Burr Oak State Park

Burr Oak State Park is a 3257-acre state park in Glouster, Ohio, managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The park pairs Burr Oak Lodge and Conference Center, described as a rustic and cozy lodge offering guest rooms and vacation cabins, with a campground set among the forested ridges and hollows of the Appalachian foothills.

It suits visitors who want a mix of lodge comfort and outdoor access rather than a purely backcountry experience. The lodge offers a restaurant with combined lounge, a gift shop, a lobby with a large fireplace, outdoor gathering areas, and views of the lake, while campers and day visitors can reach the lake, trails, and a swimming beach without leaving the property.

Plan your visit

Trails

7 named routes 24.42 mi of walkable ways mapped within 2 km

15.36 Burr Oak Lakeview Trail
3.50 Red Trail
1.70 Buckeye Loop
1.33 Blue Trail
0.92 Lakeview Trail Connector
0.81 Tanager Trail
0.19 Camp Trail

Camping & lodging

17 mapped camping locations

Site types & reservations: see the official site.

Burr Oak Lodge and Conference Center is a rustic and cozy lodge in the park. It offers Guest Rooms and vacation Cabins. The lodge also offers full-service ameni…

Know before you go

Address: 10220 Burr Oak Lodge Rd, Glouster, OH, 45732
Phone: (740) 767-3570
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 park's defining feature is its lake and the wooded ridgeline around it. The Burr Oak Lakeview Trail runs 15.36 miles, the longest named route in the park, and traces the shoreline for hikers who want the long circuit. Shorter named routes branch off it, including the Red Trail at 3.5 miles, the Buckeye Loop at 1.7 miles, the Blue Trail at 1.33 miles, the Lakeview Trail Connector at 0.92 miles, and the Tanager Trail at 0.81 miles, with the Camp Trail and the short Burr Oak Backpack Trail rounding out the network. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources maintains the park's trail system, and ways mapped near the park total 24.42 miles across 36 segments, most of them on natural ground surface. The forest is dominated by stately oaks and hickories, and the woodlands support white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, box turtles, and wild turkey, while the lake's shore draws bald eagles, great blue herons, and various waterfowl.

History runs alongside the natural features here. The Burr Oak area in the Sunday Creek valley was inhabited by Native Americans and later by settlers, and coal discovered in the early 1800s drew mining towns to the valley, among them the village of Santoy. Tom Jenkins Dam stands as the park's listed historic feature, tied to the lake it holds back. Together the dam, the old mining history, and the lake-circling trail network give the park its layered character: a working landscape turned recreational one.