STATE PARKS
Athens County:
Strouds Run State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/stroudsrun
Burr Oak State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/burroak
Belmont County:
Barkcamp State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/barkcamp
Coschocton County:
Dillon State Park: http://www.stateparks.com/dillon_state_park_in_ohio.html
Salt Fork State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/saltfork
Gallia County:
Crowned City Wildlife Area: http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/crowncity
Guernsey County:
Salt Fork State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/saltfork
Harrison County:
Harrison Lake State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/harrisonlake
Hocking County:
Hocking Hills State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/hockinghills
Jackson County:
Jackson Lake State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/jacksonlake
Lake Alma State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/lakealma
Lawrence County:
Compass Plant Prairie Nature Preserve: http://naturepreserves.ohiodnr.gov/compassplantprairie
Crown City Wildlife Area: http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/crowncity
Dean State Forrest: http://forestry.ohiodnr.gov/dean
Symmes Wildlife Area: http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/symmes
Meigs County:
Forked Run State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/forkedrun
Monroe County:
Piatt Park: http://www.monroecountyohio.net/parksandrec/piattpark.html
Morgan County:
Burr Oak State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/burroak
Blue Rock State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/bluerock
Big Bottom Memorial State Park: http://www.visitmorgancountyohio.com/great-outdoors/big-bottom-memorial-state-park/
Muskingum County:
Blue Rock State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/bluerock
Dillon State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/dillon
Noble County:
Wolf Run State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/wolfrun
Perry County:
Perry State Forrest: http://forestry.ohiodnr.gov/perry
Vinton County:
Lake Hope State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/lakehope
Washington County:
Howes State Park: http://www.stateparks.com/howes.html
A range of outdoor adventures, a bounty of nature and a variety of summer festivals await visitors to state parks in this area of the state.
Simply put: There’s something to suit just about everyone’s tastes.
Here’s a snapshot.
Hocking Hills State Park is a popular destination. The 2,356-acre park is divided into six areas: Ash Cave, Old Man's Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, Cedar Falls, Conkle's Hollow and Rock House.
A hiker’s paradise, the area features a variety of terrain, from cliffs to gorges.
About a 20-minute drive northeast of the park is Lake Logan, where lovers of the outdoors will find swimming, boating and fishing opportunities.
Thrill-seekers won’t want to miss the zip lines and other types of family fun, including miniature golf, canoeing, horseback riding and all-terrain-vehicle rentals.
Although the Hocking County park doesn’t have a lodge, cabins are plentiful.
Phase one of renovations to Old Man’s Cave has been completed. Among the improvements are a wheelchair-accessible ramp and a deck that provides a “safe view” of the upper falls to all visitors, according to the park’s website.
Signage will help guide visitors around phase-two construction.
Information: 740-385-6842 or parks.ohiodnr.gov/hockinghills
Salt Fork State Park and Lodge, spanning 17,229 acres just northeast of Cambridge in rural Guernsey County, is Ohio's largest state park.
In addition to swimming, boating, fishing and hiking, Salt Fork boasts a par-71 golf course with yardages ranging from 5,241 yards to 6,056. It has received a four-star rating in Golf Digest’s “Places To Play.”
The pet-friendly lodge, overlooking the lake, offers 148 rooms. Want a more private setting? The park offers two-bedroom cottages with fully furnished living and dining areas as well as equipped kitchens. Guests of the lodge and cottages can enjoy amenities such as indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center, a sauna, tennis and volleyball courts and a 2,500-foot beach.
For campers, the park offers 192 sites with electricity, plus heated shower houses, flush toilets and a separate beach.
And for those who would like to learn about the history of the park and the area, Heritage Days will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 23.
Information: 740-439-3521 or parks.ohiodnr.gov/saltfork
Straddling Morgan, Athens and Perry counties is Burr Oak State Park and Lodge. Re-opened in July 2013 after receiving a $2 million face-lift, the lodge offers 38 rooms, an indoor pool and a restaurant.
The 2,593-acre park offers a host of recreational activities, including 40 miles of hiking trails, boating, fishing, horseback riding and swimming.
Outdoor lovers will find 95 campsites with showers and flush toilets.
For those who aren’t into roughing it, 30 family cottages overlooking the lake boast air conditioning and cable TV.
Information: 740-767-3570 or parks.ohiodnr.gov/burroak
Officially a state park since 1949, the 322-acre Blue Rock State Park is about 30 minutes southeast of Zanesville in Muskingum County.
With dense forests and rugged hillsides, the park is known for its flora and fauna.
Each year, the park also hosts summer events, including Art in the Park (July 11-12), an annual arts-and-crafts exhibit that draws a number of artists from the Columbus and southeastern Ohio areas.
And, on Aug. 1, the park will sponsor its annual Mark Twain Family Fun Day, in which visitors can take a step back to the Mark Twain era of the late 1800s and early 1900s. The daylong events include educational booths, art displays, games and period crafts.
Information: 740-674-4794 or parks.ohiodnr.gov/bluerock
Lake Hope State Park's 2,983 acres are surrounded by Zaleski State Forest, 26,824 acres in Vinton County. Hiking and biking trails through rugged terrain are found throughout the park, and a beach and swimming are available at Lake Hope. Accommodations include 187 campsites plus 66 cottages and Lake Hope Lodge. The lodge's casual-dining restaurant, which boasts locally grown fare and a hickory-smoked barbecue pit, also offers breathtaking views of the lake.
A highlight of the summer-events schedule will be a return visit by Allen Chartier, a noted hummingbird specialist from Michigan, on July 11. Chartier will offer a presentation about the species and then conduct his annual Hummingbird Banding at the Park, in which participants will help band birds for future tracking.
Information: 740-596-4938 or parks.ohiodnr.gov/lakehope
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