Buckeye Lake State Park

Buckeye Lake State Park is a 3,276-acre day-use park in Millersport, Ohio, managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Of that total, 176 acres are land and 3,100 acres are the lake itself, the park's central feature. The agency describes it as Ohio's oldest state park, and its identity is built almost entirely around the water: boating, fishing, and shoreline access rather than backcountry hiking or dense trail networks.

It suits visitors looking for lake-based recreation close to a population center — boaters, anglers, picnickers, and walkers who want a flat, paved route with water views rather than a wilderness hike. The park's few trail miles and modest land acreage mean it is not a destination for extensive hiking, but the scale of the lake itself and the paved shoreline path give it a distinct, easy-access character.

Plan your visit

Camping & lodging

1 mapped camping locations

Site types & reservations: see the official site.

Know before you go

Address: 2871 Liebs Island Road, Millersport, OH, 43046
Phone: (740) 527-4218
Official site: ohiodnr.gov
Managed by: Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Hours: 6am to 11pm daily. Visitors are permitted to actively engage in legitimate recreational activities outside these hours. If you have questions, call the park office.

On the ground

The ground beneath the park was once a natural lake and wetlands system shaped by glaciation, with kettle lakes forming where blocks of glacial ice melted in place, and other lakes forming where the glacier blocked existing drainage. A dike across the South Fork of the Licking River was constructed between 1826 and 1830, creating the Licking Summit Reservoir that would become Buckeye Lake. The canal project had been launched a year earlier, on July 4, 1825, by Governor Jeremiah Morrow at a ceremony near Newark attended by New York's DeWitt Clinton, the father of the Erie Canal.

Today the clearest thread connecting the park's named features is the paved, ADA-accessible shoreline path linking the North Shore to Lieb's Island, running 4.1 miles and open to both walkers and cyclists. A separate lakeside trail runs through Fairfield Beach and Brooks Park. The park's historic Dam/Spillway stands as one of two listed historic features, a physical reminder of the reservoir's canal-era construction. Eleven named trail-related features are recorded within the park's grounds, though the shoreline path remains the defining route for anyone on foot or bike.

Practical notes

Park hours run from 6am to 11pm daily, though visitors may continue legitimate recreational activities outside those hours, and the park office can answer questions at (740) 527-4218. The park is located at 2871 Liebs Island Road, Millersport, OH, 43046.