31 Scenic Ohio State Parks to Visit This Fall

Shawnee State Park

4404 State Route 125, Portsmouth
Shawnee State Park features many scenic valleys and hills, offering beautiful views on the historic land where the Shawnee Indians used to hunt.
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South Bass Island State Park

1523 Catawba Avenue, Put-In-Bay
This park is located on the white cliffs of South Bass Island, which gives visitors great views and access to Lake Erie.
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John Bryan State Park

3790 State Route 370, Yellow Springs
This park offers opportunities for hiking, rock climbing and mountain biking, but it’s known best for its limestone gorge, a national natural landmark.
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East Fork Lake

3294 Elklick Road, Bethel
The park with perhaps the widest range of trails, East Fork State Park has hikes ranging from less than a half-mile to a 32-mile backpacking perimeter route. This park also has a 9-mile mountain bike trail and some of the hiking trails are open to horseback riding.
Photo: Izzy Viox

Quail Hollow State Park

13480 Congress Lake Avenue, Hartville
Quail Hollow State Park offers meadows, marshes and woods to explore, but it also has a 40-room manor and gardens to check out if you’re feeling less like becoming one with nature.
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Caesar Creek State Park

8570 E State Route 73, Waynesville
Caesar Creek State Park has a lot of boating and a lot of trails for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking and more.
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Pymatuning State Park

6100 Pymatuning Lake Road, Andover
Pick out a campsite at Pymatuning State Park and check out what happens when water recreation and an old swamp forest meet.
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Forked Run State Park

63300 State Route 124, Reedsville
Forked Run State Park accesses the Ohio River, which helps create beautiful views with wooded hills, vistas and lots of wildlife.
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Lake Hope State Park

27331 State Route 278, McArthur
Lake Hope State Park rests in the Zaleski State Forest, and its interesting geography attracts many photographers.
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West Branch State Park

5570 Esworthy Road, Ravenna
West Branch State Park is known for its 2,650-acre lake, which makes for great swimming, boating and fishing. The park is also home to bog land and lots of wildlife.
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Mohican State Park

3116 State Route 3, Loudonville
Hike and bike near the Clear Fork Gorge and the Clear Fork River.
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East Harbor State Park

1169 N. Buck Road, Lakeside-Marblehead
Located on a Lake Erie shore, East Harbor State Park provides visitors with ample opportunities to see wildlife, such as waterfowl, shorebirds and other wetland dwellers.
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Salt Fork State Park

14755 Cadiz Road, Lore City
Salt Fork State Park is frequently known as the location of many Bigfoot sightings, so it’s the perfect place to do some searching. There’s also park programming centered around the mysterious Sasquatch.
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Wolf Run State Park

16170 Wolf Run Road, Caldwell
If you need a relaxing trip, head over to Wolf Run State Park, a remote area in the Caldwell hills.
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Maumee Bay State Park

1400 State Park Road, Oregon
Enjoy recreational activities at the lodge, or check out the wildlife in the meadows and marshes.
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Lake Loramie State Park

4401 Ft. Loramie Swanders Road, Minster
Known as a laid-back camping destination, Lake Loramie State Park offers a variety of outdoor activities. It’s also pet-friendly.
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Mosquito Lake State Park

1439 State Route 305, Cortland
If you love nature, this park is a must. Mosquito Lake is one of the largest lakes in Ohio, and there are a ton of woodlands and marshes around it that wildlife call home.
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Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park

State Route 282, Nelson Township
Known for its cliffs, this park is a great destination for hiking, picnicking and taking in some beautiful views.
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Portage Lakes State Park

5031 Manchester Road, Akron
At Portage Lakes State Park, visitors can check out the wildlife at the wetlands or go boating and swimming on one of the nearby lakes.
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Punderson State Park

11755 Kinsman Road, Newbury
Visitors can pick where to stay from a resort manor house to cabins and a campground. And although folks should check out the boating and canoeing in the summer, they can also try sledding and snowmobiling in the winter.
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