FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 25, 2000

COLUMBUS, OH - Novice and experienced riders alike are finding the bridle paths of many Ohio state parks and state forests safe and satisfying places to hone their trail skills while exploring Ohio’s varied natural vistas on horseback, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

"Twenty-one of Ohio’s 73 state parks feature trails for the use of horsemen. Most of those parks also have designated horsemen’s campgrounds," said Dan West, Ohio State Parks chief. "Horse lovers represent a growing number of campers and visitors to these parks each year. And what better way to discover Ohio’s beautiful outdoors than from a saddle!"

Ohio State Parks and state forests do not offer horse rentals. In several areas, however, horses and tack are available for rent from nearby private stables. Area rental information is available through individual state park or state forest offices.

According to the Ohio Horseman’s Council (OHC), a group that promotes trail riding on public lands, 906 council members rode 226,820 miles of Ohio state park and state forest trails during 1999 alone! And that number accounts for only 39 of the state council’s 58 county chapters. The OHC works closely with ODNR officials in developing bridle trails and other horsemen’s facilities on park and forest property.

Larry Matthews, chairman of the OHC’s state trail committee, said trail riding is quickly becoming the most popular aspect of horse utilization in the country. Ohio’s award-winning park system is also home to one of the nation’s best networks of bridle trails. Excellent facilities coupled with a diversity of riding terrain make Ohio’s parks and forests popular destinations for resident horsemen, as well as riders from nearby states, Matthews added.

Salt Fork State Park in Guernsey County, East Fork State Park in Clermont County, Barkcamp State Park in Belmont County, Beaver Creek State Park in Columbiana County, Malabar Farm State Park in Richland County, Caesar Creek State Park in Warren County and Hueston Woods State Park in Preble County are horsemen’s favorite parks for both riding and camping.

Bridle trails also meander through 13 of Ohio’s 19 state forests where horsemen’s camps tend to run more primitive than those in the state parks, but come free of charge on a first come, first served basis. The largest trail networks are found in Hocking State Forest in Hocking County, Pike State Forest in Pike and Highland counties, Zaleski State Forest in Vinton County and Shawnee State Forest in Scioto and Adams counties. Shawnee, Hocking and Zaleski state forests house primitive horsemen’s campgrounds. Pike has no public horsemen’s camp. However, its trails connect to a privately owned campground in the area.

More than forty miles of well-marked, well-used bridle trails that loop through wooded, eastern Ohio hill country or follow a lake shoreline make Salt Fork State Park a popular destination for riders. Assistant manager Bill Patterson said the park’s day-use horsemen’s area is as active as its 24-site horsemen’s overnight camp. In warm weather, as many as 100 riders a day take advantage of the day-use area which sports both hitching stands and trailer parking. A combination of both wooded and open areas, ample trailer parking, pressurized water sources, fire rings and picnic tables attract capacity crowds to the overnight horsemen’s camp every weekend from early spring to late fall, Patterson said.

Outstanding horsemen’s facilities at Barkcamp State Park, also in eastern Ohio, are the result of a good working partnership between OHC volunteers and park staffers, manager Rick Conder said.

"Here at Barkcamp, we offer a few more amenities," he noted. Those amenities include a horse bathing area, a loading ramp for disabled riders, a day-use loading area and 24 miles of manicured bridle trails. The 26 horsemen’s campsites are integrated into the family campground and fill quickly on weekends.

Matthews calls Barkcamp "a beautiful ride" and a place where strong relationships between local horsemen and park officials are paying off for both groups.

Another eastern Ohio horsemen’s favorite is Beaver Creek State Park where a fast-moving state and national scenic river, Little Beaver Creek, creates a variety of challenges for both riders and mounts. "It’s different than any other park in Ohio," Matthews said.

He noted the rugged terrain is pretty year round, but can be tricky even when the weather’s dry. Park literature describes three separate trails: a two-mile Leisure Loop Trail that is suited for beginning trail riders; a 12-mile Hoofbeat Loop that criss-crosses the creek and is considered moderate to rugged; and a nine-mile Whispering Pine Trail for more experienced riders. The Whispering Pine Trail winds through steep inclines and passes the park’s popular lookout point.

According to park employee Carol Darcy, the campground can accommodate about 100 horse units at any one time. Weekends bring horsemen from Ohio and the nearby states of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Camping is brisk through May and June, but tends to die off during mid-summer. It picks up again in the fall when the Appalachian woods turns a variety of hues, making the park’s views breathtaking. Loading areas, mounting facilities for disabled riders and a bonfire area are just a few of the amenities offered in the primitive horsemen’s camp. But the park’s scenery is its "calling card," Darcy emphasized. Riders without mounts can rent horses nearby.

