Mount Gilead State Park

About Mount Gilead State Park

Mt. Gilead State Park is a quiet, small park centrally located in the state of Ohio. You can enjoy picnicking, fishing and hiking all year round in this beautiful place, which is one of the most popular hiking and camping spots in Ohio.

The natural wonders found in Mt. Gilead State Park date back to a time when two-thirds of Ohio was partially covered by glacial ice nearly a mile thick. The glaciers left Ohio a legacy of precious natural resources, and many changes in the landscape in Ohio occurred during this time. Glacial sediments deposited along the ice margins formed the hilly terrain we can observe today. Over time, the flow system changed, the topography changed and the Great Lakes were created, but the glaciers were not.

Gilead Mountain is now one of the most beautiful and scenic mountain ranges in Ohio, with a variety of natural beauty and landscapes.

The mature forest gives an insight into what Ohio was like for the early settlers, and the white-tailed deer are at home in the forest floor. In spring, the roof is covered with a thick layer of mosses and other plant species, as well as the roots of the trees. The forest soils are covered with dried blood in spring and dead leaves in autumn and winter.

Mt. Gilead State Park is located in Morrow County, near the center of the state, and the first permanent settlers arrived in the county after the war ended in 1812. The first grill and sawmill was built around 1821 at Whetstone Creek and during the Civil War the town of Gilesad, county seat, served as an important subway station.

Morrow County has had an oil boom in recent history, and in 1961 a well was drilled at Orrie Myers "property at 200 barrels per day. Since the mid-1960s, between 30 and 40 wells have been drilled in Morrow County, most of them in Mt. Gilead State Park.

In 1919, the first lake in Gilead was built on the upper level of Sam Creek, and the largest lake was completed at the bottom of the creek in the late 1950s, about 1.5 miles from the park entrance.

Originally the leisure area was under the supervision of an engineering firm, but in 1949 it was handed over to the newly founded ODNR Department of Parks and Recreation to be preserved as a state park. The campsite is located in the middle of a pine forest and is open all year round for tents.

Facilities include a fireplace, picnic table, sewer system and latrine. Accommodation for organized groups is available at the western end of the park. Pet camping is allowed on designated pitches, as is camping on the beach, in the woods or on a picnic area. The Gilead mountain allows rowing boats to row their way through the pine forest to the summit of Gilesad.

Two small lakes near Gilead offer a variety of fishing opportunities, such as the small lake at the foot of the mountain and the larger lake near the summit. Launch pads are in place, but no valid fishing license is required for Ohio.

There are several picnic areas on the south side of the park, and three picnic shelters can be reserved for special occasions and are available according to the motto "first come, first served."

More than two kilometers of hiking trails cross Gilead State Park, and each trail offers a variety of scenic views of the mountain and its surroundings. The self-guided nature trails on the north side of Gilesad start at the eastern end of the campsites and wind their way through the park.

The President Harding Home Museum is located at 380 Mount Vernon Avenue and offers seasonal guided tours. Warren G. Hading conducted the Front Porch Campaign in his home during the presidential elections of 1920. The city of Marion, located west of the park on State Route 95, is home to the National Park Service's Gilead State Park.

The circular columned monument in white Georgian marble contains the graves of the president and Mrs. Harding. Marion is also home to the Gilead State Park Museum of the National Park Service and the President Harding Home Museum.

The lake borders Mount Gilead and Knox County to the east, offering fishing and boat trips, as well as access to a number of scenic hiking trails and viewpoints.

The Mid - Ohio line is located in the city of Mansfield and is within twenty minutes of the park.

The track offers exciting races every weekend, some of which are well-known nationally.