Delaware State Park in Delaware, Ohio, is like many of Ohio’s state parks.  It is a dammed body of water with the area around it set aside for recreation.  Tom and I recently visited Delaware State park as part of the Delaware County Scavenger Hunt, which I will write about more next week.

Delaware State Park is just north of the city of Delaware off US 23.  It is a very large state park, with lots of recreational-use land surrounding the 1,300 acre reservoir.  We went there on a cold January day, so there wasn’t any boating going on.  But, in the other three seasons, this is a sought-after spot for boating, just like Alum Creek State Park.

The park has a large 200 site campground, although the campsites are electric only.  There is a dump station.  Fishing and hunting are popular in the park.  Duck hunting is allowed, with a permit, on Sundays.  There is a disc golf course, several playgrounds, a swimming beach, a dog park, and lots of picnic areas.

Six short and relatively flat trails surround the reservoir.  On the day we visited we hiked the Briar Patch Trail and the Lakeshore Trail.  The Briar Patch Trail was swampy and wet, with some very slick and muddy spots.  The Lakeview Trail was drier with a view of the reservoir along part of it.  Some of our hike took us along the edge of the campground.  The sites were spacious and inviting but basic.  Several of them were occupied.

We ended up tromping about four miles and didn’t see another person.  We always appreciate solitude.  Our boots were so covered with mud that Tom went into the restroom to wash them off.  I settled for scraping mine clean in the grass with the help of some sticks.

Delaware State Park is another nice place for some outdoor recreation.  It has some good hiking and a lot of opportunities for recreation.