Malabar Farm State Park in north central Ohio is a convenient campout destination for horse lovers from the Cleveland, Canton and Akron areas. Because the park includes a working farm with horses already on the premises, it is "user-friendly" to riders.

Park manager Louis Andres said the park’s 15-site campground is open to horsemen and others on a first come, first served basis. It includes a new pressurized watering system and composting facilities. A separate day-use only horsemen’s space encompasses a staging area, loading steps, picnic tables and hitching posts. Andres said most horsemen campers who frequent Malabar Farm spend one day riding its 12 miles of easy trails, and another day riding the 22 miles of scenic trails at 4,498-acre Mohican-Memorial State Forest which is nearby. Group camping (permit required) is available at the state forest.

Regularly scheduled weekend wagon tours, barn dances and similar seasonal festivities make fall the most popular trail-riding season at Malabar Farm. "Our many recreational activities are good for groups," Andres said. Horse rental is available in the Malabar-Mohican area at several locations.

Fifty-five miles of trails, including a 32-mile lakeside perimeter trail, draw dozens of experienced riders to East Fork State Park in southwestern Ohio each year. OHC members totaled 13,565 saddle miles in the park during 1999. In addition to the trails, East Fork sports a day-use equestrian activity field that is a favorite with the Clermont County chapter of the OHC.

Park manager Charles Clark said the main campground is divided into loops, with one 17-site area designated for horsemen. A shower house and flush toilets are features not regularly found in horsemen’s camps elsewhere, he noted. A group camping area is especially popular. Trail riding at East Fork is heaviest in the fall when the demanding trails are dry, Clark said. Rental horses are available through local liveries.

Caesar Creek State Park, also in southwestern Ohio, offers 37 miles of bridle trails and a 25-site primitive horsemen’s campground. The 5.5-mile Farmer’s Trace provides easy going through fields and meadows for less-experienced riders. A 20-mile Solidago Downs Trail follows the creek and lake. "That’s where the really experienced folks go," said park manager Chuck Thiemann. Most trails are wide enough to ride two across. The Warren and Greene county chapters of OHC maintain trails.

Summer holiday weekends generally find the primitive horsemen’s camp filled to capacity. Other times, sites are readily available – except on group camp weekends. The horsemen’s camp has water, restrooms, hitching stands and a large shelter house for meetings and social events, Thiemann said.

Hueston Woods State Park, near the Ohio-Indiana state line, regularly hosts an annual OHC campout in the fall, when the park’s old-growth forest is at peak color. A 25-site primitive horsemen’s camp features pressurized water, hitching stands and plenty of shade. Twelve miles of easy to moderate trails twist in and out of the woods and across rolling meadows, said park employee Jacki Campbell.

Three additional state parks that attract significant numbers of experienced trail riders are Alum Creek State Park in Delaware County, Great Seal State Park in Scioto County and West Branch State Park in Portage County.

In central Ohio, Alum Creek State Park’s 32 miles of trails are strictly for advanced riders and trail-savvy horses, Matthews said. They are frequently steep and winding, crossing deep ravines and a series of wooden bridges. Virtually all trails require single-file riding and can be treacherous when muddy.

Park employee Jayne Dudgeon describes the 30-site horsemen’s campground as secluded with an abundance of shade. The campground is primitive, but does have pressurized water and portable toilets. Sites are always available, even on spring and fall weekends, Dudgeon said.

Like Alum Creek, Great Seal State Park in southern Ohio offers challenging terrain for experienced trail riders. Twenty miles of forested paths, divided into three connecting loops, are about "perfect to do in a day’s ride," said park manager Chris Grupenhof. Trailside watering holes provide places for livestock to drink when intermittent streams dry up in the fall. Park staffers are currently clearing those watering holes for easier access.

Unique geological features and the area’s colorful history draw horsemen to Great Seal. One of the trails runs near the site of an abandoned Shawnee Indian village – once home to the legendary warrior Tecumseh. "Riders love that aspect of the park," Grupenhof noted.

Great Seal’s 15-site primitive campground was originally designed for the use of horsemen, but is now shared by family campers. Ten sites are shaded. The campground features pressurized water, fire rings, picnic tables and gravel pads. A shelter house can be reserved in advance for a $35. Otherwise, it is free of charge on a first come, first served basis. Grupenhof said many campers like to spend one day riding in the park and another day riding the 20 miles of bridle paths in the 9,600-acre Scioto Trail State Forest which is nearby.

