Ohio Park Activities

PARKS FILLED WITH ACTIVITIES
 

Caesar Creek State Park

Admission is Free 
Open daily dawn to dusk
Location: On State Route 73, just north of Harveysburg, Ohio
Phone: 513-897-3055 

Caesar Creek State Park is highlighted by clear blue waters, scattered woodlands, meadows and steep ravines. The park offers some of the finest outdoor recreation in southwest Ohio including boating, hiking, camping and fishing. The family campground has 285 shady and sunny sites equipped with electrical hook-ups. The campground offers showers, flush toilets, and pet camping in designated areas. A horseman's camp with 30 sites is available for overnight trail rides. The park's Rent-A-RV program offers one fully-equipped travel trailer for daily or weekly stays. Two camper cabins and one cedar cabin are also available for rental. Water recreation on the 2,830-acre lake is the park's largest attraction. Unlimited horsepower designation allows for an exciting day of boating and water skiing. Five launch ramps are situated around the lake for easy access. Forty-three miles of hiking trails lead hikers to the interesting areas of the park with many scenic views along the way. For horsemen, thirty-one miles of trail and a horsemen's camp are offered. A five-mile mountain bike trail is located between Harveysburg Road and Center Road; a 3.5-mile novice trail circles the Fifty Springs picnic area. The park's nature center houses interesting displays of the cultural and natural history of the area. Naturalist programs are offered year round. The pioneer village features 15 historic buildings depicting life in the early 1800s.
 

Dillon State Park

Admission is Free 
Open daily dawn to dusk
Location: On State Route 146, northwest of Zanesville, Ohio
Phone: 740-453-4377

The wooded hills and scenic valleys of the Dillon area offer a picturesque setting for outdoor adventure. Whether boating the quiet coves and inlets of the lake or hiking the forest trails, Ohio's rural hill country provides an outstanding recreational experience at Dillon State Park. There are 29 family cottages nestled in the woods overlooking the north lakeshore. Each cottage has air conditioning, color cable television, gas heat, two bedrooms, bath, living room with sofa bed, all-electric kitchen, dining area and screened porch. One cottage is fully accessible. Linens, towels and kitchen utensils are furnished. There are 195 campsites for tents or trailers. The non-electric sites are walk-in only offering excellent primitive camping. The campground is equipped with flush toilets, showers and a dump station. A commissary with grocery items and laundromat is located near the check-in station. An excellent 1,360-foot swimming beach is located near the park office. Facilities include a bath house, showers, and a wading pool for children. A game area is adjacent to the beach offering volleyball and a playground area as well as lighted courts for tennis and basketball. Three boat ramps are provided for access to the lake. A boat concession offers boat/motor rental, fuel, fishing and boating supplies, and snacks. Visitors who enjoy nature study will find that Dillon's trails are pathways to discovery with several miles of trails that leads the hiker to varied habitats of the park.
 

Findley State Park

Admission is Free 
Open daily dawn to dusk
Location: Just east of State Route 58, south of Wellington, Ohio
Phone: 440-647-5749 

Once a state forest, Findley State Park is heavily wooded with stately pines and various hardwoods. The scenic hiking trails allow nature lovers to view spectacular wildflowers and observe wildlife. The fields, forests and quiet waters offer a peaceful refuge for visitors. Findley's campground offers 272 non-electric sites in both sunny and shaded areas. The campground features showers, flush toilets, laundry facilities, dump station, game room and a fully stocked camp store. Two "Conestoga" camper cabins are under construction and should be available to rent during the summer of 2006. A recreation area with sand volleyball, a basketball court and two horseshoe pits are also available for camper use. Approximately ten miles of hiking trails, including a portion of the statewide Buckeye Trail, allow nature lovers to explore various habitats. Mountain biking is permitted on all trails, weather permitting. A scenic loop trail through diverse habitats starts and ends at the camp check-in building. Boating with electric motors only is permitted on the 93-acre lake. Two launch ramps provide access to the lake. Canoes, rowboats, and paddleboats can be rented at the marina.
 

