One Of Ohio's Oldest State Parks Is A Peaceful Lake Escape With Fishing, Swimming, And Camping

Ohio is home to many outdoor attractions, such as the quartz cliffs and secluded camping spots of Nelson Ledges Quarry Park and the themed and lush landscapes of Gardenview Horticultural Park. Another Ohioan gem is Grand Lake St. Marys State Park, one of the state's oldest. With 52 miles of shoreline, this state park is a popular spot for swimming, boating, and fishing, as well as camping, hiking, bicycling, and picnicking.

Located in the city of St. Marys, Grand Lake St. Marys State Park is about 70 miles north of Dayton (the city with one of America's lowest costs of living) and a little over 100 miles south of Toledo. Constructed from 1837 to 1845 as a feeder reservoir for the Miami and Erie Canal, Grand Lake St. Marys links the Great Lakes and the Ohio River. At the time it was built, it was the world's largest man-made reservoir and man-made lake — it's 13,500 acres. Along with other canal feeder lakes, Grand Lake St. Marys was made a state park in 1949.

Today, Grand Lake St. Marys welcomes over 750,000 visitors each year, making it one of the busiest tourist areas in Ohio. The park offers an abundance of outdoor activities. The reservoir is a popular spot for swimming, boating, and fishing, and the rest of the park includes campgrounds, picnic areas, and nature and hiking trails. In winter, visitors can go snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and ice fishing.

The park is popular among birders because it lies along a major migration route; you'll see Canada geese, ducks, grebes, swans, egrets, loons, herons, cormorants, and ospreys, and you might get lucky and spot a bald eagle, too. Besides birds, the park is home to wildlife such as foxes, squirrels, minks, raccoons, beavers, coyotes, and deer.

Campers love the park — it welcomed over 20,000 campers in 2024 — and it's easy to see why. Along with seven cabins and 208 camping sites, the camping area includes a splash pad and pool, open to campers only, as well as a miniature golf course, playgrounds, and a dog park. Park admission is free, and camping rates range from $24 to $49, depending on the type of campsite and time of year.