LOCATION:	12259 Township Road 218 Van Buren, OH
CONTACT:	Mary Jane Thurston State Park 1466 State Route 65 McClure, OH  43534-9711
PHONE:	419-832-7662 (MJ Thurson Park Office) 866-644-6727 (camping reservations
Park Map |  Campground Map Friends of Van Buren State Park

Naturalist Programs

ANNOUNCEMENTS

There are now 10 electric sites in the family campground and 3 electric sites in the multi-use campground! A new 2-mile interpretive nature trail is being developed by students of the Donnell Middle School Science Club • Construction is expected to be completed by the end of July 2008 (06/18/2008)

Van Buren State Park is quietly nestled in a small but valued remnant of woodland surrounded by beautiful corn, wheat and soybean fields in northwest Ohio. Van Buren offers a calm, peaceful retreat with camping, fishing, hiking and picnicking opportunities that can be enjoyed year round.

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Camping

• Family campground at the east end of the park offers 10 electric and 19 non-electric campsites
• Pets are permitted on designated sites 
• Tables, fire rings, drinking water, vault latrines and a dump station provided
• Sports equipment and gamers can be borrowed by registered campers at the camp office
• Multi-use/Equestrian camp offers 3 electric and 28 non-electric sites -- picket lines, tie rails and manure bins are available
• Primitive, walk-in, youth-group camping area for up to 200 people is located in the southeast section of the park and is available by reservation

Fishing and Hunting

• Catches of largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bullhead, bluegill and carp await the skilled angler
• Park property east of Township Road 229 is designated for bow hunting only, in accordance with state laws
• A valid Ohio fishing and/or hunting license is required

Boating

• Excellent boating opportunities for rowboats, canoes and boats with electric motors only
• Launch area is located at the north parking area on Township Road 229

Trails

• 6 miles of  hiking trails traverse the south shore of the lake are perfect for jogging, nature study, birding, and wildlife observation and can be accessed from the South Shore picnic area
• Hikers, horseback riders, and mountain bikers are welcome on 12 miles of multiple-use trails traversing steep ravines and gentler terrain in scenic woodlands in the eastern portion of the park and can accessed from the parking area on Township Road 229 and the campgrounds
• 3 miles of mostly single-track mountain bike trails meander through the south shore woods providing both novice and intermediate riders with scenic views of Van Buren Lake and woodlands while crossing the boardwalks over ravinces and offering some challenging features • Trailhead begins a the South Shore Picnic Area parking lot • Follow the blue blazes 

Picnicking

• Picnic areas are situated in scenic locations throughout the park
• 3 shelterhouses are available on a first-come, first-served basis

More To Do

• Volleyball courts and horseshoe pits available at some picnic areas
• Nature center is located near the family campground and offers interpretive displays, a beautiful prairie garden, live animals, and a bird viewing window
• Nature programs are offered year-round
• Butterfly gazebo
• Playground equipment

  

Area Attractions

• Springville Marsh, a state nature preserve, is located east of Van Buren in Seneca County on Township Road 24 • The preserve is one of the largest interior wetlands in the till plains of western Ohio
• The Old Mill Stream Parkway off State Route 37 stretches 23 miles from Riverbend Recreation Area to the restored Blanchard River Village in Gilboa • Canoe access, heritage trail, boat livery and bikeways are offered along this scenic route
• Slippery Elm Bike Trail is a 13-mile asphalt surfaced multi-use trail located 5 miles north of Van Buren State Park • The trail runs from North Baltimore to Bowling Green and is a popular trail for cyclists, in-line skaters and joggers bikeway
• Indian Trail Caverns tours provide an enlightening view of the archeology and geology of the region • Access to the caverns is provided by gentle stairways which have been designed to accommodate both young and old • The Sheriden cave site, which is part of Indian Trail Caverns, is being researched by top specialists from around the world and has been filmed as part of a special on the Discovery Channel about the extinction of certain mammals at the time of the last ice age • Indian Trail Caverns is located near Vanlue about 25 minutes southeast of Van Buren State Park
• Collier State Nature Preserve contains large Beech and Oak trees and spectacular spring wildflowers including sharp-lobed hepatica, Dutchman's breeches, squirrel-corn, three trillium species, twinleaf, white and yellow trout-lily and marsh marigold • This natural area is located on the Sandusky State Scenic River • The trail follows the ridge top and then drops dramatically over the hillside to the floodplain of the Sandusky River • This preserve is located approximately 35 miles southeast of Van Buren State Park near McCutchinville
• Lawrence Woods State Nature Preserve is the largest known mature forest in this region and is home to a number of rare plant and animal species • Exceptionally large trees such as oaks, hickories, maples and beech are found in the preserve including excellent spring wildflowers • The preserve is located about 40 miles south of Van Buren State Park in Hardin, County approximately 4 miles south of Kenton
• For additional information on local attractions, contact the Hancock County Convention & Visitors Bureau at 419-422-3315, or Ohio Division of Travel and Tourism at 800-BUCKEYE.

Nature of the Area

Van Buren State Park lies in the rich agricultural plains of northwest Ohio. The plains, referred to as till plains, receive their name from the glacial debris, or till, which covers preglacial hills and valleys. The till plains are the result of the deposition and smoothing action of the glaciers. Most hills in these areas are mounds of boulders and soil left by the retreating Wisconsinan glacier. Beneath the almost continuous cover of glacial deposits lies sedimentary bedrock which, in this region, is mostly limestone with a little shale. Much of this limestone is the magnesium-bearing form called dolomite.

The original vegetation of the area, before settlement, was mostly woodland. Today, much of the vegetation consists of farm crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat. Locally, a small but valuable remnant of the original woodland remains. Beech and sugar maple occupy a large portion of the wooded area in Van Buren State Park. Mammals found in the area include red fox, red squirrel, white-tailed deer, raccoon, skunk and opossum. Other animals found are the eastern garter snake, spring peeper, eastern bluebird, eastern meadowlark, cowbird, woodcock and short-eared owl. Wildflowers abound in the fields and woodlands of the area. Dutchman's breeches, spring beauty, thimbleweed, daisy fleabane and chicory are commonly found around the park.

History of the Area

The Van Buren State Park region was originally inhabited by the Shawnee Indians. Banished from their homeland in south-central Ohio, this was the last stronghold of the tribe before they eventually departed for lands west of the Mississippi River. Indian artifacts and relics can still be found on what used to be Indian Island, located in the northwest section of the lake.

Van Buren is located just north of the town of Findlay which was founded in 1821. The development of the town was quite slow until the discovery of natural gas in the 1880s. A German physician named Charles Osterlen became convinced that an enormous reservoir of natural gas lay beneath the town of Findlay. He told of his belief and was scoffed at and regarded as a vain dreamer. But his patience and perseverance prevailed as he succeeded in organizing a stock company to drill for gas. The well was successful and spawned the growth of a great industry in Findlay. At one time, Findlay claimed the largest gas well in the world, with an output of 20 million cubic feet daily.

The land comprising Van Buren State Park was originally set aside as a wildlife preserve. In 1939, a dam was constructed over Rocky Ford Creek to provide additional fish and wildlife resources. In 1950, the area was turned over to the newly created Division of Parks and Recreation. It has been maintained as a state park ever since. The park was named for Martin Van Buren--eighth President of the United States.