RV Rental Near Tappan Lake Park Campground in New Philadelphia, Ohio

Every summer I get a version of the same call: someone’s been eyeing Tappan Lake for years, finally decided to make it happen, and now they’re wondering how to get a rig out there without the hassle of towing one themselves. My answer is always the same — let me bring it to you. I load up, run State Route 800 south out of the New Philadelphia area, and deliver your RV directly to your site at Tappan Lake Park Campground so that when you pull in, everything’s already leveled, plugged in, and ready to go. That’s the whole point of what we do at Fireside RV Rental, and Tappan Lake is one of the spots I genuinely look forward to delivering to every season.

Tappan Lake Park Campground sits in Harrison County, managed by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District — the same folks who run Atwood, Leesville, and Clendening — and it’s one of the bigger, better-equipped MWCD parks in the whole system. The lake itself runs about 2,350 acres, the campground has electric hookup sites, and the whole property is set up for a real multi-day stay rather than a quick overnight. When you pair that infrastructure with a delivered, set-up RV, you’re looking at a genuinely comfortable trip without any of the gear-hauling stress.

How I Deliver and Set Up Your RV at Tappan Lake

The delivery process is straightforward, but there are a few things I’ve learned from running rigs out to this campground specifically. The main entrance off State Route 800 is fine for any unit in our fleet, but once you’re inside, the campground layout has some tighter turns depending on which loop your site is in. Before I finalize your delivery, I always ask for your site number — not just as a formality, but because it genuinely changes which rig I recommend and how I plan the approach. Some of the pull-through sites near the lake give me plenty of room to maneuver; a back-in site tucked deeper into a loop means I’m more deliberate about which unit I bring and how I position it.

Once I’m on-site, I handle the leveling, hook up your electric connection, extend the slide-outs, and walk you through everything before I leave. I’m not dropping keys at the office and driving away — I want you to feel confident with the rig before your trip actually starts. At the end of your stay, I come back and break everything down. You don’t touch a hitch or a sewer hose the entire trip. If you have questions mid-stay, you can reach me directly at 330-440-2429 or shoot an email to [email protected].

What to Expect at Tappan Lake Park Campground

Tappan Lake is a serious fishing lake — crappie, bass, walleye, and saugeye draw anglers from all over eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania — and the campground is built around the idea that you’re going to spend real time outside, not just sleep there. There’s a beach area, a marina with boat rentals, and enough shoreline to keep families busy for days. The campground sites themselves are electric hookup (30-amp and 50-amp availability varies by site, so I always confirm with the MWCD before I recommend a rig), and the camp store and shower facilities are solid for a public campground of this size.

One thing I always tell first-time guests: book your site through the MWCD reservation system as early as you possibly can. Holiday weekends — Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day — fill up fast, and I’ve had customers call me in April thinking they can get a lakefront site over the Fourth, only to find out the prime spots were gone in February. Weekdays in June and September, on the other hand, are often much easier to secure and the campground has a noticeably quieter feel. Those are my personal favorite times to deliver out there.

The Drive Out and What the Weather Means for Your Trip

From New Philadelphia, you’re looking at roughly 30 to 35 minutes to the campground, depending on exactly where you’re coming from. The route I use most often follows U.S. Route 250 east and then drops south on State Route 800 — it’s a straightforward drive through rolling Tuscarawas and Harrison County terrain, and it’s a genuinely pretty stretch of road once you get south of Uhrichsville. If you’re flying into Akron-Canton Airport (CAK), the drive is around 45 minutes to an hour; Cleveland Hopkins (CLE) puts you at closer to 90 minutes.

Weather-wise, Tappan Lake sits in a part of Ohio that gets real seasons. Summers here can run humid with afternoon thunderstorm activity in July and August — not unusual for this part of eastern Ohio — so I always make sure slide-outs are properly sealed and awnings are secured before I leave a rig unattended overnight. Autumn is genuinely spectacular out there; the Harrison County hillsides go full color in mid-to-late October, and the campground stays open into fall, making October one of the best windows if you can handle cooler mornings. Spring bookings pick up in May once the lake warms up enough for comfortable fishing and swimming.

