Touring within Ohio, State Park campground policy

[RandomGuyOnABike]

Good afternoon all, as a long time stalker of both the ACA website and forums, I have finally decided to create a forum account 

Last weekend, I decided to do a short tour from the Dayton, OH area down to the southern part of the state. It wasn't a huge multi-century run or anything, as I am still building up, both physically, mentally, and financially for those, but I ran across an issue when I attempted to crash for the night at one of the state parks.

Granted, this was during a holiday weekend, thus it was to be expected (and planned for), but I didn't take this into account in the planning stage of this trip. The issue is that Ohio does not have a "No bicyclist turned away" policy that I have read about. In light of this, I would like to submit a proposal to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to get something into effect that so this would not happen to other individuals who may tour across the state.

I have attached the proposal to this thread, and hopefully, I can get a few suggestions on the next steps.

Thank you,

RandomGuyOnABike

edit: I have corrected the name of the deparment from Ohio Department of National Resources to the correct, Ohio Department of Natural Resources. I love MS Word's autocorrect feature!

[reelal]

Hi Randomguyonabike,

I think you are definitely on the right track with turning in a proposal to the DNR. I would suggest getting in touch with the folks at Five Rivers Metro Parks. They can help you direct your proposal to the appropriate departments.

Kind Regards,

Adam Reel
Travel Initiatives
Adventure Cycling Association

[jamawani]

Better yet - Hiker/Biker camping in Ohio state parks.

[WonderMonkey]

I live just above Dayton and occasionally take the route towards Cinci as well as other places.  If you are ever thinking of doing another short tour I may get lucky and have it fall on a weekend I can go.

[bugsy]

It's been a while, and I hope you've been able to start the conversation about a No bike/hiker turned away policy.
It's really another ask, but where I live in Vermont (I'm not a ringer - I grew up in IL and still tour annually there), there is also a policy of "leave no trace" camping in state parks - even when they're officially closed in the winter months!  This is a great help in the shoulder seasons, and often means I get the whole park to myself.  They only ask that I contact the local regional park office and let them know what park I'll be staying in. Yes, you'll have to dig a cat hole well away from the formal camping areas if you need that and there will be no potable water, but then again you'll probably get a lean-to to yourself.
It's a different ask, but it can be a great help when you have a change of plans on the road or need a place to spend the night.  Several states in New England have similar policies, but they don't advertise them.