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4404 State Route 125
Portsmouth, Ohio 45663-9003
Shawnee Resort & Conference Center
PO Box 189, Friendship, OH 45630-0189
| Park Office |
740.858.6652 |
| Golf Course |
740.858.6681 |
| Campground (seasonal) |
740.858.4561 |
Campground & Getaway Rental Reservations
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866.644.6727 |
| Resort Lodge |
740.858.6621 |
| Lodge Front Desk Fax |
740.858.4766 |
Lodge and cottage
Reservations
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800.282.7275 |
Park Map | Campground Map
Shawnee State Forest | Golf Course Information
Naturalist Schedule for July
Check out the Flea Market on July 12
Appalachian Butterfly Conference is August 9 - 10
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| Located in the Appalachian foothills near the banks of the Ohio River, Shawnee State Park is nestled in the 63,000-acre Shawnee State Forest.
Once the hunting grounds of the Shawnee Indians, the region is one of the most picturesque in the state, featuring erosion-carved valleys and wooded hills. The rugged beauty of the area has earned it the nickname "The Little Smokies."
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See what the "Friends of Shawnee State Park" are doing
Friends Group calendar for • Kid's Craft Camp
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Lodge 
- Breathtaking view of the surrounding hill country.
- Fifty guest rooms
- Elegant dining room
- Meeting rooms
- Indoor and outdoor pools
- Game room
- Sauna
- Jacuzzi
- Tennis, basketball and shuffleboard courts
Cottages 
- 25 two-bedroom family cottages
- Sleep up to 6
- Bath with a shower
- Living room
- Double-wide rollaway bed
- Complete kitchen, microwave, telephone, dining area, screened porch and charcoal grill
- 2 premium cottages also offer Jacuzzis
- Lodge facilities are available to cottage guests
- Pets are permitted in select cottages, call 800-282-7275 for details
Camping 
- 107 sites suitable for tents or trailers
- Features electric hookups, waste disposal, heated shower houses, flush toilets and laundry facilities
- Pet camping is available throughout the campground
- Bike and boat rental
- Games and sporting equipment to loan to registered campers
- A group camp is available by reservation
- 38-site horsemen's campground with latrines is available near Bear Lake on state forest land
Getaway Rentals 
- 2 camper cabins are available
- Each sleeps five people on two sets of bunk beds and one adult full bed
- Each outfitted with outdoor picnic table, campfire ring, charcoal grill, porch light, porch swing and covered porch
- Unit contains inside electric service, lights, heater/AC unit, smoke/carbon detectors, bed frames with mattresses, table with chairs, mini-refrigerator, microwave and fire extinguisher
- No linens or cooking supplies are provided
- No pets or smoking are permitted inside the cabin unit
- Water fountains, shower houses and a laundry facility are available nearby in the campground area
- It is recommended that you bring bed linens or sleeping bags, pillows, towels, cooking utensils, dinnerware, cooler, containers for water and a clock/radio
Boating
- Roosevelt and Turkey Creek lakes offer boating with electric motors only
- Launch ramps are provided for access to the lakes
- Rowboats and canoes are available for rental at Turkey Creek Lake
- Boaters may spend a day on the Ohio River with access from the park's marina facility
Fishing
- Well stocked lakes provide good catches of largemouth bass, catfish, bluegill, crappie and trout
- A trout derby is held annually at Turkey Creek Lake
- Fishing licenses may be obtained at the lodge
Trails
- The park and surrounding state forest invite hikers to discover the plant and animal life of Shawnee's forested hills
- The 60-mile Shawnee backpack trail operated by the Division of Forestry takes hikers to some of the best wilderness areas in Ohio
- Also offers 75 miles of bridle trails
- There are several nature trails in the park, from one to two miles in length
Swimming
- Public beaches are situated on Roosevelt Lake and Turkey Creek Lake, which offers vending machines
- Check for water quality advisories
Golfing
Picnicking
- Picnic areas with tables and grills are located in many secluded and scenic areas of the park
- Two accessible picnic shelters are available at Lake Rossevelt, and both may be reserved
More To Do
- Miniature golf, located at the camp store and open to all park visitors
- Volleyball and basketball courts
- Horseshoe pits and playground equipment
- Tennis courts and shufflebaord can be found at the lodge
Area Attractions
- Many historic attractions can be found in the Shawnee area including Tremper Mound, Serpent Mound, the Olde Wayside Inn, the 1810 House and the Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center. The Bonyfiddle section of nearby Portsmouth is a historic district containing numerous antique shops and historic architectural buildings.
