Shawnee State Park is a public recreation area surrounded by the
Shawnee State Forest
Shawnee State Forest, also known as "Ohio's Little Smokies", is a state forest in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is located in western Scioto County and eastern Adams County and encompasses of woodland. It is the largest state forest in Ohio. A ...
in
Scioto County, Ohio
Scioto County is a county along the Ohio River in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Ohio. At the 2020 census, the population was 74,008. Its county seat is Portsmouth. The county was founded on March 24, 1804, from Adams County and i ...
, United States. The park is in the foothills of the
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...
near the
Ohio River
The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
in
Southern Ohio
Appalachian Ohio is a bioregion and political unit in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio, characterized by the western foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and the Appalachian Plateau. The Appalachian Regional Commission defines ...
on
State Route 125, just north of
Friendship
Friendship is a Interpersonal relationship, relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague.
Althoug ...
.
[
]
History
The area was once a hunting ground for the Shawnee
The Shawnee ( ) are a Native American people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Their language, Shawnee, is an Algonquian language.
Their precontact homeland was likely centered in southern Ohio. In the 17th century, they dispersed through Ohi ...
people. The park was first opened in 1922 as Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
State Game Preserve. The game preserve saw further development and improvements by the Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...
in the 1930s. The area became a state park and forest following creation of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Division of Parks and Recreation in 1949.[
]
Activities and amenities
The park's recreational activities include golf, fishing, swimming, hiking, and boating on Roosevelt Lake and Turkey Creek Lake. The state park marina on the Ohio River is located on US 52
U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major United States Numbered Highway System, U.S. Highway in the central United States, Central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even ...
just west of Friendship.[ The park's golf course was closed in 2019.][
]
Gallery
Image:ShawneeStateParkGolfMarinaEntranceJuly2007.JPG, Marina Entrance Sign (with U.S. 52 in the background)
Image:ShawneeStateParkMarinaJuly2007.JPG, A view of the marina and the Ohio River
The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
from the park's parking lot
Image:2009 shawnee state park lodge back porch rockers.jpg, Back porch rockers at the park lodge
Image:Shawnee State Park Trail.jpg, View of second growth forest from a hiking trail in the park
References
External links
Shawnee State Park
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Shawnee State Park Map
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
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State parks of Ohio
Protected areas of Scioto County, Ohio
Protected areas established in 1922
1922 establishments in Ohio
Civilian Conservation Corps in Ohio
Nature centers in Ohio