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Shawnee State Park (Ohio) facts for kids

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For the Pennsylvania state park, see Shawnee State Park (Pennsylvania).
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Shawnee State Park
Scenic landscape
View from Picnic Point
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Location Scioto County, Ohio, United States
Nearest city Portsmouth, Ohio
Area 1,095 acres (443 ha)
Elevation 892 feet (272 m)
Established 1922
Administered by Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Designation Ohio state park
Website Shawnee State Park

Shawnee State Park is a large public park in Scioto County, Ohio. It covers about 1,095 acres (443 hectares) and is surrounded by the huge Shawnee State Forest. This forest is much bigger, covering about 63,000 acres (25,000 hectares).

The park is located in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It's close to the Ohio River in Southern Ohio. You can find it on State Route 125, just north of a small town called Friendship, Ohio.

A Look Back in Time

This area was once a special hunting ground. The Shawnee Native American tribe used to hunt here long ago.

The park first opened in 1922. It was known as the Theodore Roosevelt State Game Preserve back then. During the 1930s, a group called the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) helped improve the park. The CCC was a program that gave jobs to young men during a tough economic time. They built many things that are still used today.

In 1949, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources was created. At that time, this area officially became a state park and forest.

Fun Things to Do

Shawnee State Park offers many exciting activities for visitors. You can go fishing in the lakes or enjoy a swim. There are also great places for hiking and boating.

The park has two main lakes for water fun: Roosevelt Lake and Turkey Creek Lake. If you like boats, there's a marina on the Ohio River. A marina is a place where boats can dock. This marina is located on US 52, just west of Friendship.

The park used to have a golf course, but it closed in 2019.

Gallery

  • ShawneeStateParkGolfMarinaEntranceJuly2007

    Marina Entrance Sign (with U.S. 52 in the background)

  • ShawneeStateParkMarinaJuly2007

    A view of the marina and the Ohio River from the park's parking lot

  • 2009 shawnee state park lodge back porch rockers

    Back porch rockers at the park lodge

  • Shawnee State Park Trail

    View of second growth forest from a hiking trail in the park

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