiking trails and more than 45 miles of horseback riding trails.
Facilities
The recreation area offers two developed family campgrounds, a group camp and group picnic shelters. The group campsite can accommodate up to 50 people for tent camping. It is equipped with tables and campfire rings with grills. Accessible vault toilets, showers and drinking water are provided.
Group shelters can accommodate up to 150 people. Picnic tables, campfire rings and grills are provided, as well as accessible flush toilets and drinking water. One shelter provides electricity, while the other does not. Each has access to an amphitheater.
Natural Features
The lake sits on Storms Creek, which was dammed in 1939 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The rugged hills and rock outcroppings offer a scenic backdrop for this beautiful recreation area. The historic Vesuvius iron furnace is located at the base of the dam.
Nearby Attractions
The closest town is Ironton, Ohio, less than 10 miles from the campground.
Amenities
Phone: 740-534-6500
Is LAKE VESUVIUS RECREATION AREA fully booked?
A campground showing no availability is almost never full for good. People cancel — plans change, weather turns, someone books three weekends and keeps one — and the site goes straight back into the booking system, usually without warning and often at odd hours. The reason sold-out campgrounds feel impossible is not that sites never free up; it is that nobody is watching at the moment they do.
CampHawk watches LAKE VESUVIUS RECREATION AREA in Pedro, OH for you. We recheck it every 15 seconds, around the clock, and the moment a site opens we send a text, an email and a push notification — and on Recreation.gov we can put the site straight into your cart, so it is held while you get to your phone.
Searching is free and needs no account — the calendar above is live right now. Watching LAKE VESUVIUS RECREATION AREA for cancellations is the paid part.