Jackson Lake State Park

In the sleepy, yet richly historic, town of Oak Hill rests Jackson Lake State park. This small park offers a quiet setting for picnicking, camping, and boating. Every one of Jackson Lake’s 34 campsites are electric, love that. The 106-acre lake is ideal for fishing. This must be a hot spot for kayakers because people were hauling kayaks in and out of the park by the truckload! Speaking of kayaking, we came across an ADA-friendly kayak launch which was pretty cool. We’ve been seeing more and more of these at Ohio’s state parks! Jackson Lake State Park is also home to the Jefferson Furnace. For those not briefed in Appalachian history, a furnace is where iron ore is essentially transformed into iron for casting purposes. In the early 1800s, Ohio saw an influx of Welsh immigrants, providing rich history and skillful trades to the area. A group of Welsh men founded the Jefferson Furnace which became an important producer of iron for the Civil War. My favorite part of this park was a little grove of pine trees near the campground. Don’t get me wrong, I love all trees but I’m a sucker for evergreens. Overall, the park was clean and very, very serene. Though it was quite close to a residential area. But if you’re out this way, whether you’re fishing, hunting, or just passing through be sure to stop at Jackson Lake and take a load off!