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| Dense woodlands, expansive meadows and a shimmering 1,300-acre reservoir blend to create Delaware State Park • Once home to the Delaware Indians, this 1,686-acre recreational area offers camping, swimming, boating, fishing and wildlife viewing for outdoor enthusiasts |
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Camping  
- 211 electric sites • Check Rates
- Amenities include flush toilets, showers, laundry facilities and a dump station
- Pets are permitted at designated sites
- The campground offers volleyball, basketball and horseshoe courts as well as tetherball and playground equipment for youngsters
- Bike rental is available at the camp office, along with games and sporting equipment for loan to registered campers
- Group camp for organized youth groups are available for reservation
- Download the Campground Map
 Getaway Rentals 
- 3 Rent-A-Yurt units are available April through October
- Each is furnished with futon beds, table and chairs, a cooler, ceiling fan, outdoor charcoal grill and a picnic table with canopy
- Check Rates
Trails
- 5 hiking trails connect the lakeshore with each of the four camping areas, transecting meadows, woodlands and wetlands
- Big Foot Trail • 1.5 Miles • Easy
- Fisherman Trail • 1/4 Mile • Easy
- Lakeview Trail • 1.6 Miles • Easy
- Briar Patch Trail • 1.5 Miles • Easy
- Mink Run Trail • 1 Mile • Easy
- Download the Trail Map
Boating
- Boating with unlimited horsepower is permitted
- 3 Boat-launching ramps are conveniently located around the lake
- Boat and dock rentals are offered seasonally
- A fully equipped marina offers fuel, fishing and boating supplies
- Check for water quality advisories
Fishing
- Delaware reservoir offers excellent catches of crappie, muskie and largemouth and smallmouth bass
- Small pond near the marina offers fishing only for kids 15 and under
- In addition to lake fishing, the Division of Wildlife stocks fishing ponds in the 4,670-acre wildlife area adjacent to the park
- Valid Ohio fishing license is required
 Swimming
- 800-foot public beach is popular with park visitors
- Facilities include bathhouse, showers and a snack bar
- 2 boat/swim areas are designated on the lake
- Swimming is permitted during daylight hours only
- Swim at your own risk & be sure to keep an eye on the kids
- Pets are NOT permitted on swimming beaches
- Check for water quality advisories
Picnicking 
- 8 picnic areas are located in quiet, scenic spots overlooking the lake
- A shelter house is available for reservation online or by calling 866-644-6727
- Available from April 1 through October 31
- 24' x 48' with paved surface overlooking the lake
- 11 picnic tables
- Maximum number of people is 75
- Electric is not available
- 112 parking spaces are available
- 2 small charcoal grills
- Daily rental from 6:00 AM until 11:00 PM
- Water supply, vault toilets and playground located nearby
- Beach & marina are 1 mile • Nature Center is 4 miles
- Pets are permitted
Disc Golf
- 18 holes plus a practice hole
- Equipment rental is available
- No fee is charged to play
- See what other parks have disc golf courses
Hunting
- Waterfowl hunting is popular at Delaware. Duck blinds are issued by a lottery drawing
- Hunting for other game is permitted in the wildlife area
- Valid Ohio hunting license is required
- Maps indicating hunting areas are available at the park office
Winter Recreation (conditions permitting)
- Cross coutry skiing is permitted on all 5 hiking trails
- Sledding
- Ice skating on the ice rink
- Ice fishing
More To Do
Area Attractions
- Delaware Wildlife Area offers 4,670 acres managed by the ODNR Division of Wildlife for public hunting and fishing. A number of the area's 55 stocked ponds are open to anglers. Information can be obtained at the park office or the Division of Wildlife office on State Route 229.
- Alum Creek State Park southeast of Delaware offers boating, fishing, swimming and camping.
- Seymour Woods State Nature Preserve contains deep ravines, heavily wooded ridge tops and open fields.
- Olentangy Caverns
- Highly renowned is the Little Brown Jug harness race at the Delaware County Fairgrounds during September
- Columbus Zoo, located to the southwest, boasts an extensive collection of worldwide fauna
- Highbanks Metro Park is a scenic preserve with geological, botanical and cultural features
- The city of Columbus, located south of Delaware, offers a variety of things to do, including the Ohio Historical Society and Village, OSU sports, Columbus Clippers baseball, Ballet Met and state fairgrounds
- For more information on area attractions, visit the
Nature of the Area
 Delaware State Park rests in the midst of the fertile agricultural till plains of Delaware County • In contrast to the surrounding farmlands, the park offers a variety of natural features • The area lies upon Columbus limestone • Formed over 350 million years ago, this bedrock outcrops in a north-south band through Ohio • The rock has been quarried for years and utilized in many ways including the construction of the state capitol building in Columbus
Before settlement of the area, a rich beech-maple forest covered the landscape • That original forest has long since been cut, but a healthy second growth forest is preserved in the park • The woodlands and meadows harbor a diverse array of plant and animal life • Interested observers can find large-flowered trillium, wild blue phlox, Queen Anne's lace and New England asters
The fields and woodlots are home to the fox squirrel, woodchuck, rabbit and white-tailed deer • The adjacent wildlife area is populated with ring-necked pheasant, while the lake and wetlands are a mecca for waterfowl
Birdwatching is popular here as many species of songbirds nest in the area • A bluebird management trail attracts this beautiful cavity-nesting bird
History of the Area
The town, county and park of this area are all named for the Delaware tribe • These people were referred to by other Indians as Na-Be-Naugh-a or "people from the east" • They moved westward from their ancestral home in the Delaware Valley to escape pressure exerted upon them by the fierce Iroquois nation • The tribe assumed the name of Delaware, derived from the designation of their eastern valley • The word originates from the name of Lord Delaware, once the governor of Virginia
In Ohio, the Delaware joined with other tribes including the Wyandot and Shawnee to block the western expansion of the settlers • A reminder of this long struggle is reflected in the ruins of Fort Morrow located on private property north of State Route 229
In the early 1800s, a route near present U.S. 23 was well worn by folks destined for Lake Erie • A brick tavern, constructed in 1810, served as a resting place for the travelers • The structure was built on a small hill overlooking the valley now holding the reservoir • In response to the coming war with the British and Indians, a Captain Taylor directed the building of a palisade around the tavern • The new Fort Morrow served to protect the establishment as well as to function as a sanctuary for local settlers in case of Indian attack • Although several scares brought families to its protective cover, no actual attacks were recorded
Delaware Lake was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with the construction of a flood control dam in 1951 • The flood control reservoir was dedicated as a state park later that year
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