Ross County is the only location in Ohio where you can find 5 State Parks and a National Park all in one county! Our State Parks are excellent for the outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy hiking, biking, swimming, boating and hunting! There are trails for everyone in our State Parks, whether you’re looking for gently rolling hills to more steep inclines for experienced hikers and bikers.

Great Seal State Park is located at 4908 Marietta Rd. in Chillicothe, OH. Great Seal State Park is dedicated to the wilderness spirit of Ohio. There are challenging trails all through the 1,862-acre park that take visitors to scenic vistas of distant ridgetops and the Scioto Valley below! These very hills are depicted on the Great Seal of the State of Ohio, from which the park gets its name. Stop by to enjoy the beautiful park on May 7th – May 8th for Free Fishing Day! Free Fishing Day will be all across Ohio on those two days.

Paint Creek State Park is located at 280 Taylor Rd. in Bainbridge, OH. Located amid the breathtaking scenery of the Paint Creek Valley, 5,652-acre Paint Creek State Park features a large lake with fine fishing, boating and swimming! A modern campground and meandering trails invite outdoor enthusiast to enjoy the beautiful streams of this scenic area. Paint Creek State Park will also be participating in Free Fishing Day on May 7th and May 8th.

Pike Lake State Park is located at 1847 Pike Lake Rd. in Bainbridge, OH. The 587-acre Pike Lake State Park is located in the midst of the scenic wooded hills of Southern Ohio. The small 13-acre lake and surrounding state forest contribute to the park’s charm. They have cozy cabins, paddle boat, kayaks, and row boats all available to rent! September 20th – October 1st Pike Lake State Park will be having there annual “Harvest Moon Campout” so be on the look out as we get closer for more details.

Scioto Trail State park is located at 144 Lake Rd. right off of Highway 23 in Chillicothe, OH. Scioto Trail State Park is small, quiet, and nestled in the beautiful 9,000-acre Scioto Trail State Forest. This 218-acre state park is undisturbed, wooded refuge in Chillicothe. The ridgetops and winding forest roads offer breathtaking vistas of the Scioto River Valley. The beauty and remoteness of Scioto Trail offers the best of escapes to park visitors. On September 24th they will be having Harvest Days. There will be many activities throughout the day; craft vendors, horseshoe pitch, straw bale toss, adult & child canoe races, games for children and much more.

Tar Hollow State Park is located at 16396 Tar Hollow Rd. in Laurelville, OH. Tar Hollow State Park is a twisting park with forest roads that pass through 604-acres of 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. Dogwoods, redbuds and a variety of wildflowers color the hillsides in the Springtime. Fall also has a pageant of color that is spectacular. Tar Hollow State Park will be having a Mountain Heritage Fall Festival the weekend of September 18th. They will be having an entire weekend of activities. Craft vendors, horseshow pitch, black powder shoot, crosscut saw competition, games for children, hay rides, square dancing, and much more.

We hope during this wonderful Spring and Summer you get to check out all of the beautiful state parks in Ross County. They each are unique and offer many memories to be made with your friends and family.

For more information on these state parks visit http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/