Lake Snowden facts for kids

Lake Snowden is a big park in southeast Ohio, USA. It covers about 675 acres. You can find it near Athens and Albany. The lake itself is about 136 acres and can be as deep as 42 feet. It's a great spot for fun activities, festivals, and seeing nature. The lake also helps control floods and provides water.

Discovering Lake Snowden's Past

Lake Snowden was created to help control floods. It was part of a big project called the PL-566 Margaret Creek Watershed Project. The dam was finished in July 1970. The lake opened to the public in 1972.

In 1998, Hocking College bought Lake Snowden. The college now runs the park. They also have a fish hatchery there. This hatchery helps manage fish in the lake. Hocking College helps keep the lake's fish healthy and checks its water quality.

Fun Activities at Lake Snowden

Lake Snowden offers many ways to enjoy the outdoors. There's a grassy and sandy beach area for swimming. You can also find open fields nearby for games.

Boating and Horseback Riding

Boating is very popular here. You can rent different types of boats. The lake has a "no wake" rule. This means boats must go slowly. This rule helps keep the lake beautiful and stops big waves from causing erosion. There's a boat ramp on the south side of the lake.

If you love horses, Lake Snowden has 12.5 miles of horse trails. It's a great place for horseback riding adventures.

Camping and Picnics

The park has 125 campsites. These are spread across four different areas: Locust Grove, Big Oak Camp, Hickory Camp, and Hilltop Camp. You can pick the perfect spot for your camping trip.

There are also two picnic shelters. Each shelter can seat up to 75 people. They are perfect for family gatherings or group picnics.

The Ohio Pawpaw Festival

Every year, Lake Snowden hosts the Ohio Pawpaw Festival. It usually happens around the third weekend of September. This festival celebrates the pawpaw fruit. The pawpaw is the largest fruit that grows naturally on trees in North America. It grows especially well in Southern Ohio.

Festival Fun

The festival has many exciting events. You can watch or join the pawpaw cook-off. There's also a competition for the best pawpaw fruit. And don't miss the pawpaw eating contest! Local breweries even make unique beers using pawpaw pulp for the beer garden.

Amazing Wildlife at the Lake

Lake Snowden is home to many different animals. You might see whitetail deer, Canada geese, and many kinds of ducks. Beavers, mink, foxes, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, and wild turkeys also live here.

Birdwatching Opportunities

Birdwatching is a popular activity. You can spot migrating waterfowl like canvasbacks and common goldeneyes. Ringneck ducks are also common visitors. Bluebirds, song sparrows, and northern harriers are often seen in the area too.

=Fishing for Sport

Lake Snowden is a great place to fish. The main sport fish include channel catfish, bluegill, redear sunfish, largemouth bass, and saugeye. Saugeye are added to the lake every year. Channel catfish are added every other year. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says Lake Snowden is one of the best catfish lakes in southern Ohio. It also has excellent rates for catching largemouth bass.