Located in Ohio's Bluegrass region, one of the state's most scenic and biologically interesting areas, Adams Lake State Park has much to offer the nature enthusiast. Remnant prairies and a quiet lake can be enjoyed in this small unique park.
Alum Creek's large reservoir and gently rolling span of fields and woodlands provides a hub of recreational activity just minutes from Ohio's capital city.
The rolling woodlands and quiet waters of A.W. Marion State Park offer visitors a welcome escape from the rigors of everyday life.
Beaver Creek State Park, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, is one of Ohio's most scenic parks. The park includes Little Beaver Creek, a state and national wild and scenic river, and acres of forest wilderness.
Rugged hills and rich green forests provide the backdrop to Blue Rock State Park. Escape to nature's solitude, and enjoy the diverse flora and fauna of this scenic state park.
Buckeye Lake, constructed as a canal feeder lake in 1826, is Ohio's oldest state park. The park has long been a popular vacation spot and today offers endless water-related recreational opportunities including swimming, skiing, boating and fishing.
Located in southeast Ohio, quiet and remote Burr Oak State Park has a rustic country charm in its scenery of wooded hills and valley farms.
Limestone cliffs, historic wineries, crystal caverns and a shimmering Great Lake greet visitors to the Lake Erie Islands state parks. These five state parks offer unique island retreats with an atmosphere both festive and casual.
In the heart of one of Ohio's largest cities, Cleveland Lakefront State Park provides natural relief to the metropolitan skyline. Sand beaches, tree-lined picnic areas and panoramic views of the lake are found within the park along the Lake Erie shoreline.
Cowan Lake State Park offers a peaceful setting replete with scenic inlets laden with the American Lotus water lily. Swimming, fishing, sailing and canoeing are popular on the lake.
Located in the heart of Ohio's agricultural country, Deer Creek State Park is central Ohio's vacation showplace. A collage of meadows and woodlands surround the scenic reservoir.
The wooded hills and scenic valleys of the Dillon area offer a picturesque setting for outdoor adventure.
Located on the shores of Lake Erie, East Harbor State Park has unlimited opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Forested hills, a picturesque lake and the lazy Ohio River characterize Forked Run State Park. Located in the heart of Appalachia, colorful history, riverboats, scenic vistas and abundant wildlife give the park its rural charm.
Located on Ohio's northeastern shoreline, Geneva State Park reflects the character and charisma of Lake Erie. The shimmering expanse of the lake lures vacationers who enjoy fishing and boating.
Guilford Lake State Park is a quiet fishing lake located in northeastern Ohio on the west fork of the Little Beaver Creek. The gentle rolling terrain of the area offers a serene escape for park visitors year round.
The trademark of Headlands Beach State Park is its mile-long natural sand beach, the largest in the state.
The outdoor enthusiast will find diverse opportunities at Hueston Woods State Park.
Independence Dam State Park is situated along the banks of the beautiful Maumee River. The river is ideal for boating, fishing or a scenic canoe trip. The park offers the perfect setting for a picnic or overnight camping experience.
Although relatively small, Jackson Lake State Park boasts acres of some of the most scenic country in Ohio. The park's serene lake is a focal point for excellent fishing and provides the ideal setting for a peaceful retreat.
The sandstone hills of Jefferson County are part of the Appalachian Highlands which envelop the southeastern part of Ohio.
John Bryan is the most scenic state park in western Ohio. The park contains a remarkable limestone gorge cut by the Little Miami River which is designated as a state and national scenic river.
Limestone cliffs, historic wineries, crystal caverns and a shimmering Great Lake greet visitors to the Lake Erie Islands state parks. These five state parks offer unique island retreats with an atmosphere both festive and casual.
The quiet and relaxing atmosphere of Kiser Lake State Park makes it a favorite Ohio getaway. The rolling wooded hills and diverse wetlands add to the beauty of this scenic lake known for its clean, clear waters.
Limestone cliffs, historic wineries, crystal caverns and a shimmering Great Lake greet visitors to the Lake Erie Islands state parks. These five state parks offer unique island retreats with an atmosphere both festive and casual.
Lake Hope State Park lies entirely within the 26, 824-acre Zaleski State Forest in the valley of Big Sandy Run. It is a rugged, heavily forested region traversed by steep gorges and narrow ridges.