Things to Do Beyond the Campground

One of the reasons I genuinely enjoy this delivery route is that the whole surrounding region is worth exploring with a few days to spare. Once you’re based at Tappan Lake, you’re well-positioned for day trips that cover a surprising amount of ground:

• Amish Country (Sugarcreek and Walnut Creek) — About 35 to 40 minutes northwest on State Route 39. The Tuesday livestock auction in Sugarcreek and the markets around Walnut Creek are worth an easy morning trip. I send almost every family with kids out this direction at least once during a week-long stay.
• Schoenbrunn Village — The first town established in Ohio, just outside New Philadelphia. The grounds are well-kept and free to walk; the Trumpet in the Land outdoor drama runs summers at the adjacent amphitheater and is a genuinely impressive production if you’ve never seen it.
• Warther Museum & Gardens in Dover — Ernest Warther’s carved steam engine collection is one of those places that sounds niche until you’re standing in front of it. Plan two hours minimum.
• Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek — A serious working collection of steam locomotives in a facility that’s unlike anything else in Ohio. Rail fans will want a half-day here.
• Dennison Railroad Depot Museum — About 20 minutes from Tappan Lake. The WWII Dreamsville canteen history here is moving and genuinely undervisited.
• Fort Laurens State Memorial in Bolivar — Ohio’s only Revolutionary War fort site, about 25 minutes north on I-77. Quick stop, solid history.
• Beach City Wildlife Area — Good birding and a quiet afternoon option if you want something low-key between lake days.

All of these are within a reasonable day-trip radius from the campground, and I find that guests who plan one or two off-lake excursions during a week-long stay end up getting the most out of the whole Tuscarawas Valley region rather than just the lake itself.

Which RV Works Best for Tappan Lake Stays

I match rigs to the group and the site, not just the headcount. For Tappan Lake specifically, here’s how I typically think through it: couples or small groups doing a fishing-focused trip where they want comfort but aren’t hosting a crowd usually do well in a smaller travel trailer — easier to position in a back-in site, and the lake is the main event anyway. Families with kids tend to want more sleeping space and interior room for rainy-afternoon card games, so a larger bunkhouse-style unit is usually the right call when the site has room for it. I always confirm actual site dimensions before I finalize anything, because site lengths vary throughout the campground and I’d rather know upfront than show up with a rig that doesn’t fit cleanly.

I never publish specific inclusions on this page because what comes with each unit varies — contact me directly and I’ll walk you through exactly what’s in the rig I’m recommending for your trip. What I can tell you is that every unit I deliver is inspected and cleaned before it goes out, and I don’t send anything I wouldn’t be comfortable using myself. For specific questions about amenities, availability, and pricing, the best move is to call me at 330-440-2429 or email [email protected] — those conversations always go better than a website form anyway.

Booking Tips and When to Call

The pattern I see every year: people book their campsite first, then call me a week later wondering if I have something available. That often works fine for mid-season weekdays, but for peak weekends — especially Memorial Day and Labor Day at Tappan Lake, which book up the campground months in advance — I’d strongly encourage you to reach out to me at the same time you’re booking your site, not after. I do get fully committed on certain peak weekends, and I’d much rather get you on the calendar early than have to turn you away because I’m already out on another delivery that weekend.

If you’re planning around the fall color season — typically mid-October in Harrison County — that window has quietly become one of my busiest stretches of the year. The campground is less crowded than summer, the weather is genuinely beautiful, and people who’ve done it once almost always come back to do it again. Book both the site and the RV well ahead of October if that’s your target.

For everything else — questions about delivery logistics, which rig fits your site, what the campground setup looks like, or just whether the dates you’re eyeing are open — reach out directly: 330-440-2429 or [email protected]. I’d rather answer five questions upfront than have you show up underprepared for a week at the lake.

Ready to start planning? Browse the fleet to see what we’re running in the Tuscarawas Valley area, and if you want to explore other options beyond Tappan Lake, check out our full guide to campgrounds and RV parks across the region — from Atwood Lake to Whispering Hills and beyond. Tappan Lake is one of my favorite deliveries of the season, and I’d be glad to help you put together a trip that makes the most of it.