Dillon State Park

Dillon State Park is a 3845-acre Ohio Department of Natural Resources property near Nashport, built around a 1,560-acre lake that allows unlimited horsepower boating. It combines a large reservoir, wooded hills, and a mix of hiking, biking, and bridle trails, making it suited to boaters, anglers, campers, and trail users alike rather than a single-focus destination.

With 2285 acres of land and 1560 acres of water, the park splits fairly evenly between shoreline recreation and forested upland. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources maintains the park's campground, cabins, beach, and trail network, and the park office can be reached at (740) 453-4377 for details on docks, shelters, and other reservable facilities.

Plan your visit

Trails

6 named routes 21.68 mi of walkable ways mapped within 2 km

3.06 Buckeye Loop Trail
2.10 East Shore Loop
0.94 North Shore Loop Trail
0.60 Storybook Trail
0.60 Pleasant Valley Loop
0.43 East Shore Ranger Connector

Camping & lodging

14 mapped camping locations

Site types & reservations: see the official site.

Know before you go

Address: 5265 Dillon Hills Drive, Nashport, OH, 43830-9568
Phone: (740) 453-4377
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 lake is the organizing feature of Dillon State Park, with two boat ramps and more than 90 leasable docks giving access to open water for boaters and anglers who fish for largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, saugeye, hybrid striped bass, and catfish. A 1,360-foot swimming beach near the park office is open for designated-hours swimming in season, with two restroom facilities, including one ADA accessible, nearby.

On land, trails fan out from the lake into the surrounding woods. The Buckeye Loop Trail runs 3.06 miles, the longest named route mapped in the park, followed by the East Shore Loop at 2.1 miles and the North Shore Loop Trail at 0.94 miles. The paved Storybook Trail covers 0.6 Mile and is described as easy, allowing bicycles; it follows the Black Locust Trail near the ball courts and beach area and includes a Free Little Library where visitors can take or leave a book. Shorter connectors, including the Pleasant Valley Loop, East Shore Ranger Connector, and Equestrian Connector, link the main loops together. ODNR describes the park's bridle trails as 19 miles of wooded trails that allow horseback riders, some multi-use with hikers and mountain bikers, and lists 18 miles of mountain biking trails, color-coded for beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders. Two historic features noted in the park are the Licking River, Main Branch, and Sidle Cemetery.