One of the original canal feeder lakes, Lake Loramie State Park offers visitors a quiet retreat in rural Ohio. Swim from the sandy beach, hike along the old canal towpath, stay a night in a shaded campsite or boat the lazy waters of Lake Loramie.
Lake Milton's reservoir offers the best in water-related recreation. Boating, swimming and fishing are popular. The scenic shoreline provides a habitat for waterfowls and shorebirds for visitors to enjoy.
The Little Miami Scenic Park is located within the beautiful and historic Little Miami River Valley. The Little Miami is a designated federal and state scenic river.
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.
Marblehead Lighthouse, one of Lake Erie's best known and most-photographed landmarks, is Ohio's newest state park!
Maumee Bay State Park offers not only the finest of recreational facilities in the Midwest, but also a unique natural environment created by the convergence of the land and Lake Erie.
This park is under construction
Water recreation, hiking, camping and picnicking attract visitors to Mosquito Lake, one of the largest lakes in Ohio. Mature woodlands and vast marshes provide safe haven for wildlife and will delight nature enthusiasts.
Mt. Gilead State Park is a quiet, small park centrally located in the state of Ohio. Picnicking, fishing and hiking can be enjoyed year-round at this beautiful location.
Although a small park, Nelson-Kennedy Ledges provides a thrilling experience to visitors with its rugged cliffs and diverse plant life typical of a more northern climate. A day-use park, Nelson-Kennedy Ledges is popular for picnicking and hiking.
Located amid the breathtaking scenery of the Paint Creek Valley, Paint Creek State Park features a large lake with fine fishing, boating and swimming opportunities.
Pike Lake State Park is located in the midst of the scenic wooded hills of southern Ohio. The small lake and surrounding state forest contribute to the park's rustic charm.
The many waters of Portage Lakes State Park offer visitors a variety of outdoor recreational experiences. Boating, swimming and fishing are popular.
In a setting that highlights the mystery of an old swamp forest and the excitement of a water recreation area, Pymatuning State Park invites outdoor lovers of all ages to enjoy a relaxing lakeside vacation experience.
Quail Hollow is a landscape of rolling meadows, marshes, pine and deciduous woods surrounding a 40-room manor. Scenic woodland trails, gardens and the house offer a variety of natural and cultural experiences for visitors.
The landscape of rural Guernsey County appears as a patchwork of forested hills, open meadows and misty valleys threaded by numerous streams.
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.
Limestone cliffs, historic wineries, crystal caverns and a shimmering Great Lake greet visitors to the Lake Erie Islands state parks. These five state parks offer unique island retreats with an atmosphere both festive and casual.
Tucked away in the rolling highlands of southwest Ohio, Stonelick State Park offer a quiet retreat for visitors. The still waters of the lake and stately woodlands provide the setting for a host of outdoor recreational pursuits.
The meadows, woodlots and still waters of Sycamore State Park offer an oasis of natural features in the midst of expansive farmland. Sycamore provides the perfect setting for picnicking, hiking, fishing and horseback riding.
Twisting park and forest roads pass through deep ravines and dense woodlands. Scattered shortleaf and pitch pines growing on the ridges were once a source of pine tar for early settlers, hence the name Tar Hollow.
Van Buren State Park offers a quiet retreat with fishing and picnicking opportunities. The woodlands are a small but valued refuge in the rich agricultural land of northwestern Ohio.
West Branch State Park's large lake with its many forks and coves is extremely popular with fishermen, boaters and swimmers. The park's meadows and woodlots provide an excellent backdrop for camping, hiking and horseback riding.
The rugged hills of southeastern Ohio provide the setting for Wolf Run State Park. The scenic woodlands and cool, clean waters of the park offer visitors a quiet retreat in this remote area of the state.
Belmont County's rugged hills provide the backdrop for picturesque Barkcamp State Park. In addition to fine recreational facilities, visitors will enjoy the mature woodlands, open meadows, scenic lake and abundant wildlife of this secluded park.
Buck Creek State Park lies in a fertile agricultural area, rich in Ohio's history. The park's recreational facilities center around the 2, 120-acre lake, offering endless water-related opportunities.
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.
Located on the scenic shore of Lake Erie, Crane Creek State Park offers a vast freshwater marsh and spacious sandy beach for enjoyment. This coastal environment is home to more than 300 species of birds.
