6301 Park Office Road
College Corner, OH 45003

Hueston Woods State Park, located in Butler and Preble counties, is nearly 3,000 acres of natural resources for outdoor recreation, such as hiking, fishing, canoeing, and unique to this region -- fossil hunting. The park surrounds Acton Lake, with campsites, cabins, and a resort lodge to entice the overnight visitor.

Park Map | Campground Map

Golf Course Information 

Friends of Hueston Woods

Naturalist Schedules

• Summer 2009

Resort Lodge

• 96-room Hueston Woods Lodge is situated on a bluff overlooking Acton Lake
• Open year ‘round
• Amenities include a dining room, snack bar, gift shop, meeting rooms, lounge, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, game room, and lighted tennis court.

Cottages

• 25 Family Cottages sleep six people
• Each has two bedrooms, bath, kitchen, living room, and screened porch
• 2 Premium Cottages include a master bedroom suite
• 10 Efficiency Cottages have a living-dining-sleeping area for four people, and private bath
• All cottages are equipped with cooking and eating utensils, towels, and bedding
• Pets are permitted in select cottages, call 800-282-7275 for details

Camping

• 252 campsites with electrical outlets
• Showers, flush toilets, laundry, and trailer waste station
• 236 non-electric campsites, with vault-type latrines
• Equestrian camp area offers 10 electric and 18 non-electric sites
• The group camp area for youth and adult organizations is available for reservation
• Pets are permitted in a limited number of sites
• Free WiFi is available for registered campers

Getaway Rentals

• 3 camper cabins have built-in bunks
• Air conditioning
• Outdoor gas grill

• 10 areas complete with tables and grills

Trails

• 13 hiking trails
  
  • Miami-Erie Towpath Trail - 3 Miles - Easy
  • Sycamore Trail - 0.8 Miles - Easy
  • Cedar Falls Trail - 0.9 Miles - Moderate
  • Pine Loop/Cabin Trail - 1.3 Miles - Moderate
  • Mud Lick Trail - 2.2 Miles - Moderate
  • West Shore Trail - 6 Miles - Moderate
  • Sugar Bush Trail - 0.8 Miles - Moderate (0.5 Miles Handicap Accessible)
  • Blue Heron Trail - 0.7 Miles - Moderate
  • Big Woods Trail - 0.7 Miles - Moderate
  • Hedge Apple Trail - 0.7 Miles - Moderate
  • Indian Mound Trail - 0.8 Miles - Moderate
  • Galion Run Trail - 0.7 Miles - Moderate
  • Equisetum Loop - 1 Mile - Moderate
• Bridle Trail - 18 Miles -  Moderate
• Mountain Bike Trail - 12 Miles - Easy to Difficult
• The American Discovery Trail also passes through the park

Public Swimming

• 1,500-foot swimming beach
• Concession stand
• Bathhouse

Boating

• 624 acre Acton Lake is restricted to boats with motors of 10-hp or less
• Launch ramp
• 234 docks are available for seasonal rental
• Boat rentals and fuel are available

  

Golf

• 18-hole, 7,005-yard, par 72 golf course,  see the course layout
• Driving ranges are open from March until November
• Call the pro shop for tee time at 513-523-8081

Fishing

• The best fishing includes largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, and bluegill
• Fishing pier on the west shore is wheelchair accessible
• Valid Ohio fishing license is required

Hunting

• Deer hunting with bow and primitive weapons is allowed in season
• Waterfowl and racoon hunting is allowed by permit
• Valid Ohio hunting license is required

Winter Recreation

• Sledding
• Cross country skiing
• Ice skating
• Ice fishing
• Ice boating

More To Do

• Full paintball field and target range, group reservations are available.   Bring your own equipment, or you can rent or buy it here
• Volleyball court
• Horseshoes
• Miniature golf
• Disc golf
• Archery range
• Playground
• Basketball court
• At the Nature Center, you can attend bird and flower walks, slide talks, and fossil hunts.   Birders can enjoy watching for some of the park's 150 species
• Dog park with lake access offers a place for your pets to frolick and swim without a leash

Area Attractions

• In nearby Oxford, visit the McGuffey House and Museum, showcasing the personal articles of William McGuffey, author of McGuffey Readers
• Hopewell has a church, founded in 1808, with the first public cemetery in the township
• Hopewell was an important stop and staging area for the Underground Railroad
• The Hamilton County Park District has Newberry Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharon Woods Gorge, and Trillium Trails
• Within the park is Hueston Woods State Nature Preserve and National Natural Landmark -- 200 acres of old-growth forest, with stately beech and sugar maple trees, an abundance of ferns, and wildflowers
• For more information about area attractions, visit the Butler County Convention and Visitors Bureau website or call 888.462.2282 • Or the Ohio Division of Travel and Tourism website or call 800-BUCKEYE

Nature of the Area

Hueston Woods State Park located in southwest Ohio has an enormous wealth of natural resources • The limestone bedrock of the area is evidence of an ancient shallow sea that once covered Ohio • Much of the limestone is the magnesium-bearing type called dolomite • Fossilized remains of ancient marine animals are so abundant that people from all over the world come to Hueston Woods to collect them

The rich soils of the area are part of the glacial till plains of western Ohio • Early settlers cleared the dense woodlands to farm the fertile soil • Nearly all of Ohio’s original forest has since vanished • However, one unique stand of virgin timber remains at Hueston Woods • Over 200 acres have been protected and provide visitors with a glimpse of Ohio’s primeval forest • Stately beech and sugar maple tower above the abundance of ferns, wildflowers and other woodland species • In 1967, the 200-acre forest was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service

History of the Area

Millions of years ago, a shallow sea covered Ohio, depositing fossil-rich limestone and dolomite bedrock • Fertile soils, left behind by glaciers thousands of years ago, created a productive land that attracted early Native Americans, including the Miami people, and settlers

In 1797, Matthew Hueston, after serving with General "Mad" Anthony Wayne in the Indian wars, bought land for a farm in Butler and Preble counties • He left a remnant of the woods standing for his descendants

When the last of the Huestons died in the 1930s, Morris Taylor, a conservationist, purchased the woods and held it in trust, while Cloyd Acton, a Preble County legislator, influenced the state legislature to buy the land in 1941 • Hueston Woods was designated a state forest, and in 1945, money was appropriated to buy additional land

In 1952, the Oxford Honor Camp was located here, housing honor-status inmates for 12 years • In the summer of 1956, an earthen dam was completed across Four Mile Creek, creating Acton Lake • Hueston Woods became a state park in 1957 • The old-growth forest was added to the National Registry of National Landmarks in 1967, and became a state nature preserve in 1973