Delaware Lake was created in 1951 following the completion of Delaware Dam by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is the centerpiece of Delaware State Park, Ohio, which opened in 1952. The lake was built as part of the Flood Control Act of 1938 by the construction of the dam on the Olentangy River.
Delaware Lake was created in 1951 following the completion of Delaware Dam by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is the centerpiece of Delaware State Park, Ohio, which opened in 1952. The lake was built as part of the Flood Control Act of 1938 by the construction of the dam on the Olentangy River. Sixflashphoto · CC BY-SA 4.0

Delaware State Park

State Park · Ohio · Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Delaware State Park is a 2986-acre property in central Ohio, just north of Columbus, built around a reservoir formed by the Delaware Dam. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources manages the park primarily as a water-based destination, with boating, fishing, and a public beach organized around the 1,300-acre lake, backed by 1686 acres of forest, meadow, and campground.

It suits visitors who want lake recreation paired with easy, short hiking rather than backcountry trekking — anglers working the reservoir for bass and catfish, families camping in the wooded campground, and boaters running the lake's three ramps and marina. The presence of a children's fishing pond and accessible facilities points to a park designed for broad, casual use rather than a single specialty draw.

Plan your visit

Trails

5 named routes 6.44 mi of walkable ways mapped within 2 km

  • 1.72 Big Foot Trail
  • 1.57 Lakeview Trail
  • 1.50 Briar Patch Trail
  • 0.83 Mink Run Trail
  • 0.48 Fisherman's Trail

Camping & lodging

12 mapped camping locations

Delaware State Park Campground is heavily wooded and offers 214 electric sites including four with ADA features. Pets are permitted on all sites. Reservations are required and can be made online or by calling (866) 644-6…

Know before you go

Address
5202 US Highway 23 N, Delaware, OH, 43015-9714
Phone
(740) 363-4561
Official site
ohiodnr.gov
Managed by
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Hours
Sunrise to sunset. Visitors are permitted to actively engage in legitimate recreational activities outside these hours. If you have questions, call the park office.

Getting there

5202 US Highway 23 N, Delaware, OH, 43015-9714

Directions on Google Maps →

On the ground

The reservoir is the park's organizing feature. Delaware Lake formed in 1951 after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed Delaware Dam, and the park opened around it the following year. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources maintains five hiking trails connecting the lakeshore to the park's four camping areas, plus one trail along the dam. The named routes are Big Foot Trail at 1.72 miles, Lakeview Trail at 1.57 miles, Briar Patch Trail at 1.5 miles, Mink Run Trail at 0.83 miles, and Fisherman's Trail at 0.48 miles.

The land itself carries older history. The park, along with the surrounding city and county, takes its name from the Delaware tribe. In Ohio, the Delaware joined with other tribes including the Wyandot and Shawnee to block the western expansion of settlers, and a reminder of that struggle survives in the ruins of Fort Morrow, located on private property north of State Route 229. Before settlement, a beech-maple forest covered the area, and a second-growth version of that forest is preserved within the park today. The park lies over the Olentangy and Ohio Shales, with Delaware Limestone underlying the area near Delaware Dam. An 800-foot public beach draws swimmers, with a picnic pavilion, playground, and modern restrooms nearby. Boating with unlimited horsepower is allowed on the reservoir, served by three boat ramps and an accessible kayak-canoe launch at the Southwest launch area. A seasonal marina rents boats and offers overnight docks, fuel, and fishing supplies. Anglers fish the reservoir for crappie, catfish, and largemouth and smallmouth bass, and a small pond near the marina is set aside for children 15 years old and younger. The park's natural feature highlights include areas of seasonal flooding.

Photos

Practical notes

Park hours run sunrise to sunset, though visitors engaged in legitimate recreational activities may stay beyond those hours; questions go to the park office. The park office can be reached at (740) 363-4561. Delaware State Park Campground is heavily wooded and offers 214 electric sites, including four with ADA features, and pets are permitted on all sites. Reservations are required and can be made online or by calling (866) 644-6727. Delaware State Park is located at 5202 US Highway 23 N, Delaware, OH, 43015-9714.

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88 parks mapped in Ohio

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Sources: State agency, Wikimedia Commons / editorial, OpenStreetMap contributors, USGS PAD-US, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12