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| Forested hills, a picturesque lake and the lazy Ohio River characterize 791-acre Forked Run State Park • Located in the heart of Appalachia, colorful history, riverboats, scenic vistas and abundant wildlife give the park its rural charm |
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Camping  
- 81 electric sites
- 64 non-electric sites
- Amenities include showers, vault latrines, dump station, and playground
- Pets are permitted on select sites
- Group camp that can accommodate 25 individuals is available by reservation
Getaway Rentals 
- 3 camper cabins are available for nightly rental
Boating
- A ten horsepower limit on boat motors ensures a quality boating or fishing experience on the 120-acre lake
- 2 launch ramps provide access to the lake
- 1 launch ramp provides access to the Ohio River
- The easy access launch ramps also have a wheelchair accessible area for fishing plus boat tie-ups and restrooms
- Boat rental is available
- Check for water quality advisories
- Boating laws and information
Fishing
- Anglers will enjoy nice catches of crappie, largemouth bass, bluegill and catfish
- Valid Ohio fishing license is required
Swimming
 Picnicking 
- 3 picnic areas have tables and grills for picnicking opportunities.
- 2 shelterhouses are available by reservation online or by calling 866-644-6727
Trails
- 3 hiking trails provide opportunity for exploration, exercise, nature study and wildlife observation.
- Honeysuckle Trail • 0.6 Miles • Easy
- Lakeview Trail • 2.6 Miles • Moderate
- Biking trail also allows hiking
- Riverview Trail • 3/4 Mile • Moderate
Hunting
- Hunting is permitted in designated areas of the park and the nearby Shade River State Forest. Squirrel, deer, grouse and wild turkey are popular game species in the area
- Valid Ohio hunting license is required
Winter Recreation (conditions permitting)
More To Do
- Disc golf course
- Volleyball, horseshoes and tetherball can be enjoyed in day use areas of the park
- Playgrounds are offered in the campground and in day use areas
- Nature programs are offered during the summer months
Area Attractions
- Shade River State Forest runs adjacent to the park and offers 2,600 acres for a variety of recreational activities
- Marietta, situated 34 miles northeast, offers the historian many opportunities including a visit to the Campus Martius State Memorial Museum, the Ohio River Museum or one of the area's restored sternwheelers
- Marie J. Desonier State Nature Preserve is located north of Forked Run near Coolville. This preserve is heavily forested and contains a large variety of ferns, wildflowers and songbirds
- For more information on area attractions, visit
Nature of the Area
Forked Run State Park lies in the forested hill country of southeastern Ohio • This is Ohio's oldest landscape never reached by the glacial ice that once covered much of Ohio • Although this area was untouched by the massive ice sheets, torrents of glacial meltwaters hastened the carving of the valleys and hillsides into their present-day form
Much of the area, now heavily forested, was once void of timber • Trees were cut to fuel the many iron furnaces of the area in the mid 1800s • Today, much of the forest has regrown, and vast stands of oak, hickory, maple and tuliptree clothe the deep ravines and hillsides • Wildflowers can be found in bloom except in winter months • Wild blue phlox, bloodroot, dame's rocket, cardinal flower, daisy fleabane, goldenrod and asters provide colorful displays • In spring, the hillsides burst forth with brilliant blooms of dogwood and redbud
The forest and fields provide habitat for a variety of wildlife species including gray fox, raccoon, opossum, gray squirrel, white-tailed deer and wild turkey • Many songbirds enjoy the refuge of the forest including wood thrush, white-breasted nuthatch, scarlet tanager, pileated woodpecker and whip-poor-wills
History of the Area
The colorful history and folklore of the Ohio River create the character of Forked Run State Park • The Ohio River felt the pull of the Indian's paddle, served as a territorial boundary, brought settlers into the Northwest Territory and carried flatboats and "steamers" that shipped passengers and cargo from Pittsburgh to New Orleans
 The mouth of the Shade River which empties into the Ohio nearby was known as a gloomy, rocky place called the Devil's Hole • The Indians returning from their raids into western Virginia routinely crossed the Ohio at that point with their prisoners and plunder • They would travel through the valley of the Shade River on the way to their towns on the Scioto • Settlement of the area was slow to develop until the Indian threat had subsided and the discovery of coal in the region provided means of support
As mining increased, towns sprang up along the Ohio • Pomeroy, Middleport, Minersville and Syracuse were important mining centers • The coal was used to manufacture coke which in turn was used in the many furnaces that smelted iron ore from the surrounding sandstone bedrock • The ore resulted in iron used to produce agricultural implements, ammunition and cannons for the Union Army during the Civil War • During the 1860s, Ohio was one of the nation's leading producers of iron
Equally important to the prosperity of the area was the salt industry • The first salt well was drilled in 1850 near Pomeroy • Eighteen salt furnaces were in operation during their peak of importance • Nearly 3,600 barrels of salt were produced daily
The villages of Reedsville and Belleville were important boat-building centers, and it was on this section of the Ohio River that Captain Horatio Crooks introduced the compound-cylinder steam engine
John Hunt Morgan, the Confederate General, while on his raid through Ohio was hampered in his efforts here to escape into western Virginia • The local militia thwarted Morgan's effort to ford the Ohio near Pomeroy, and as a result, he was eventually captured in Columbiana County
Today, the area is known as a truck-farming center which produces crops of cabbage, melons, sweet corn and the famous Ohio River tomatoes
Construction of Forked Run State Park began in May of 1951 • In October 1952, the 102-acre lake was completed • The lake was stocked and opened to the public in the following year
Forked Run State Park is located adjacent to Shade River State Forest • Much of the forest's 2,601 acres is second growth pitch pine and Virginia pine • The area is also rich in hardwoods such as oaks and hickories • Hemlock and mountain laurel are found in some of the deep gorges
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