 © Gabriele Swanson
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Facilities and Activities:
| General | Land, acres | 5213 | | | Water, acres | 3387 | | Day-Use | Fishing | yes | | | Hunting | yes | | | Hiking Trail, miles | 9.5 | | | Picnicking | yes | | | Swimming Beach, feet | 3000 | | | Mountain Bike Trails, miles | 7 | | | Bridle Trails, miles | 38 | | Boating | Boat Rental | yes | | | Boating Limits | -2 | | | Seasonal Dock Rental | yes | | | Launch Ramps, # | 5 | | | Fuel For Sale | yes | | Camping | Electric Sites, # | 297 | | | Full Hookup Sites, # | 2 | | | Pets Permitted | yes | | | Flush Toilets | yes | | | Dumpstation | yes | | | Showers | yes | | | Camper Cabins, # | 5 | | | Group Camp, capacity | 100 | | | Campground Beach | yes | | | Rent-A-RV Sites, # | 3 | | | Horsemen Campsites, # | 30 | | Winter | Sledding | yes | | | Cross-Country Skiing | yes | | | Snowmobiling | yes | | | Ice Boating | yes | | | Ice Skating | yes | | | Ice Fishing | yes |
State Park Location Maps:
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State Park Photo Gallery:
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State Park Event Calendar:
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Nearby Parks:
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| State Park Overview: |
 | Alum Creek's large reservoir and gently rolling span of fields and woodlands provides a hub of recreational activity just minutes from Ohio's capital city. Quiet coves nestled among shale cliffs await the solitary fisherman in the park's northern reaches while sunseekers mingle with thousands on Ohio's largest inland beach. |
| Nature of the Area: |
| Alum Creek rests in the midst of the fertile agricultural till plains and river valleys of Delaware County. In contrast to the surrounding farmlands, the park offers a diverse array of natural features. Cliffs of Ohio shale are notable in many areas, exposed as Alum Creek and other streams cut through underlying bedrock. The shale was formed as mud washed into the ancient sea which covered the area several hundred million years ago. The dark hue of the rock is due to the mixture of a carbonized plant material and mud that formed the shale.
The rich soils of Delaware County gave rise to a luxuriant beech-maple forest after the retreat of the glaciers about 12,000 years ago. That original forest has long since been cut but a healthy second growth forest is preserved in the park. The woodlands harbor a variety of plant species and offer the interested observer beautiful displays of wildflowers and wildlife. Large-flowered trillium, wild geranium, bloodroot, and spring beauties carpet the forest floor. The forest is home to the fox squirrel, woodchuck, rabbit, white-tail deer and many other species of wildlife. |
| Reviews By Park Visitors: |
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This park has excellent hiking trails.
Written by Rose
28-May-2008
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| Camping: |
| Alum Creek's 297 family campsites offer both wooded and sunny areas, some of which overlook the lake. This well-designed campground has a beach and a boat ramp for exclusive use of the overnight guests. Each site has an electrical hookup, and heated shower facilities are located throughout the facility. |
| Trails: |
| Hikers and horsepeople enjoy the rugged northern reaches of the park. Over forty miles of trail wind along the lakeshore through mature beech-maple forests and across deep ravines. Riders must provide their own mounts. Primitive camping for horsepeople is provided on Howard Road. Pressurized water and a latrine are provided. |
| Picnicking: |
| Scenic picnic areas with tables, grills, restrooms and drinking water enhance the lakeshore. Additionally, two shelterhouses are maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers at the Alum Creek dam. Contact the Corps office at 740-548-6151 for information regarding their use. |
| Boating: |
| Alum Creek Reservoir contains 3,387 acres of water. The broad expanse of the lake south of Cheshire Road is a boater's paradise with unlimited horsepower and plenty of room for skiers. The northern portion offers a quieter scene with tree-lined shores, shale cliffs and sheltered inlets for canoeists. |
| Swimming: |
| The largest inland beach in Ohio's state park system is located at Alum Creek. This 3,000-foot beach offers a changing area and concession stand. The beach is open during daylight hours only. |
| Fishing and Hunting: |
| The narrow coves and quiet inlets offer fine catches of bass, bluegill, crappie, walleye and saugeye. The northern half of the park is best for the squirrel and deer hunter, while the southern half offers better opportunities for rabbit and other upland game. Valid Ohio hunting and fishing license are required. Note the hunting map as many areas are restricted. |
| History of the Area: |
| Long before recorded history, man called this forest and the Alum Creek valley home. The Adena culture lived here over 2,000 years ago. Seven mounds constructed by the mound builders were identified along the creek. Six were excavated before the valley was flooded although archaeologists did not believe them to be burial mounds.
