Looking for adventure close to the city but secluded enough to have the great outdoors feel? A place where trees are towering and shady, there are beaches and water sports for the kids, and trails for the hiking lovers in your group. Well, look no further; Alum Creek State Park in Delaware, Ohio, is just the place for you. This Ohio State Park has things for everyone in the family to do and enjoy. Here are our 5 best activities at Alum Creek that keep us coming back year after year.
Camping
The campground at Alum Creek State Park is wonderful. They have large, spacious campsites staggered throughout the campground, with mostly level and shady sites. We recently stayed at site A-22, and we were delighted with it. The pad was in excellent shape, and it took minimal tweaking to get the camper set up the way we wanted it. We had an outdoor rug we laid out at the camper’s door to cover where the dirt was. You can tell that the site had gotten a lot of use during the summer because the grass was pretty sparse.
Camping here is relaxing and quiet. You can visit the Nature center to speak with a ranger or walk and bike around the campground to enjoy the facility. The campground has a small hiking trail, camper beach, horseshoe pits, miniature golf, basketball, and playground.
The bathrooms are ….. state park bathrooms. They get the job done but are not the Ritz Carlton. We checked them out, and if I was tent camping or needing to find a facility while out exploring, these were great. Amenities of the site were a picnic table, fire ring, and electricity.
Hiking Trails
Hiking Trails
The trails at Alum Creek State Park are great for families and day hikers to enjoy. They are well maintained and easy to access. There is ample parking for you to use and plenty of bathrooms nearby the trailheads.
There are 3 hiking trails:
- Park Office Trail – 1.5 miles – easy
- Hollenback Trail – 1.5 miles – easy
- Rocks to Roots Trail – 4.1 miles – moderate
One Multi-Purpose Trail (Hiking, Snowmobile, Dog Sledding, Cross-country Skiing) is a moderate 7 Miles.
We have hiked all the trails and have found them to be very doable. The water trails are beautiful and offer a clear view of the area; we’ve seen a variety of wildlife there, including deer, turkey, and snakes. It really is secluded hiking in the center of Ohio!
Swimming
When you live in Ohio, you sometimes long for the beach life, but where can you find an amazing beach to get the beach vibe? Alum Creek State Park’s 3,000-foot beach is the largest inland beach in Ohio’s state park system. It is always maintained well, and there is plenty of space to spread out and enjoy the beach and water.
We love to come here and kick back in the lounge chairs and soak in the sun while the kids play in the sand and Ohio “surf.”
Please note, the beach is open during daylight hours only, and pets are NOT permitted on swimming beaches.
Amenities: The beach area has a changing and shower house, beach vendors, and sand volleyball courts.
Fishing
We love throwing in a line at Alum Creek State Park. We have caught a lot of Bluegill off the shores here. These little guys are fun to catch and easy to release back into Alum Creek. You will need to bring your own poles, tackle, and bait for this activity, but it is well worth it! If you decide to fish here, remember you will need a valid Ohio fishing license.
Check with the things to do calendar on the Ohio State Parks website before you come; sometimes they offer youth fishing derby’s here. We have enjoyed doing these in the past at other Ohio State Parks.
Boating
I’ve saved the best activity for last at this location. The boating at Alum Creek State Park is amazing, and getting out on the water on a clear, sunny day is just the thing one needs to clear the mind of the rat race of life. The beautiful shorelines from the boat are breathtaking, and fishing or water sports are top-notch. We love renting a boat and spending the day on the water. There is plenty of room on the water for tubing, water skiing, and swimming at Alum Creek State Park.
Alum Creek State Park offers boat camping at the Hollenback marina docks if a day on the water isn’t enough for you. How fun would that be? I’ve never camped on the water, but I would sure love to try.
Ohio State Parks have so much to offer, and we have found that Alum Creek State Park does not disappoint the outdoor enthusiasts. It’s a great place to kick back and relax or get out hiking because the opportunities here are limitless!
Happy Adventuring!
Brandy
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