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Camping
- 71 electric sites
- 67 non-electric sites
- Showers and laundry facilities are provided
- Picnic tables, fire rings and latrines are provided
- The campground offers a basketball hoop, in addition to playground equipment for youngsters
- The camp office loans games and sporting equipment to registered campers
- A walk-in group area with fire rings is available for use by organized youth groups on a reservation basis
- A 20-site primitive fly-in camping area is located on the north side of the lake
- The area is within walking distance of the 4,700-foot runway at the Noble County Airport
Boating
- Boats with motors of up to 10 horsepower are permitted on Wolf Run Lake.
- A launching ramp and tie-ups are available on the south side of the lake, easily accessible from State Route 215
Fishing and Hunting
- The lake is well known for large catches of bass, bluegill, crappie, trout and catfish.
- Hunting is permitted in special areas only.
- A hunting map can be obtained at the park office.
- A valid Ohio hunting and/or fishing license is required.
Trails
- A 3-mile section of the Buckeye Trail passes along the west side of the lake.
- A half-mile loop trail begins at the nature center providing opportunities for nature study and wildlife observation.
- The 1.5-mile Lakeview Trail skirts the lake, providing a pleasant walk from the campground to the beach.
Swimming
- 200-foot public swimming beach is located on the south side of the lake is open during daylight hours
- Restrooms and changing booths are available
- Scuba diving is also permitted in the lake, except within the beach area.
- Proper equipment and marking of the diving area are required.
- Diving alone is prohibited
- Check for water quality advisories
Picnicking
- Picnic areas are located in scenic areas of the park.
- A shelterhouse may be reserved for special occasions, otherwise, it is available on a first-come, first-served basis
Area Attractions
- A memorial to theU.S.S. Shenandoah, a navy dirigible which crashed in the area in 1925, is located off State Route 821
- Salt Fork State Park to the north via I-77 offers a lodge, cabins, golf course, camping, boating, fishing, hiking and picnicking
- Blue Rock State Park to the west offers camping, fishing, hiking and picnicking
- Seneca Lake of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District is also north via I-77 on State Route 313 • Facilities for camping, boating, fishing and picnicking are available
- Guernsey County Historical Society Museum in Cambridge is open Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Memorial Day through October • The Cambridge City Park features an original covered bridge and has picnicking and other recreational opportunities
- Ohio Power Company lands lie west of the park and offer hunting, fishing and camping opportunities for those with a permit
- For additional information on local attractions, contact Noble County Tourism, or the Division of Travel and Tourism at 800-BUCKEYE.
Nature of the Area
Wolf Run State Park is nestled in the heart of the unglaciated Appalachian Plateau of southeastern Ohio. The hills in the park region remained untouched by the glacial advances that passed over much of the state more than 12,000 years ago. Nevertheless, meltwaters from the vast sheets of ice helped to permanently alter the topography of the area. Stream flow was greatly increased, hastening the cutting of valleys and creating the rugged terrain so prevalent today. The predominant bedrock in the Wolf Run region is sandstone deposited during the Pennsylvanian period, with alternating layers of coal.
The Wolf Run area has been dramatically changed since the settlement of man. The original forests soon fell to the ax and were replaced with farms and villages. Fortunately, much of the forest has regrown and now covers 70 percent of the region. This second growth forest is mixed mesophytic, meaning that dominance is shared by a large number of tree species. White and red oak, tuliptree, sugar maple, beech, wild black cherry and white ash are frequent members of this forest type. Mixed mesophytic forests are renowned for their plant diversity including ferns, clubmosses, mosses, algae, fungi and lichens. These forests are in some ways the most ecologically exciting in the state. Deer, gray squirrels, raccoons, skunks, weasels, bats, black rat snakes, box turtles, wild turkey, ruffed grouse and great horned owls are among the many animals that make this area their home.
History of the Area
Wolf Run State Park is located near the town of Caldwell in Noble County, the last of the 88 counties formed within Ohio. In 1795, the Treaty of Greenville was signed ending the Indian threat in this part of Ohio paving the way for settlement. The first settlers to the area were New Englanders travelling by way of Marietta, Ohio up the valley of Duck Creek from the Ohio River into what is now Noble County.
Agriculture, livestock and profitable industries_born of the many mineral resources of the area_provided a living for the settlers. Coal, iron ore, building stone, petroleum and salt were plentiful. Oil was accidently discovered near Caldwell in 1814 when Robert McKee began drilling a well to obtain brine. At the depth of 475 feet, a crevice was struck containing oil. At first considered a nuisance, the true value of the oil was eventually realized and derricks soon lined the valley of Duck Creek. Oil prices declined drastically during the Civil War bringing an end to major drilling efforts in the area.
Land acquisition for the park began in 1963. Construction of the dam and spillway for the lake was complete in 1966 as part of the West Fork Duck Creek Watershed Project. The 1,338-acre facility including the 220-acre lake was officially dedicated as a state park in 1968. The park received its name from the Wolf family, the first to settle in the area.
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