Admission to Shawnee State Park is free.
- Open daily dawn to dusk
- Location: (Map It) On State Route 125, west of Portsmouth, Ohio
- Phone: 740-858-6652
- Web: click here
Shawnee State Park: Located in the Appalachian foothills near the banks of the Ohio River, Shawnee State Park is nestled in the 63,000-acre Shawnee State Forest. Once the hunting grounds of the Shawnee Indians, the region is one of the most picturesque in the state, featuring erosion-carved valleys and wooded hills. The rugged beauty of the area has earned it the nickname, “The Little Smokies.” The resort lodge at Shawnee offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding hill country. The lodge features fifty guest rooms, an elegant dining room, meeting rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, a game room, sauna, jacuzzi, tennis, basketball, and shuffleboard courts. There are 25 family cottages at Shawnee. They sleep up to six, with two bedrooms, bath with a shower, living room, double-wide rollaway bed, complete kitchen, microwave, telephone, dining area, screened porch, and charcoal grill. Two premium cottages also offer jacuzzis. The family campground at Shawnee has 103 sites suitable for tents or trailers. The campground features electric hookups, waste disposal, heated shower houses, flush toilets, and laundry facilities. Two Rent-A-Camps and two Rent-A-Tepee units with basic camping gear may be reserved. The park and surrounding state forest invite hikers to discover the plant and animal life of Shawnee’s forested hills. The 60-mile Shawnee backpack trail operated by the Division of Forestry takes hikers to some of the best wilderness areas in Ohio. The forest also offers 75 miles of bridle trails. There are several nature trails in the park, from one to two miles in length.
