Salt Fork State Park
I’ve been wanting to visit Salt Fork State Park ever since I learned it’s the largest state park in Ohio. Salt Fork State Park resides in unglaciated east-central Ohio. In typical Wander and Warble fashion, we drove out after work for a two-day trip and camped with our tent. Actually, our brand new tent! Finally treated ourselves to a cabin-style tent, much taller and bigger than our last. Boy, is it nice to be able to get dressed STANDING UP in a tent for once! Camping in September is ideal for so many reasons. The heat of summer is wearing off. Mornings and evenings are a little cooler, providing a nice break from the sunny, dry afternoons. Birds are beginning fall migration through the area. And the leaves are just beginning to change.
Salt Fork has the typical amenities of other large Ohio State Parks such as a cozy lodge, golf course, variety of trails, a vast lake and large beach. It’s surrounded by forest and feels pretty remote. But it has something that no other park in Ohio has- the Eco-Discovery Center. This interactive hub is the system’s first green building meaning it was built to include sustainable features, including a green roof (literally there’s a whole garden on the roof), low-flow plumbing, a water bottle refill station, high-efficiency HVAC systems, and much more. It's a really neat feature and the exhibits are interactive for all ages! PLUS its surrounded by a native meadow.
We hiked a few trails during our visit and I was blown away by the HUGE sandstone boulders scattered throughout the park’s forests. We made sure to check out Hosak’s Cave, which is accessible from a very short trail on the north side of the park. Well, somewhat accessible. The trail ends just as the cave comes into view to prevent visitors from getting too close. At the trailhead is a memorial marker for a young girl who died by falling off the top of the cave and apparently a few years ago, part of the cave’s roof fell in…. So yeah… totally fair they don’t want people hiking around it!
If you’re a history buff, you might like to check out the Kennedy Stone House during your visit to Salt Fork. It sits right on the lake and is built from native sandstone. Overall, we really enjoyed the trails and vastness of the park. The facilities were nicely kept as well. We got some amazing shots of the area from our drone. As far as Ohio goes, nothing beats the unglaciated region. It’s really breathtaking!
