Lake Milton State Park

About Lake Milton State Park

The picturesque coastal landscape provides a habitat for waterfowl and coastal birds that visitors can enjoy. Boating, swimming and fishing are popular, and Lake Milton reservoir offers some of the best water sports.

Lake Milton State Park is located on a glacier that covered part of the Appalachian Plateau in Ohio with glaciers 12,000 years ago.

The glaciated plateau is located about 2,000 kilometers north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the plateau's rolling hills are interspersed with a variety of trees, grasses, shrubs and other plant and animal species. For example, there are white oaks and hickory, which are typical of the southern Appalachians, and northern hemlock forests, which are more common in the northern Allegheny region. The plateau has been the scene of numerous natural disasters, including floods, droughts, fires, floods and floods.

Due to the great diversity of plants in the region, there are areas of tension that represent the greatest diversity of plants of all regions.

The bird life is varied and robins, warblers, siskins, falcons and owls are common. The ground beech and maple trees adorn the grounds of Lake Milton State Park, as well as many other areas of the park. Animals suitable for this area include birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds of prey, insects, fish, frogs, turtles, snakes, lizards and other reptiles. Reptiles found here include the Mediterranean turtles and the northern water snakes.

Before the settlement of Ohio, much of that region was covered in dense forest, and before the settlement, dense forest covered the region of Ohio.

Indian paths along the river allowed access to the area, and the forest was inhabited by a large number of Indians, many of whom lived in the forests. When the settlers began to move west, they followed the same paths as the Indians, and historical records recall only a few incidents between the settlers and the Indians.

John and Mary Young traveled to the area from New York and founded a town on the banks of the Mahoning River in 1797. The city of Youngstown still bears the Youngs "name, but they left it in 1803 out of homesickness and the city was refounded.

Shortly after the Young's left, iron, coal and limestone were discovered in the nearby hills, and the first coal mine in the valley was opened in 1826.

Additional mills and factories attracted immigrants of all nationalities to the valley, and the Mahoning Valley steel industry grew rapidly. In 1892, the first steel mill in the world, the Mahones Valley Steel Company, was opened in Youngstown, just a few miles south of Milton Lake.

In 1912, the city of Youngstown acquired 3,416 hectares of Milton Township to build a reservoir to supply water. The 2,800-foot dam was completed in 1913 and covered 1,640 acres of the Mahoning River.

On the east side of the lake there were taverns, dance halls and ice rinks, and on the west side there was an ice rink. Milton Lake includes two lakes, Lake Milton State Park and Milton Park, both in Youngstown, Ohio.

The growing problem of Lake Milton Dam demanded attention in the 1970s, and for safety reasons the gates were opened in spring 1986. The lake was discharged into the lake at a speed of about 1,000 cubic feet per second (cubic meters per minute) per day.

State aid was requested and in 1988 Lake Milton was officially inaugurated as a state park, and repairs to the dam began shortly after. Within two years it was waterproof again and there was a new 600 metre long beach, changing rooms, picnic areas, a swimming pool, playgrounds and other amenities.

Boating is popular as the lake is designed for unlimited horsepower and boaters have access to a wide range of boats, from small to large, as well as a variety of smaller boats.

Two launch pads and seasonal berths are available and Lake Milton Scenic Cruises offers cruises on the lake in the summer months. Picnicking is popular and four refuges offer shelter from the summer sun and bad weather. Accommodation is based on first come, first serve and two huts by the lake, one on each side of the park, can accommodate up to eight people.

West Branch offers tents, while Nelson's Quail Hollow is a day-use area, and nearby are the North Branch, South Branch and East Branch national parks of Lake Milton State Park.

Attractions in Youngstown include the Museum of Arms, which highlights local history, and Mill Creek Park, which features a restored mill. Kyle Woods in Mahoning County is a short drive from Lake Milton State Park in the town of Youngstown, but daytime visits are only possible.