Jesse Owens State Park

On the ground

The park grew out of a 1961 cooperative agreement between the Ohio Power Company, now AEP, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which opened reclaimed mined lands to public access. As more land was mined and reclaimed it was added to the agreement, eventually creating nearly 60,000 acres known as the ReCreation Lands, open for free public recreation. In 1998 ODNR recognized AEP's ReCreation Land as the largest single outdoor recreation facility in Ohio. In 2018, ODNR's divisions of Wildlife and Parks & Watercraft began purchasing large tracts of this land, folding more of it into public ownership.

The Straker Ridge Trail runs 9.21 miles through the park, the longest named route on the ground. Beyond that route, mapped ways near the park total 18.22 miles across three segments, mostly unpaved, giving hikers and horseback riders room to link up longer outings. Camping is centered on the Big Muskie Campground, a full-service, year-round facility with full hookups and a camp store, along with four no-fee rustic camping areas that operate by self-registration. The park's lake and the ponds and small lakes across the surrounding Jesse Owens State Wildlife Area are open to small boats and paddlecraft, with a 9.9 horsepower limit on all lakes. Those same ponds, along with waters in the wildlife area and adjacent ReCreation Lands, are stocked with bass, bluegills, red-ear sunfish, and channel catfish, and a valid Ohio fishing license is required for anglers 16 and older. Hunters can pursue white-tailed deer, squirrel, rabbit, wild turkey and waterfowl in season, with a valid Ohio hunting license required, and the park also has an archery range for target practice.