The separate 10-site horsemen’s camp at West Branch State Park in northeastern Ohio is new, according to park manager John Wilder. West Branch is the only Ohio park to take weekend reservations (330-296-3239) from horsemen campers. Hand-pump water sources and pit latrines do not diminish the camp’s popularity with riders. All sites have gravel trailer pads, picnic tables and fire rings. Non-camping horsemen can access the park’s 20 miles of scenic bridle trails from a day-use parking lot, Wilder said.

The 16-site primitive horsemen’s camp at 21,215-acre Zaleski State Forest in hilly southeast Ohio is strictly first-come, first served. Forest manager Dick Lusk said the campground fills quickly on spring and fall weekends. He advises prospective campers to come mid-week to be sure of getting a site. It’s also a good idea to have an alternative campground in mind before heading out to Zaleski. State forest staffers provide firewood and trash collection. A pond near the campground is the only water source for livestock.

Fifty miles of bridle trails at Zaleski are divided into six, color-coded loops of varying lengths and degrees of difficulty. Although the more difficult sections are gradually being eliminated, Lusk added. Rental horses are available in the area.

Forty miles of Ohio’s most challenging trails, as well as its most picturesque southeastern scenery, await riders at 9,266-acre Hocking State Forest, said the OHC’s Matthews. Trails lead in and out of box canyons, along cliff tops and close by waterfalls. One trail offers a panoramic vista of Big Pine Valley, including both Conkle’s Hollow and Crane’s Hollow. Some areas of the forest, including the popular "Airplane Rock" landmark, are accessible only by foot or on horseback. Trails provide varying degrees of difficulty. Forest staffers are currently working to halt trail erosion problems in some areas.

A 23-site horsemen’s camp is used year-round, but most heavily in the spring and fall. On a typical fall weekend, the campground will fill up on Wednesday and stay full until Monday, said forest staffer Rick Jones. All camping is first come, first served. The campground is primitive, but has picnic tables, latrines, tie rails and a water source for horses.

There’s a privately owned campground, Palmerosa Horsecamp (740-385-3799), in the area. Horse rental is also available nearby.

"Steady, up-and-down grades" is how acting forest manager Ben Hamilton describes the 70 miles of bridle trails that lace 63,254-acre Shawnee State Forest, located in southern Ohio’s "Little Smokies." Trails are well kept and wide enough to ride two-across. But the steep Appalachian terrain is a challenge, requiring experienced riders and physically fit mounts.

Matthews said Shawnee’s popular Silver Arrow Trail, which runs mostly on ridge tops, takes about five and a half hours to ride. Buckhorn Ridge Trail, also a good day’s ride, runs through the forest’s remote wilderness area.

Most spring and fall weekends, Shawnee’s Bear Lake Horsecamp is brimming with riders. Sixty primitive campsites are divided equally between sunny and shaded areas. The only water source is a nearby stream, Hamilton said.

Matthews described the campground as "nice," with a road that separates the horses from their owner-campers. "It helps keep things cleaner," he said with a chuckle. A rental stable is located nearby.

Pike State Forest, 12,086-acres of tranquil southern Ohio woods, offers 38 miles of panoramic bridle trails. Like Shawnee State Forest, Pike’s trails are strenuous and require mounts to be in good physical condition. There’s no public horsemen’s camp in the forest, but privately owned Tanglewood Acres campground (740-493-3142) provides facilities for horsemen who use Pike trails.

Conservation aide Ryan Hancock said trails run along ridge tops and up creek valleys; others parallel roadways for brief stretches. The forest’s more accessible trails are heavily used. However, few riders tackle the remote areas. Day-use horsemen frequently take advantage of the forest’s three public parking areas to access bridle trails directly, he added.

Many state park and state forest bridle trails run close to public hunting grounds. ODNR officials caution riders who take to the trail during state hunting seasons to demonstrate special care and wear blaze orange as a safety measure.

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EDITORS NOTE: A LIST OF STATE PARKS AND STATE FORESTS
WITH RIDING TRAILS AND CAMPGROUNDS IS ATTACHED

For Further Information Contact:
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860
-or-
Jean Backs, Ohio State Parks
(614) 265-7077
-or-
Bill Schultz, Ohio State Forests
(614) 265-6704