The Dark Clouds on Buckeye Lake State Park

Buckeye Lake State Park is just massive. The Park has several different areas that you have to drive to but they are between different towns and I kept turning the wrong way. Therefore, it was just frustrating for me as I keep missing the turn.

But the Buckeye Lake State Park is a fisherman’s and boaters paradise. The lake has an unlimited speed for boats but also has lots of different areas for every type of boat from a speed boat to a canoe.

The communities around offer several golf courses and other items to explore but I was not in the mood as I keep not getting to where I wanted to go.

The park has three different beaches and three different Marinas. The one above is Fairfield Beach.

Brooks Park was my favorite area. It has the towpaths and canal systems still about to walk around and view.

But the Buckeye Lake Museum has a Queen III Sternwheel which is at Liebs Island Access area which also has a boat launch. The Queen III offers tours but are limited to a small amount of people due to Covid19. It was closed when I was there due to Covid19 but check back when you are going and make reservation sooner then later.

I am sure this is a great place to be but not on this dark cloudy day that was rolling in. I had to race back to my van with my lunch.

Brief History

Discovered by Christopher Gist in 1751. The lake was more of two ponds joined when the water was high. It was also considered part of the wetlands which included a cranberry sphagnum bog.

In the 1820’s, Buckeye Lake area was developed to become part of the canal system in the United States. By 1894, the feeder reservoirs for the canals became a public park. The Licking Summit Reservoir was renamed Buckeye Lake.

By 1904, the Columbus, Buckeye Lake & Newark Traction Company was looking to make a bit more money. They created the Buckeye Lake Amusement Park to increase tourism for the weekends. It worked through the 1950’s. The area is now left with what was the former “playground of Ohio”.