Dense woodlands, expansive meadows and a shimmering reservoir blend to create Delaware State Park. Once home to the Delaware Indians, this recreational area offers camping, swimming, boating, fishing and wildlife viewing for outdoor enthusiasts.
One of Ohio's largest state parks, East Fork offers a great diversity of recreational opportunities and natural history only 25 miles from Cincinnati.
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.
Originally constructed as a feeder reservoir for the Miami-Erie Canal, Grand Lake St. Marys was for many years recognized as the largest man-made reservoir in the world.
Great Seal State Park is dedicated to the wilderness spirit of Ohio. The history of the Shawnee nation and Ohio's early statehood is centered in these rugged hills.
In the midst of endless field of corn and soybeans stands Harrison Lake State Park--a green island of scenic woodlands in a rich agricultural region. Harrison Lake is popular for swimming, fishing, camping and canoeing.
Hocking Hills provides a variety of recreational opportunities in a splendid natural setting. Towering cliffs, waterfalls and deep hemlock-shaded gorges lure the hiker and naturalist and serve as a backdrop to popular facilities and accommodations.
In the midst of some of Ohio's most rugged, scenic territory lies Lake Alma State Park.* A quiet lake and a gentle creek meandering through a wooded valley provide a restful setting for park visitors.
One of the best fishing lakes in Ohio awaits sportsmen in Hocking County at Lake Logan State Park. The lake sports northern pike, bass, bluegill, crappie, catfish and saugeye.
Picturesque Lake White is nestled between the ridges of southern Ohio's rugged hills. Water sports enthusiasts can enjoy swimming, boating, water skiing and fishing at this scenic park.
Lying within the vast Darby Plains of Ohio, Madison Lake is small and peaceful. The lake attracts anglers and offers excellent sailing, rowing and canoeing opportunities.
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.
Mohican State Park and the adjacent state forest are outstanding in their beauty and offer limitless opportunities for visitors to explore one of Ohio's most unique natural regions.
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.
Punderson State Park with its natural lake, resort manor house, family cottages, golf course and scenic campground, provides myriad recreational opportunities for visitors. Punderson is also Ohio's premier winter sports park.
Rocky Fork State Park is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Unlimited horsepower boating allows for excellent skiing on the lake which also provides catches of bass, muskellunge and walleye for skilled fishermen.
A small, quiet park nestled in beautiful 9, 000-acre Scioto Trail State Forest, this state park is an undisturbed wooded refuge just south of Chillicothe. The ridgetops and winding forest roads offer breathtaking vistas of the Scioto River Valley.
Acres of uninterrupted hardwood forest sprawl over the many hills and coves of Strouds Run State Park. The rugged terrain and scenic lake provide visitors a unique wilderness escape in southeastern Ohio.
The swamps and marshlands of Tinker's Creek State Park harbor a variety of natural wonders. Herons, ducks, geese and beaver can be found in the spring-fed waters, while cattail, buttonbush and swamp white oak line the shores of this beautiful park.
Just a short drive from the major metropolitan areas of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park protects 33, 000 acres along the banks of the Cuyahoga River. Though such a short distance from urban environments, the park is worlds away.
From about 200 BC to AD 500, the Ohio River Valley was a focal point of the prehistoric Hopewell culture.
The Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1961 to preserve habitat for migrating birds. Staff at the refuge also manage Cedar Point and West Sister Island refuges.
Alum Creek Lake was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reduce the flood hazard along Alum and Big Walnut Creeks, the Scioto River, and along the Ohio River.
Provides a navigational pool 41.5 miles upstream to Willow Island Locks & Dam, and is an integral link in the Ohio River navigation channel located at Reedsville. This area is along the Lewis and Clark route.
Captain Anthony Meldahl Locks & Dam is located at mile marker 436 on the Ohio River. It creates a 95 mile navigational pool between Meldahl Locks & Dam and Greenup Locks & Dam. Meldahl is an integral link in the Ohio River navigational system.
Delaware Lake offers Corps of Engineers, state park, and state wildlife area recreational opportunities.
Surrounded by the lush, green farmland of northern Ohio, the Michael J. Kirwan Dam provides miles of clean waters and scenic countryside for your enjoyment.
Picturesque setting for many outdoor adventures in this area. Ohio State Parks & Division of Wildlife operate most of the facilities around Dillion Lake. These organizations do not honor Golden Age or Golden Access or other Federal recreation passports.
