Shawnee State Park
Tucked in the rolling Appalachian forests overlooking the Ohio River, Shawnee State Park is known as Ohio’s “Little Smokies.” The 1,095-acre park is surrounded by 63,000 acres of state forest that are home to a number of rare wildflowers, including several varieties of ladyslipper orchids. Park naturalists lead fun and informative wildflower hikes along the park and forest trails.Spring comes early to Shawnee, and the park and forest are great places to catch glimpses of migratory songbirds winging their way back north. One of the last vestiges of wilderness in Ohio, the Shawnee forest is home to an assortment of wildlife including lots of interesting amphibians, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and a few large mammals. Sightings of black bear and bobcat are rare, but exciting.
In the midst of this scenic setting, Shawnee State Park features a full-service resort lodge along with two-bedroom family vacation cottages. Resort offerings include fine dining, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and an 18-hole golf course. The park also offers a family campground with electrical sites, hot showers, a few camper cabin rentals, and lots of things for kids to do.
John Bryan State Park
Located in west-central Ohio, John Bryan State Park skirts the scenic Little Miami River Valley and its dramatic river gorge. Riverside hiking trails through the park and adjacent Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve offer intimate views of the wild and scenic river framed by cliffs and tumbled boulders. In springtime, the hillsides are blanketed with white trillium blossoms and a variety of colorful wildflowers.Adventurous nature lovers can enjoy rockclimbing and rapelling in designated areas at John Bryan. The park also offers more than six miles of mountain biking trails through the woods. A spur of the Little Miami Scenic Bikeway, a paved 50-mile trail spanning four counties, is located nearby in the charming, historic town of Yellow Springs.
John Bryan offers a rustic family campground with a handful of electric sites. More creature comforts for overnight stays are available at Buck Creek State Park, about a half-hour drive away. Buck Creek offers two-bedroom family vacation cottages, along with a large campground with electric sites and hot showers.
Malabar Farm State Park
Set in the heart of northeast Ohio’s Amish country, Malabar Farm State Park is the former country estate of Pulitzer-prize winning author and conservationist Louis Bromfield. The 900-acre working farm comes to life early each spring, with the park’s annual maple syrup festival. Dainty wildflowers splash across the forest floor in April, and in May, muscular draft horses plow up the rich soil the old-fashioned way.Something special is planned for visitors to Malabar Farm virtually every weekend, from guided hikes to beekeeping workshops to barn dances. Tours of Bromfield’s interesting home are offered on weekends in April, and daily (except Monday) beginning in May. Park visitors are also welcome to explore the farm, along with 12 miles of hiking trails through woods and meadows, on their own.
A neighboring farm house has been converted into a hostel onsite for overnight stays. Mohican State Park, which offers a full-service resort lodge, two-bedroom family vacation cottages, and a large modern campground with electric sites and hot showers, is about a half-hour drive away along some of Ohio’s most scenic highways.