Much later, the Delaware Indian tribe occupied several villages near Alum Creek. A large town was located where the city of Delaware now stands on the banks of the Olentangy River. The Indians cultivated a 400-acre cornfield in much of what is presently downtown. These Algonquin tribespeople entered Ohio in the 1700s, being displaced from their eastern home in the Delaware River valley by the fierce Iroquois nation.
Colonel Moses Byxbe was one of the first settlers in the county. He built his home in 1805 on Alum Creek and named the township Berkshire after his native Berkshire, Massachusetts. He owned 8,000 acres on the creek and was the co-owner of 30,000 more. These were military lands which he sold for $2.50 to $10 per acre.
With the threat of the War of 1812, the frontier counties set about erecting structures to defend themselves in case of Indian attack. Four blockhouses were built in the county, one of which was on Alum Creek. The fortress had two stories, the second of which protruded over the first yielding a place from which to shoot, drop boiling water on the attackers and defy attempts to set the log structure on fire. This Fort Cheshire, which stood until the Civil War, was later used as a schoolhouse. A bronze plaque commemorates the site where the fort once stood in what is now the park's family campground.
During the fifty years prior to the Civil War, the border state of Ohio offered many routes for the Underground Railroad by which slaves escaped to freedom. Over 40,000 slaves passed northward through Ohio along these paths. The Sycamore Trail, whose guideposts were often the ghostly white bark of this floodplain tree, ran along Alum Creek. Slaves waded in the waters of the creek as they left the safe Hanby House in Westerville and attempted to elude pursuing trackers. Africa Road received its name from the fact that thirty slaves, freed in North Carolina, settled near friendly homeowners in this area.
Alum Creek Dam is part of the flood control plan for the Ohio River Basin. The lake was authorized by Congress in the Flood Control Act of 1962. Construction began in August of 1970 and was completed in 1974. |
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| | Note to Park related businesses:
List your vacation cabin, weekend getaway, log cabin rental, romantic cottage, vacation home, resort, hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, country inn, campground, RV park, horseback riding stable, canoe livery, river rafting, outfitting, sporting goods store, guide service, RV rental or any other park related activity, park related attraction or park related service on Google or StateParks.com. (more).... |
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| Related Links: |
| Ohio Triathlon and Multi-Sport CalendarTriFind.com - ... 3.1 miles Time: 7:30am Location: Alum Creek State Park Phone: 614-481-9077 email: jeffsheard@compuserve. ... 3.1 miles Time: 7:30am Location: Alum Creek State Park Phone: 614-481-9077 email: jeffsheard@ ... | | TriFind.com Races - THE OHIO TRIATHALATOR Triathlons Multi-Sport Events. Saturday, April 06, 2002 Toledo, Ohio: Ultra Athlete Indoor Triathlon. 15 min swim/15min bike (CompuTrainer) /15min run. Time: 7:00 am EST. ... | | Indian Lake Public Beaches - Indian Lake Swim Beaches. Put Your Business Name Here. Sponsor this Page! SWIMMING ......Old Field Beach .....Fox Island.....Boat Areas .....Beach Safety. Old Field Beach. Twelve hundred feet of... | | Centex Homes - OH - Columbus - Centex Homes is a Columbus, Ohio new homebuilder with more than 50 years experience building quality new homes and neighborhoods nationally. | | Horse & Mule Trail Guide USA: Trails, Campgrounds, Overnight in Ohio - This page is for the state of Ohio and is a subpage of Horse Mule Trail Guide USA. ... Web Page Smoke Rise Ranch Click here Alum Creek State Park Alum Creek State Park, Exit 131 (N. of Columbus) on I- ... | | Inter-racial Families in Fellowship - Photos - Photographs. Here are some photographs from our get-togethers. They are listed from the newest to the oldest. Click on any photo to see a larger version! A lively afternoon out of winter's cold,... | | The Delaware, Oh Web Page(TM) - Information for Visitors - Annual Events - Annual Events. If you have questions about any of the events, please call the number listed with the event, if applicable, or call the Delaware County Convention and Visitors Bureau at (740)... | | The Delaware, Oh Web Page(TM) - Information for Visitors - What to Do - What to Do. Art Galleries. Delaware County Cultural Arts Center 190 West Winter Street Delaware, Ohio 43015 (740) 369-2787. Lynn Mayhew Gallery Located in Humphries Art Hall Ohio Wesleyan... | | Tom Jonard's Light Polution Page - Tom Jonard's Astrographic Page. I've played around with photographing the sky mostly with just a tripod-mounted camera and standard and telephoto lenses. These are some of my results. Here is a... |
| Area Attractions: |
| Within Delaware County are Delaware State Park and Wildlife Area, Olentangy Caverns and Highbanks Metro Park. Highly renowned is the Little Brown Jug harness race at the Delaware County Fairgrounds during September. The Columbus Zoo,located to the southwest, boasts an extensive collection of worldwide fauna.
