Between Pittsburgh And Columbus, Ohio's Former Mining Site Turned Scenic Park Has Camping, Hiking, And Lake Fun

The world may be a big place, but that doesn't mean that space should be wasted when we are done using it. Friendship Park, located in Ohio's Jefferson County, was once a coal mine that left the countryside unusable and unsightly, with piles of spoil and fields of invasive plants that were not doing any favors for the ecosystem. However, with the help of federal funding and a dedicated community, the site is now a scenic park where visitors and locals alike can enjoy outdoor adventures like hiking and camping, along with making the most of the beautiful lake that can now be found at the park.

Like similar projects in other places, such as Chicago, the Friendship Park Highwall Reclamation Project turned what was once something of a wasteland into a welcoming, usable community space that visitors can enjoy and where nature can once again thrive. The project received federal funding from the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program, which works to repair and restore lands across the region that have been damaged by the mining industry. The project took piles of waste and cliffs formed from mined-out land and turned it all into wooded areas with lakes, campgrounds, hiking trails, and more.

Friendship Park, which isn't far from the village of Smithfield, is just over an hour's drive from Pittsburgh and about 2.5 hours by car from Columbus. It may not be the only place in Ohio where you'll find outdoor adventure — King's Island is home to the longest wooden rollercoaster — but its history makes it a unique and unexpected spot to find lakes for outdoor recreation. The park's main lake takes up 89 of the park's 1,320 acres and offers activities like paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing. Boating is allowed for electric boats with only one motor and gas boats with a maximum of 9.9 horsepower. In 2024, the park added an adaptive paddle craft launch to make the lake fully accessible for kayakers and canoers. For fishing enthusiasts, the lake is stocked with plenty of fish, like catfish, carp, trout, and bass, and night fishing is allowed for registered campers. However, the only fish you can keep for food or trophy is carp — all other fish must be immediately released back into the lake.

In addition to the main lake, there are numerous smaller lakes and wetlands interspersed throughout the park. To best experience the scenery, you'll want to explore the park by one of the many trails that weave through it. You can visit the park for a day to hike the trails or enjoy a leisurely horseback ride, a bike ride, or a picnic. Along the trails, you'll find opportunities for birdwatching and views of the lakes. By repurposing the land to create these natural areas and scenic landscapes, Friendship Park has become a place of serenity and biodiversity where everything from fish to birds can survive in a natural habitat.

Friendship Park's location between Columbus and Pittsburgh gives it a convenient, central location for visitors from all over Ohio and nearby states like Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It sits just north of State Road 151, which runs directly through Smithfield. The weather in Jefferson County tends to get a bit chilly during the winter months, with an average low of 21 degrees Fahrenheit in January and weather conditions that often include snow. July is the hottest month, with highs averaging 81 degrees Fahrenheit. 

At Friendship Park, the campground season runs from April 1 to October 31, so no matter when you go, you'll likely have pleasant weather for enjoying the outdoors. (Insider tip: the skies are usually clearest in August, which makes late summer the best time to plan a camping trip to do some stargazing in the solitude of the park.) The park offers camping at the Pugliese Campground and the Sam Kerr RV Campground. Fire rings are provided for campfires, and up to five campers are allowed at a single campsite. Unlike other abandoned places, such as the numerous abandoned towns throughout Ohio, the abandoned coal mine that is now Jefferson County's Friendship Park is a lesson in how nature can be repaired, reclaimed, and repurposed.