As of Wednesday, June 21st at 12:24am the summer solstice occurred and officially moved the northern hemisphere into the summer season. Folks here in southern Ohio may not be able to tell much of a difference with such a mild winter and warm spring so we’ve already begun our summer activities. Regardless of technical terms and meteorology, it’s summertime and there’s plenty of activities in Ross County waiting for you! Whether you’re a local having a staycation or visitors looking for a getaway vacation, you can find plenty of activities to keep the kids busy while you get to relax. Since we’re talking about summer, we’re going to focus on summertime activities that many enjoy.

beaches in ross county

How does an afternoon on a beautiful 1,000-foot sand beach sound? You can find this beach in Bainbridge – just 28 miles west of downtown Chillicothe – in Paint Creek State Park. This is just one of the beaches that are made for an afternoon of catching some rays and cooling off in the water. Another beach just minutes from Paint Creek State Park is the sister location at Pike Lake State Park separated by just four-miles.

 

 

hiking and biking

This is the perfect time of the year to spend some time outside and reconnect with nature. In addition to swimming at the parks listed above, Chillicothe is home to three parks that are ideal for family hikes bike rides and picnics. Scioto Trail State Park (14-miles south of downtown Chillicothe), Great Seal State Park (5 miles northeast from downtown Chillicothe), and Tar Hollow State Park (23 miles east from downtown) offer plenty of trails to explore. Each park offers multiuse trails for hikers, bikers, and equestrians with some having specific hiking or biking only trails.

Trails in all of the State Parks vary greatly, we highly recommend visiting each park’s website to learn more about the trails they offer. Don’t worry, we’ve made navigating to their sites easy by creating the hyperlinks on their names. While you’re on their sites make sure to check out all of the activities that are available. State Parks offer a lot of options for recreation including disc golf courses, boating, volleyball court, miniature golf, and plenty more.

One of the easiest hikes, is to tour the grounds at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. Not only will you see a beautiful area, but you’ll see the magnificent earthworks that were created over 2,000 years ago by the prehistoric Hopewell Culture.

outdoor relaxation

Sometimes it takes casting a reel and waiting to catch the “big one” to relax. There’s plenty of locations around Ross County for fishing. One of the popular spots is Ross Lake located within the Ross Lake Wildlife Area (just under five-miles from Downtown). Fish of interest for anglers include largemouth bass, sunfish, crappie, bluegill, and channel catfish. Many of the State Parks mentioned above also proves to be a great destination for fishing. Boats are allowed on many of the areas waterways but may be restricted to specific areas of the lakes. Don’t forget to obtain a valid Ohio fishing license before your first cast and you can always find lots of helpful information online with Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

 

We hope this has been helpful in planning ways to spend your summer. Whether you’re a resident or visitor, there’s plenty of things happening in Ross County to keep you busy, relaxed and having fun! Continue exploring our website to learn more about Chillicothe and Ross County.