Impressive, prehistoric Indian sites in the central Scioto River basin are in the vicinity of this lake. Rock climbing is permitted on the Harmony Trail wall and the Spillway walls only. Climbing maps are available at the Corps of Engineers office.
Within an hour's drive of the caves and cliffs of Hocking Hills State Park.
Charles Mill Dam was constructed in 1935-36 and is primarily for flood control but also for recreation, fish and wildlife management. Extensive recreation facilities are operated by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District.
No permanent pool, but there are day-use facilities along the river. Restored village of Zoar is 5 mi N of dam.
Built in 1935, Mohicanville Dam, a flood control project, is a dry dam with no permanent pool. The dam site is located on the Lakefork of the Mohican River in northeast Ohio, and is used exclusively to control flood waters below it.
Salt Fork Lodge and State Park are near this 2, 700-acre lake. Golden Age and Golden Access and other Federal recreation passports are not honored by the state.
At the Corps Senecaville Lake, extensive recreation facilities are operated by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD). Visit their website at: www.mwcdlakes.com.One of the attractions is a Federal fish hatchery.
Beach City Dam is located near the northern border of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, on Sugar Creek, a tributary of the Tuscarawas River, about nine miles above New Philadelphia, Ohio.
Leesville Lake was constructed primarily for flood control, recreation, fish and wildlife enhancement. Leesville Lake is a popular camping spot for youth and church groups.
A Regional Visitor Center for the Corps of Engineers is located at the dam. There is also a reconstructed pioneer village on the project.
A 2, 160-acre lake made popular by Cincinnati boaters, its also the site of two abandoned gold mines. William H. Harsha Lake, former known as East Fork Lake, is located in southwestern Ohio, and is noted for Ordovician fossil beds.
Known as Winton Woods Park, the project features Hamilton County Park District campgrounds and naturalist services. West Fork Lake is located in southwest Ohio and lies completely in metropolitan Cincinnati.
Located in the Ohio countryside and within a short drive of Akron, Youngstown and Warren, Ohio, the Berlin project offers visitors a wide variety of recreational experiences.
This modern structure replaces three old wicket-type dams which served river traffic for over 70 years. Several full-size wickets and a workboat, used to operate them, are displayed at the visitor center. This area is along the Lewis and Clark route.
Amidst the panorama of rural countryside and the suburban settings of northeastern Ohio lies Mosquito Creek Lake. Mosquito Creek Lake is one of the most popular sites for outdoor recreation, including hunting, fishing, and boating, in the area.
This new facility replaces three obsolete locks and dams and provides a navigable pool to Hannibal Locks & Dam on the Ohio River. This area is along the Lewis and Clark route.
A 900-acre lake near Roscoe Village, a restored town on the Ohio-Erie Canal.
Atwood Lake was constructed primarily for flood control, recreation, fish and wildlife management.
Near the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, a state-operated historical facility, Fort Laurens, is nearby.
Deer Creek Lake was designed and built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Deer Creek Lake project was first authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1938, for the purpose of flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife enhancement.
The North Branch of Kokosing Lake has lake front camping. A small, quiet (154 acre) fishing lake has a 10 horse power limit. It is leased to Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD).
The Corps' Clendening Lake was constructed primarily for flood control, recreation, fish and wildlife management. Clendening Lake has been retained in a natural setting with no commercial development except the marina.
The Pleasant Hill Dam and Lake were constructed for flood reduction, recreation and fish and wildlife management.
At the Corps of Engineers' Tappan Lake, extensive recreation facilities are operated by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD). Visit their website at: www.mwcdlakes.com.
The 2, 100-acre C. J. Brown Dam and Reservoir and a Corps-operated Visitor Center are located in central Ohio between the urban areas of Columbus and Dayton is home to two rare and unique prairie fens.
A modern structure with a 1, 200- by 110-ft main chamber enables large tows to make quick passage through the lock. This area is along the Lewis and Clark route.
This is a dry dam, which means there is no permanent pool and water is present while impounded during flood control operations. However, the Walhonding River is popular for canoeing and fishing.
Old Woman Creek is the smallest reserve in the National Estuarine Research System. It is also the only Great Lakes-type, freshwater estuary in the system.
Located in southern Ohio, lies the Wayne National Forest encompassing over 160, 000 acres. You can get there in no more than a day's drive from such metropolitan areas as Columbus, Cincinnati, Louisville, and Pittsburgh.