| Recreation |
Facilities |
Quantity |
| Resource |
Land, acres |
218 |
 |
Water, acres |
30 |
|
Nearby State Forest, acres |
9151 |
| Activities |
Fishing |
yes |
|
Hunting |
State Forest |
|
Hiking Trail, miles |
12 |
|
Bridle Trails |
State Forest |
|
Backpack Trails |
State Forest |
|
Picnicking |
yes |
|
Picnic Shelter |
1 |
|
Swimming Beach |
yes |
| Boating |
Boat Limits |
EMO |
|
Launch Ramps |
1 |
| Winter |
Ice Fishing |
yes |
|
Ice Skating |
yes |
|
Cross-Country Skiing |
yes |
|
Sledding |
yes |
| Camping |
Non-Electric Campsites |
33 |
|
Campsites with Elec. |
40 |
| |
Camper Cabin |
2 |
|
Pets Permitted |
yes |
|
Dumpstation |
yes |
|
Camp Store |
yes |
A small, quiet park nestled in beautiful 9,000-acre Scioto Trail State Forest, this state park is an undisturbed wooded refuge just south of Chillicothe.
The ridgetops and winding forest roads offer breathtaking vistas of the Scioto River Valley. The beauty and remoteness of Scioto Trail offers the best of escapes to park visitors.
Camping
- Wooded campground at Caldwell Lake offers 55 sites
- 40 are equipped with electricity.
- Vault latrines, pressurized water, dump station, fire rings and picnic tables are provided.
- A secluded hike-in camp located near Stewart Lake offers an additional 18 non-electric sites.
- Seasonal camp check-in/store available on weekends near Caldwell Lake.
- Two rustic camper cabins are available to rent year-round.
Boating
- Two small lakes offer boating with electric motors only.
- Canoeing is excellent on these quiet waters.
- A launch ramp is provided at Caldwell Lake
Swimming
Fishing and Hunting
- Bluegill, bass, catfish, and trout provide good catches for anglers.
- Hunting is excellent for deer, squirrel, grouse and turkey in the adjacent state forest.
- A valid Ohio fishing and/or hunting license is required.
Trails
- Twelve miles of hiking trails and 17 miles of bridle trails lead to scenic overlooks and breathtaking vistas.
- A portion of the Buckeye Trail which links the four corners of Ohio passes through the state forest.
Picnicking
- Several scenic areas offer excellent picnicking opportunities.
- Tables and grills are provided.
- The Ross picnic shelter with electrical outlets located at the Stewart Lake picnic area.
- Picturesque gazebo located on the island at Caldwall Lake.
- The gazebo and picnic shelter may be reserved for a fee by calling Tar Hollow State Park at (740) 887-4818. Reservations begin the second Monday in November for the next calendar year.
More To Do
- The restored Old Log Chruch, a replica of the oldest Presbyterian Church in the Northwest territory is available to view.
- Basketball and horseshoe courts are located in the campground
- Playground for children
- The camp office loans games and sporting equipment to registered campers.
- Additional basketball and horseshoe courts, along with a volleyball court and playground, are offered in day-use areas of the park.
- The seasonal camp store offers snacks, souvenirs, camping supplies, and paddle boat rentals.
Nature of the Area
Located in the Appalachian foothills bordering the Scioto River, the park's rugged ridgetops and wooded valleys support a host of natural wonders. This densely forested hill country is reminiscent of the southern Appalachians supporting a magnificent stand of oak and hickory. In spring, the forest trails are lined with flowering dogwood and redbud trees. The forest floor displays woodland wildflowers including spring beauties, Dutchman's breeches, wild blue phlox and wild geranium. Ferns, mosses and lichens coat the sandstone outcroppings. Mushroom hunters delight in the abundance of the delicious morel mushroom.
The remoteness of the area and dense forest provides excellent habitat for some of Ohio's most elusive wildlife. Wild turkey populations are thriving in this region along with ruffed grouse and white-tailed deer. Small mammals of Scioto Trail include red fox, skunk, opossum, gray squirrel and raccoon among many others. Rare sightings of bobcat and black bear have been reported. Many reptiles and amphibians find the woodlands and streams of the area desirable.
Area Attractions Scioto Trail State Park is nestled in an area rich with reminders of Ohio's prehistoric peoples. These Mound Builders left extensive earthworks throughout the Scioto River Valley and its tributaries. Serpent Mound, in northeastern Adams County, is a 1,000-foot snake effigy mound built by the Adenas. Other smaller Adena mounds exist in Ross County. The Adena culture is named after the estate of early Ohio statesman Thomas Worthington. Adena, near Chillicothe, was the site of the first mound excavation attributed to these prehistoric people.
Other extensive earthworks exist north of Chillicothe on the Scioto floodplain. Mound City is attributed to a more advanced culture called the Hopewells. Other Hopewell mounds in the Scioto Trail region are Seip Mound, Spruce Hill and Fort Hill. The importance of the Scioto River to the early development of Ohio carried through from these prehistoric peoples to the Shawnee and first pioneer settlers.
 The Shawnee utilized the river as their primary means of transportation from one village to another. The Scioto Trail was an Indian trail that followed the Scioto River from northern Ohio to the Kentucky hunting grounds. The trail was later used by settlers who came upriver from Portsmouth to the first capital of Ohio--Chillicothe. There is a replica of the first church in the area, Chillicothe's First Presbyterian, in Caldwell Lake Hollow. This plain log structure gives testimony to the simple lifestyle of early Ohioans.
The first European settlers came to the area in the 1790s. In 1796, General Nathaniel Massie and a small group of settlers started the town of Chillicothe. Many of these first Ohioans were veterans of the Revolutionary War. The land west of the Scioto River and east of the Little Miami River was set aside for Virginia veterans of the Revolution. Land allotments were based on time served and rank of these soldiers.
Initial purchases of land for the park and forest began in 1922. Most of the major development took place in the 1930s during the original Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) days. They constructed most of the roads, lakes and the original recreational facilities.
A monument erected in 1842 stood at the entrance of Scioto Trail State Forest to commemorate William Hewitt. As a hermit, he lived for fourteen years in a cave near what is now the park and surrounding forest. Hewitt died in 1838 at the age of seventy after becoming a local legend. Eventually, the cave was whittled away by highway development and the monument was moved 1,000 feet north of its original site. The monument has been relocated beside the log church at the Scioto Trail campground.
Nearby are Great Seal State Park which is located north of Chillicothe off State Route 159, Lake White State Park which is located near Waverly on State Route 220, and Tar Hollow State Park and State Forest which are located off State Route 327 near the Ross-Hocking-Vinton county lines.
The famous outdoor historical drama, Tecumseh!, is presented mid-June through Labor Day weekend at Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre.
Adena State Memorial, the restored home of Thomas Worthington is one of The Ohio Historical Society's premier sites. It includes Worthington's newly-restored 1807 mansion and a 13,000 square foot Museum/Visitor Center.
The Ross County Historical Society in Chillicothe features exhibits of pioneer crafts, firearms, furniture, toys and clothing. The museum is open March through November. One mile north of Chillicothe on State Route 104 is theMound City/Hopewell Culture Group National Historic Park. The area is a prehistoric Indian complex of 23 burial mounds. A museum and visitors' center are open daily. For more information on local attractions, contact the Division of Travel and Tourism at 1-800-BUCKEYE.
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