Quail Hollow is a landscape of rolling meadows, marshes, pine and deciduous woods surrounding a 40-room manor • Scenic woodland trails, gardens and the house offer a variety of natural and cultural experiences for visitors

Camping

• Primitive group camp is available on a reservation basis to incorporated organizations with up to 25 people
• The camp includes a fire ring and picnic table
• Water must be carried in and trash must be packed out
• Parking, water and restrooms are 1/4 mile from the site

Tours and Park Programs

• Quail Hollow State Park is devoted to the recreational study and appreciation of Ohio's cultural and natural history
• The former Stewart family home is primarily used for educational, nature-oriented and community activities
• Tours are offered on Sunday afternoons, June through October and at other times by appointment
• The carriage house, library, kitchen and dining room can be rented by incorporated organizations wishing to hold meetings at Quail Hollow
• A visitor and nature center is located within the home
• Workshops and special events are held at Quail Hollow year-round including Christmas at the Hollow in December, the Craft and Herb Fair in May and Reptile Day in September
• Interpretive programs may be arranged upon request for classes or groups

Trails

• 8 interpretive nature hiking trails explore the unique natural habitats for which each is named
  • Coniferous Forest Trail • 1/4 Mile • Easy
  • Deciduous Forest Trail • 1/2 Mile • Easy
  • Nature For All Trail • 1/2  Mile • Easy
  • Woodland SwampTrail • 1/3  Mile • Easy
  • PeatlandTrail • 1/4 Mile • Easy
  • Tall-Grass Prairie Trail • 1/4 Mile • Easy
  • Meadowlands Trail • 1 Mile • Easy
  • Beaver Lodge Trail • 1.5 Miles • Easy
• BridleTrail  • 5 Miles • Moderate
• Mountain Bike Trail • 4 Miles • Moderate
• The Nature For All trail is a 2000 ft. paved interpretive trail for those visitors with a physical challenge • Interpretive audio tapes and brochures are available at the visitors center as well as along the trail

Fishing

• Fishing is recommended at the Shady Lane Pond but prohibited in the beaver pond on the park's north border
• A valid Ohio fishing license is required

Picnicking

• 4 picnic areas are located in the center of the park with tables, grills, and latrines close by
• All picnic areas are available to the public year-round during park hours

Winter Recreation (conditions permitting)

• Cross country skiing, equipment is available for rent
• Ice skating
• Sledding

More To Do

• At the park's visitor center, a certified Backyard Habitat site attracts a variety of wildlife and may be viewed year-round from inside the visitor center
• One-way glass allows visitors an up-close look at animals while a hidden microphone brings birdsong indoors
• A short walk from the visitor center is the 9,000-sq-ft. herb garden with more than 300 culinary, medicinal and scented herb plants
• A playground and volleyball court are located at Shady Lane picnic area

Area Attractions

• Quail Hollow is located in Hartville, a town renowned for its fine restaurants • The area surrounding Quail Hollow has a large Mennonite population plus many craft and antique shops, as well as several golf courses
• There are many points of interest in the nearby Akron-Canton area • Tours are available of the tire-making plants; Stan Hywet Hall, an English Tudor mansion; the Hoover Historical Center; and the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Nearby West Branch and Portage Lakes state parks offer excellent opportunities for camping, swimming, fishing and boating
• Several state nature preserves in the area offer glimpses of unique bog vegetation • Jackson Bog, Triangle Lake and Kent Bog are open during daylight hours

Nature of the Area

The rolling fields, stately woodlands and moist wetlands of Quail Hollow are evidence of the effects of glaciation which occurred over 12,000 years ago • Glaciers have had a profound effect on the drainage system, topography and soil/mineral composition of the area • Natural lakes are a feature of the glaciated landscape • These bodies of water were formed when large pieces of ice broke off the glacier and melted in depressions forming these kettle lakes • Most are small, old and more properly classified as bogs or marshes • Nearby Congress Lake is one of Ohio's natural lakes

Quail Hollow's habitat diversity allows for an abundance of plant and wildlife populations • Poison sumac and other unique plants grow in the sphagnum peat bog • A tall-grass prairie supports blazing star, sneezeweed and other prairie plants • The woodland swamp is home to spring peepers, chorus and green frogs while the deciduous and coniferous forests provide shelter for the red fox, raccoon, white-tailed deer and wild turkey

History of the Area

The turn of the 19th century witnessed the coming of frontiersmen to northeastern Ohio. Although the land was still wilderness, the American Indians were already being forced westward • Tribes native to what is now Stark County, principally the Delawares, were virtually gone by 1810

One of the earliest settlers to enter the region was Conrad Brumbaugh • His first home on the new property was built around 1820 on land that was to become the park

Acquisition of the Brumbaugh homestead and other properties, ultimately totaling 720 acres, was begun in 1914 by Harry Bartlett Stewart • The Stewart's original tract, adjacent to the Brumbaugh homestead, was called the Minnie Taylor Farm after Harry Stewart's wife

The small farm house on the Minnie Taylor Farm was built in 1838 • During the first few years the Stewards owned it, the home was used mainly on weekends during the autumn hunting season • By 1929, additions to the farm house and construction of its two neighboring structures were completed and the home became the permanent residence of the Stewart family • The main house, the adjacent servant's cottage and the garage appeared as they do today, reflecting strong Greek Revival and Federal architectural influences

The Stewart's son, Harry Bartlett Stewart, Jr. and his wife Catherine moved into the manor in 1937 • Mr. Stewart, like his father, was chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad

The Stewart family resided in their home until 1975 when they offered the acreage and building to the state for one-half the appraised valuation • The U.S. Department of Interior provided funds for the state to acquire Quail Hollow State Park • On May 15, 1975, Quail Hollow came under the administration and management of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation