Buckeye Lake State Park

About Buckeye Lake State Park

Built in 1826 as a canal tributary, Buckeye Lake is Ohio's oldest national park and a popular vacation destination offering endless water sports such as swimming, skiing, boating and fishing, as well as scenic Ohio River views.

The land we now call Buckeye Lake was once swampland created by glaciation. The natural lake, a so-called cauldron, is formed when huge chunks of ice break off from glaciers and melt as they sink. Other lakes are formed when glaciers block the drain of water, and some natural lakes, such as Lake Erie, are formed in the same way when a glacier breaks and breaks apart, breaking ice and melting when it sinks. Over time, glaciers move through the earth, changing the drainage system and landscape.

Over time, mud and mud - still water - settled at the bottom of the lake, and some old lakes remained as white men began to colonize Ohio. Today, by studying the landscape, we can learn more about the history of Buckeye Lake and its history as a natural lake. Some suspect that the glacial lakes were wider than man - they became lakes of today.

The area was named Buffalo Lick and Great Sumamp in a 1751 journal, but it is more correctly classified as a swamp or bog. The explorer Christopher Gist camped at Buckeye Lake in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to explore the Ohio Valley.

It consists of two long, narrow ponds that join at high tide, and a considerable part of the wetland consists of a bog, a cranberry bog and a sphagnum bog.

When the lake was conquered in 1826, the moor broke off and became a floating island with its own water supply and when it became part of Buckeye Lake State Park. Access to the island is only possible through the protected area of the park, which is located on the east side of a narrow stream at the northern end of the lake.

The shores of Buckeye Lake provide excellent habitat for waterfowl, and there are good bird watching opportunities, especially during migratory bird migration in autumn. The park is often used to see birds, but there is adjacent private land and a canal system has been developed to provide access to the growing state's interconnected waterways.

This system requires a supply lake to supply the water needed to keep the canal's water level below four feet. Due to its location, the project has been able to develop the largest and most efficient water supply system of its kind in the United States.

DeWitt Clinton, the father of the Erie Canal, was also responsible for the construction of the first sewer system in Ohio in the United States. The sewer project was launched by Governor Jeremiah Morrow, and Ohio's sewer systems became a reality in 1884 with the opening of Buckeye Lake State Park.

In 1826, a levee was built to block the drains of the South Fork Licking River, and was completed in 1827, creating the Lickings Summit Reservoir, which eventually led to Buckeye Lake. Despite the seizure, this forest was not cleared and a large forest and bush was created around the newly formed lake.

As the water level rose, several large mats of sphagnum moss detached from the ground and became floating islands. Other islands were created on land below the water level, as well as on the shore of the lake.

During the Canal Age, canal boats crossed the pristine western sand, but the lake was not large enough to provide the water needed for the canal. The lake expanded and more lakes were opened up to provide even greater amounts of water. A dike known as a central wall separated the old and new reservoirs, and at the end of the 19th century another lake was built on the western side of the reservoir, supplying the canals with even more water.

With the advent of the railways, the canal system became obsolete, and many kilometres of canal were sold and abandoned. The dike served as a towing route for the canals, but not for other purposes such as irrigation or water storage.

In 1894, the Ohio General Assembly passed a policy that established the feeder basin as a public park, and the Middle Wall was removed. In 1900, Buckeye Lake had more than 1.5 million people and more than 2,000 inhabitants. As leisure activities increased and motorboats became popular, the Nordbank was strengthened. The leak has changed over time, but in the 19th century it was one of the largest lakes in the United States, with an average depth of about 1,500 feet.

The development of the lake continued into the 20th century, with the construction of a new dam, the Nordbank and the North Wall in the 1930s.

In 1949, when the Ohio Department of Natural Resources was founded, the area became Buckeye Lake State Park. The beach is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and many people travel to Buckeyes Lake to see big bands and stars. On the west side of the lake, south of Lake Erie, there are changing rooms, a picnic area, an amphitheater and a beach.

Buckeye Lake, which covers 3,300 hectares, is designated as a lake of unlimited horsepower.

Access to the lake is possible via several public launch pads, and pontoon sailing boats, canoes and rowing boats are also common. A swimming area with two boats is offered as well as an outdoor swimming pool, a picnic area and a water park.

In 1891, the perches were transported from Lake Erie by state railroad cars to Buckeye Lake, and in the 1930s, more than 1,000 boats were fishing in the lake every day. Fishermen enjoy a variety of fish species, such as bluethroat, whale, pike, perch, trout and whitefish. Several picnic areas with tables and barbecues are located in quiet places overlooking the lake and on the shore.

Accommodation is offered on a first come, first served basis, with some accommodations available for a limited number of days per year for $5 per person.

The Hebron Fish Breeding Site is located north of Buckeye Lake on Canal Road and over 250 bird species have been recorded in this breeding area. The area is managed by the ODNR nature protection authority and is open to the public. Ponds, paths and woodland offer excellent opportunities for bird watching.

Dawes Arboretum is a non-profit, private foundation dedicated to the conservation and preservation of Ohio's natural heritage and resources. Dawe's is located in the heart of Buckeye Lake State Park on Canal Road, on the west side of the park. Other local attractions include the Ohio Historical Society, which runs a museum with a collection of more than 100,000 artifacts and artefacts from Ohio's history, and a public library.