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| Buckeye Lake, constructed as a canal feeder lake in 1826, is Ohio's oldest state park • The park has long been a popular vacation spot and today offers endless water-related recreational opportunities including swimming, skiing, boating and fishing |
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Boating
- 3,100-acre Buckeye Lake is designated as an unlimited horsepower lake, but pontoons, sailboats, canoes and rowboats are also common
- 9 launch ramps provide access to the lake
- 135 seasonal docks are available to rent
- Local marinas offer fuel and other items for sale
- 2 boat/swim/camp areas are also available
- Check for water quality advisories
- Boating laws & information
Swimming
- 3 public swimming areas with parking facilities and latrines
- Fairfield Beach on the south side of the lake
- Brooks Park on the south side of the lake
- Crystal Beach on the north side of the lake
- Beaches are open from Memorial Day to Labor Day
- 2 boat/swim/camp areas are also available
- Swimming is permitted during daylight hours only
- Swim at your own risk & be sure to keep an eye on the kids
- Pets are NOT permitted on swimming beaches
- Check for water quality advisories
 Fishing
- Anglers enjoy fine catches of perch, bluegill, crappie, muskellunge, largemouth bass, channel catfish and bullhead catfish
- As early as 1891, the "Buckeye Fish Car", a state operated railroad car, transported crappie and bass from Lake Erie to stock Buckeye Lake
- In the 1930's, as many as 1,000 boats a day were crappie fishing on the lake
- Download the lake map
- Valid Ohio fishing license is required
 Picnicking 
- 4 picnic areas with tables and grills are situated in quiet spots overlooking the lake
- 3 large shelters are available for reservation online or by calling 866-644-6727
- Mini shelters are available on a "first come, first served" basis
- Playground equipment is offered at the Brooks Park, Fairfield Beach and Liebs Island picnic areas
Winter Recreation (conditions permitting)
- Ice skating
- Cross country skiing
- Ice fishing
- Ice boating
Area Attractions
- Hebron Fish Hatchery is located just north of Buckeye Lake on Canal Road • Administered by the ODNR Division of Wildlife, the area is open to the public • The ponds, trails and woodlots at the area provide excellent bird-watching opportunities • Over 250 species of birds have been recorded at the hatchery
- Buckeye Lake Historical Society museum, in the Village of Buckeye Lake, opened in 1998. Please stop in and view the huge collection of Buckeye Lake Park memorabilia • The Historical Society covers Perry, Licking, and Fairfield counties, including the communities of Hebron, Millersport and Thornville along with Buckeye Lake
- Dawes Arboretum is a non-profit private foundation engaged in scientific education in horticulture, natural history and arboretum history. The arboretum is open from dawn to dusk everyday except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day • Dawes is located on State Route 13 just north of I-70 near the east-end of Buckeye Lake • For information call 614-323-1255
- Other local attractions include Flint Ridge Memorial and Moundbuilders Park in Newark, both operated by the Ohio Historical Society
- For more information about area attractions and loding:
Nature of the Area
At one time, the ground now known as Buckeye Lake was swampland resulting from glaciation. Thousands of years ago the glaciers moved south across Ohio altering drainage systems and landscape. Natural lakes, known as kettles, were created when huge chunks of ice broke off the glacier and melted in depressions. Other lakes were formed when the glacier blocked existing water outlets. As time progressed, clay and silt settled out of the still water into the bottom of the lakes.
Today as we study the landscape, we can learn of the old lake locations by the nature of the underlying clay and silt. The large area of fine clay sediment in the Buckeye Lake region indicates that the glacial lake was broader than the present man-made lake.
 When the white man began settling in Ohio, only a few of the ancient lakes remained. They were shallow and swampy, and more correctly classified as bogs or marshes. Explorer Christopher Gist, while traveling the Scioto-Beaver Trail just south of Buckeye Lake, camped by the watery bog's edge. In 1751, he named the area Buffalo Lick or Great Swamp in his journal. The Great Swamp included two long narrow ponds that were joined during high water. A considerable part of the wetland was a cranberry-sphagnum bog. Cranberry Bog, a state nature preserve and a National Natural Landmark, is situated in Buckeye Lake. When the lake was impounded in 1826, Cranberry Bog broke loose from the bottom and became a floating island which may conceivably be the only one of its kind in the world. Most of the island is an open sphagnum moss meadow with an abundance of cranberries and pitcher plants making the area a naturalist's delight. Access to the island is by permit only from the ODNR Division of Natural Areas and Preserves.
Buckeye Lake's shoreline offers excellent habitat for waterfowl. Good bird-watching opportunities exist especially during the spring and fall migrations. One of the state's largest great blue heron rookeries is situated on adjacent private land, but the birds can often be seen in the park.
History of the Area
In order to provide interconnecting waterways for a growing state, a canal system was developed in the early 1800's. The system required feeder lakes to supply the water necessary to maintain the four-foot canal water level. Because of their location, areas such as St. Marys, Indian Lake, Lake Loramie, Guilford and Buckeye lakes were to be developed as part of the project.
The canal project was formally started by Governor Jeremiah Morrow on July 4, 1825 in a special ceremony near Newark. In attendance was New York's DeWitt Clinton, the father of the Erie Canal. Ohio's canal system was becoming a reality.
Construction of the dike blocking drainage into the South Fork of the Licking River began in 1826 and was completed in 1830, forming the Licking Summit Reservoir which would eventually become Buckeye Lake. Before impoundment, the forests were not cleared leaving large tracts of timber and brush emergent in the newly formed lake.
As the water level rose, several large mats of sphagnum moss broke loose from the bottom and became "floating islands". Other islands were created because the land was above the water level.
During the canal era, canal boats traveled along the original western end of the lake. This lake however, was not large enough to supply the necessary water for the canal so it was enlarged. Later, in order to provide an even larger amount of water, another lake was developed north and west of the original one. A dike, known as "Middle Wall", separated the Old Reservoir and New Reservoir. This dike was used as a towpath for the canal.
With the advent of railroads, the canal system became outdated. Many miles of canal fell into disuse and were abandoned or sold. In 1894, the General Assembly of Ohio set a policy whereby the feeder reservoirs were established as public parks. At that time, the name of Licking Summit Reservoir was changed to Buckeye Lake.
By 1900, there were numerous cottages and several amusement parks around Buckeye Lake. In the early 1900's, as recreational use increased and power boats became popular, the "North Bank" was reinforced and the "Middle Wall" removed. Development continued around the lake. During the 1940's and 50's, many folks traveled to the Buckeye Lake Amusement Park to see big-band stars, dance and picnic.
In 1949, when the Ohio Department of Natural Resources was created, the area officially became Buckeye Lake State Park.
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