COLUMBUS, OH Fall activities abound throughout the state during upcoming weeks, but if you’re looking for the best opportunity to see Ohio’s beautiful fall color, then consider taking a trek to some of the following Ohio State Parks:
Malabar Farm State Park in Richland County will hold its Fall Walk Saturday, October 9, offering a relaxing 2-mile guided stroll through the woods and fields of Pleasant Valley. Later this month, bring your dancing shoes to the farm for the Harvest Barn Dance an opportunity to enjoy lively square dancing. The dance is from 7 to 10 p.m., Saturday, October 30.
Malabar Farm in Pleasant Valley was the dream of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield and today remains an active farm. Tours of the mansion are offered year-round and wagon tours of the property are offered through October. For information about the farm’s fall events, call 419-892-2784.
Marblehead Lighthouse State Park in Ottawa County hosts its Autumn Festival on Saturday, October 9 with demonstrations, entertainment, crafts and food. In addition, tours of the lighthouse will be offered. Join the celebration from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information, call 419-734-4424.
The lighthouse is one of Lake Erie's best-known and most-photographed landmarks. It is also the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the Great Lakes and has guided sailors safely along the rocky shores of the Marblehead Peninsula since 1822.
Enjoy a leisurely Autumn Hike along the trails of Quail Hollow State Park’s on Sunday, October 10. Visitors will meet at the Spruce Grove picnic area before departing at 2 p.m. Located in Stark County, the park offers a landscape of rolling meadows, marshes, pine and deciduous woods as well as a beautiful 40-room manor house. For information call 330-877-6652.
The 25th Annual Fall Hike at Lake Hope State Park in Vinton County is Saturday, October 16. Begin your 3-mile hike along the scenic shores of Lake Hope with a cup of sassafras tea then finish with a delicious dinner of bean soup and cornbread at the Hope Furnace. The hike begins at 10 a.m. at the shelter house. For information call 740-596-5253.
If you’re looking for a more challenging hike, consider Grandma Gatewood’s Fall Colors Hike at 1 p.m. Saturday, October 16 at Hocking Hills State Park. This strenuous hike features several steep climbs and six miles of the Grandma Gatewood trail from Old Man’s Cave to Cedar Falls and back. Hikers should meet at the Old Man’s Cave Visitor Center. For information call 740-385-6841.
For those seeking a unique view of fall color, consider a canoe ride during the Fall Color Tour of Turkeyfoot Creek at Mary Jane Thurston State Park in Wood County on Saturday, October 16. Canoe up the Maumee River to Turkey Foot Creek to view the wide spectrum of colors. Enjoy a hot cup at cider and donuts after the trip. Bring your own canoe or call the park to reserve one. For information call 419-832-7662.
History and nature buffs will appreciate the Canal Walk at Beaver Creek State Park in Columbiana County. Meet at 1 p.m. at Gaston’s Mill on Sunday, October 17 and enjoy a leisurely walk along the historic 73-mile Sandy and Beaver Canal. Remnants of the canal, a spur off the Ohio-Erie Canal, are found throughout the park. The canal was built in the mid-1800s and contained 90 locks and 30 dams. Lusk’s Lock, with its double-curved stone staircase, is the largest and most artistic on the canal and remains intact today. For information call 330-385-3091.
At Sycamore State Park in Montgomery County, choose from a 3-mile or 8-mile self-guided Fall Hike on Sunday, October 17. The hike begins at the Overlook Picnic Area off Providence Road and follows easy to moderate terrain along the Wolf Creek. For information call 513-523-6347.
Celebrate “Rural Ohio Appalachia Revisited” on ROAR Day at Lake Hope State Park from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 30. Crafts, music and food will be taking place at the dining lodge, nature center and Hope School. For information call 740-596-5253.
Visitors to Ohio State Parks this fall and winter are encouraged to bring their camera and snap some photographs of family and friends enjoying the parks for the Ohio State Parks photo contest. Entries are being accepted through March 31, 2005. Contest categories include scenic shots of “Cool Season Beauty” and “Cold Weather Fun” photos featuring people enjoying recreational activities and park facilities. Winning photographs will be featured in next year’s Fall/Winter issue of the Ohio State Parks magazine.
To learn more about the photo contest and the many other activities taking place in Ohio State Parks, visit ohiostateparks.org