- Adena State Memorial, the restored home of Thomas Worthington is one of The Ohio Historical Society's premier sites. It includes Worthington's newly-restored 1807 mansion and a 13,000 square foot Museum/Visitor Center.
- Shawnee State Forest is the largest of Ohio's twenty state forests. The forest contains impressive stands of oak, hickory, sassafras, buckeye, black gum, pitch pine and shortleaf pine. Other forest features include a 42-mile backpack trail with primitive campsites, over seventy miles of bridle trails, horsemen's campground, and an 8,000-acre wilderness area and five small fishing lakes.
- For more information about area attractions, visit the Portsmouth Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Nature of the Area
Several hundred million years ago, a general upheaval of eastern North America made changes in the terrain that are evident in Ohio today. South and east of Ohio, the layers of bedrock folded and buckled, giving rise to the Appalachian Mountains.
The forested hills of Shawnee are a part of the Appalachian Plateau. Here, the bedrock layers were uplifted but no real distortion occurred; for this reason, Shawnee never had true "mountains." In fact, all of Ohio's hill country is a feature of stream erosion on this prehistoric raised plain and is often referred to as the foothills of the Appalachians.
The hills of Shawnee have also been dubbed "Ohio's Little Smokies." Looking toward the Ohio River, one can certainly see how the region acquired such a nickname. From the highest points in the forest, ridge after ridge appears to roll away toward the horizon in a gentle blue haze. This distinctive color comes from moisture in the air which is generated by the thousands of acres of forest.
The hardwood forest is host to a variety of flora and fauna. Wildflowers are abundant including several rare types of orchids such as the tiny whorled pogonia and the showy orchis. Forest wildlife includes white-tailed deer, wild turkey, raccoon, various songbirds and rare sightings of bobcat and black bear.
History of the Area
The 63,000 acres of Shawnee State Forest and Shawnee State Park encompass a part of the former hunting grounds of the Shawnee Indians. Historians note that the Shawnee name means "those who have silver," as the tribe conducted considerable trade in this precious metal. A major Shawnee village, known as Lower Town, was located near the confluence of the Ohio and Scioto rivers. The Scioto River provided access to the heart of the Shawnee country in central and southern Ohio.
The Ohio River was the gateway to frontier settlement in the Ohio region as well as for Indiana and Illinois. This expansive waterway, the Spaylawitheepi in Indian tongue, was the site of many confrontations between incoming pioneers and the red man. The Shawnees monitored the influx of the white settlers from the line of ridges that overlooked the mighty Ohio River.
During the 1700s, the Shawnee Indians were gradually displaced as the settlers continued to build their cabins and clear land in this new and fertile country. The face of the region changed a great deal in the years to come, but through effective timber management practices by the state's Division of Forestry, Shawnee State Forest has regained much of its original appearance. Similarly, resource conservation programs coupled with wise land use practices at Shawnee State Park have assured that this 1,168-acre recreational facility will continue to maintain its natural beauty.
Lands were acquired for the park in 1922 and it was first operated as Theodore Roosevelt State Game Preserve. In the 1930s, six Civilian Conservation Corps camps were located in the area. It was at this time that many of the roads and lakes of the area were constructed. In 1949, with the creation of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Division of Parks and Recreation, the area became a state park and forest. The name was changed to Portsmouth State Park in the early seventies but has since been changed back to Shawnee State Park.
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