The city of Columbus is located south of Alum Creek offering park users a short drive to myriad fine arts, cultural and sporting events. The Ohio Historical Society and Village, OSU sports, Columbus Clippers baseball, Ballet Met and state fairgrounds are but a few of the attractions to be found in neighboring Columbus. |
| Area Campgrounds | | Berkshire Campgrounds
1848 Alexander Rd
Galena, OH
(740) 965-2321
| Oak Creek Gymnastics Camp
4480 Beard Rd
Sunbury, OH
(740) 524-4481
| Cross Creek Camping Resort
3190 S Old State Rd
Delaware, OH
(740) 549-2267
| Autumn Lakes Campgrounds
8644 Porter Central Rd
Sunbury, OH
(740) 625-6600
| Tree Haven Camp Grounds Inc
4855 Miller Paul Rd
Westerville, OH
(740) 965-3469
| Delaware State Park
5202 Us Highway 23 N
Delaware, OH
(740) 369-2761
| Alum Creek State Park
3615 S Old State Rd
Delaware, OH
(740) 548-5992
| Whitesands Campgrounds
State Route 42 N
Delaware, OH
(740) 363-1896
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| | Area Fishing Related Businesses | | Alum Creek Bait & Tackle
7007 E State Route 37
Sunbury, OH
(740) 548-0343
| Mad River Outfitters
813 Bethel Rd
Columbus, OH
(614) 451-0363
| R & R Sports Headquarters: Bait Tackle & Archery Dept
781 S Front St
Columbus, OH
(614) 443-4954
| Gander Mountain
5388 Westpointe Plaza Dr
Columbus, OH
(614) 921-2223
| Fisherman's West Bait & Tackle
5327 W Broad St
Columbus, OH
(614) 878-2505
| Fish-Ins Inc
1565 E Dublin Granville Rd
Columbus, OH
(614) 841-1224
| Uncle Bug Tackle Mfg
894 Kingland Dr
Columbus, OH
(614) 491-6817
| Columbus Wholesale Fish Bait
4037 Lockbourne Rd
Columbus, OH
(614) 491-0152
| Fisherman's Warehouse
1125 Williams Rd
Columbus, OH
(614) 491-8383
| Hunting & Fishing Ctr
193 Hawkes Ave
Columbus, OH
(614) 228-8185
| Dock Stop
6481 Riverside Dr
Delaware, OH
(740) 881-5119
| Hooker Tackle Co Ltd
8494 Fallgold Ln
Westerville, OH
(614) 899-9313
| Baits Store LLC
7001 Sunbury Rd
Westerville, OH
(614) 898-3103
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| | Area Resorts and Lodging | | Deer Creek Resort Conference
2355 E Livingston Ave
Columbus, OH
(740) 869-2020
| Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
350 North High Street
Columbus, OH
(614) 463-1234
| Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
75 East State Street
Columbus, OH
(614) 228-1234
| Marriott Hotels & Resorts: Columbus Marriott North
6500 Doubletree Ave
Columbus, OH
(614) 885-1885
| Marriott Hotels & Resorts
1375 N Cassady Ave
Columbus, OH
(614) 475-7551
| Fairfield Inn
3031 Olentangy River Rd
Columbus, OH
(614) 267-1111
| Marriott Hotels & Resorts
5605 Blazer Pkwy
Dublin, OH
(614) 791-1000
| The Columbus Renaissance Hotel
50 N 3rd St
Columbus, OH
(614) 228-5050
| Radisson Hotel
7007 N High St
Worthington, OH
(614) 436-0700
| Airport Golf Course
900 N Hamilton Rd
Columbus, OH
(614) 645-3127
| Marriott Hotels & Resorts: Columbus Marriott Northwest
Tuttle Xing
Dublin, OH
(614) 791-1000
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| Directions: |
| Use Mapquest and the address below to generate a customized set of directions from your location to the Park:
3615 S. Old State Road, Delaware, OH 43015 |
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