Malabar Farm State Park

Admission is Free 
Open daily dawn to dusk
Location: On Pleasant Valley Road, off State Routes 603 and 95, southwest of Perrysville, Ohio
Phone: 419-892-2784 

Malabar Farm in Pleasant Valley was the dream of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Louis Bromfield. Today, visitors can see the house and farm existing just as they did in Bromfield's time. The outbuildings and pastures still house chickens, goats and beef cattle. The hills are ribboned with strips of corn, wheat, oats and hay while the scenic trails are adorned with nature's bounty. Malabar Farm reflects the agricultural tradition of Ohio while focusing on Louis Bromfield's life and philosophies. The 32-room Big House, designed by Bromfield and architect Louis Lamoreux, is a blend of Western Reserve architectural styles and was built to appear as if it had been added onto over the years. Tours of the mansion, preserved just as Louis left it in 1956, are offered year-round. Wagon tours of the farm are offered May through October. During the growing season, Malabar Farm offers educational tours of its vegetable garden. There is a nominal fee for house and wagon tours. Contact the park for hours and fees. There are twelve miles of trail for the hiker or horseperson to enjoy. Trails traverse scenic fields and forests. A fifteen-site horseman's camp offers primitive camping for horse-people as well as family campers. Fire rings, picnic tables, drinking water and latrines are offered.
 

Mary Jane Thurston State Park

Admission is Free 
Open daily dawn to dusk
Location: On State Route 65, west of Grand Rapids, Ohio
Phone: 419-832-7662 

Situated along the historic Maumee River, Mary Jane Thurston State Park offers a variety of day-use and overnight activities. The Maumee is not only scenic, but also provides some of the best stream fishing in Ohio. Boaters have access to the river while history buffs may explore the remnants of the old canal. A small campground offers 35 non-electric sites. Fifteen of these sites are designated for walk-in tent camping. Picnic tables and fire rings are provided. Latrines and restrooms are located nearby. Additional walk-in sites are available in the North Turkeyfoot Area. Permits can be obtained at the park office. Two deluxe camper cabins are available to rent. A one-mile portion of the Buckeye Trail passes through the park following the side cut canal. The trail continues on to the Village of Grand Rapids. A one-mile loop trail winds through the floodplain forest while an easy half-mile trail circles the day use area. Six miles of trails in the North Turkeyfoot Area may be used for backpacking, horseback riding or mountain biking. Campers can enjoy summer nature programs at the amphitheater. Horseshoe pits also provide recreation for campers. Playgrounds are offered at both the campground and the day-use areas of the park. The day-use lodge is handicapped accessible and open year round.
 

Muskingum River State Park

Admission is Free 
Open daily dawn to dusk
Location: Various locations along the Muskingum River from Ellis, Ohio to Devola, Ohio
Phone: 740-674-4794

The Muskingum River Parkway and its 160-year-old navigation system were designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in July 2001. Along with such majestic institutions as The Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge, the Muskingum River's 10 hand-operated locks are now recognized as one of America's great engineering accomplishments. In its day, the system of locks and dams that extends 112 miles through southeastern Ohio, helped open the Midwest to development. Today, it serves more than 7,000 boaters each year who come to fish, picnic and play in the scenic Muskingum Valley. A camping area is provided at Lock 11. There are 20 campsites off State Route 60 and County Road 49 in Muskingum County. Water, picnic tables, fire rings and latrines are provided. There are eight boaters-only, primitive campsites at Lock #5, Luke Chute. Prior to departing for a boat trip on the Muskingum River, boaters should contact the park office to check on river and lock conditions. Boats with unlimited horsepower motors, house boats, pontoon boats, canoes and rowboats travel the river. Public launch ramps are provided at Locks 4, 5, 6 and 11. Private ramps are located near Locks 2, 7 and 10. The Muskingum River is navigable from Dresden to Marietta. Some of the tributaries emptying into the Muskingum River are also navigable for short distances providing excellent fishing. The Licking River, which joins the Muskingum River in Zanesville, is navigable only by canoe or rowboat. 
 

Wild Adams County Ohio

Ohio hunters, birdwatchers, hikers, boaters, and fishermen alike will enjoy the incredible abundance of wild areas in Adams County. With the Ohio River bordering the southern section of Adams County and large sections of the county encompassing rich natural areas like Shawnee State Forest, several Ohio State Nature Preserves and Ohio State Parks, it is easy to see why a wide array of visitors seek out the county for their travel adventure.  Whether it is hiking the rolling hills in fall, golfing on a spring day or boating the smooth waters of the Ohio River on a hot, summer day, there is something wild and exciting for all in the great outdoors of Adams County. Visit http://www.adamscountytravel.org/parks_and_outdoors.htm to learn more about the state parks, nature preserves, forests and wildlife areas.