Wellston, Ohio
Wellston, Ohio Dan Keck from Ohio · CC0

Lake Alma State Park

State Park · Ohio · Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Lake Alma State Park is a 352-acre state park in Jackson and Vinton counties near Wellston, Ohio, managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Of the total, 292 acres are land and 60 acres are the lake itself, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources describes the setting as some of Ohio's most rugged, scenic territory, with a quiet lake and a gentle creek meandering through a wooded valley. It suits visitors looking for a modest, low-key lake park rather than a large backcountry destination — a place to walk a short trail, put in a canoe, fish, or camp for a weekend.

The park sits in the unglaciated hill country of Jackson and Vinton counties, part of the Appalachian Highlands, where the rock layers are mostly acidic sandstones, shales and coals with occasional limestone. The agency notes that this region supports more than 70 percent of Ohio's remaining woodlands on only one-third of the state's land, and the park itself is a second growth forest. That mix of geology and regrowth gives the park its wooded, small-scale character rather than dramatic overlooks or caves.

Plan your visit

Camping & lodging

4 mapped camping locations

Lake Alma State Park Campground offers Full Hookup and Electric sites and a Camper Cabin. Reservations are required and can be made online or by calling (866) 644-6727.

Know before you go

Address
422 Lake Alma Road, Wellston, OH, 45692
Phone
(740) 384-4474
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.

Getting there

422 Lake Alma Road, Wellston, OH, 45692

Directions on Google Maps →

On the ground

Five hiking trails cross the park: the Acorn Trail, a 1 mile moderate route; the Island Loop Trail, 0.5 mile and moderate; the Lake Loop Trail, 1.4 miles and easy; the Old Pine Trail, 0.72 mile and moderate; and the Sassafras Trail, 0.57 mile and moderate. The Lake Loop Trail is a multi-use paved path that connects to the Wellston Bike Path, which ends at the old train station in downtown Wellston. Ways mapped near the park by OpenStreetMap total 3.7 miles across 30 segments of grass, gravel and concrete, reflecting informal paths and connectors beyond the five named trails.

Hand-powered vessels and boats with electric motors only are permitted on Lake Alma, with a boat launch ramp at the northeast edge of the lake. The Lake Alma Boathouse rents canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, pedal boats and pontoon boats in spring, summer and fall. Bass, bluegill, crappie and channel catfish are caught in the lake, and a public beach on the north side of the lake offers swimming during daylight hours only. A small dog park along the shore is fenced on three sides, with the fourth side open to the waters of Lake Alma, giving pets their own swim access separate from the public beach.

Photos

Practical notes

Park hours run from 6am to 11pm daily, though visitors may continue legitimate recreational activities outside those hours. Lake Alma State Park Campground offers full hookup and electric sites and a camper cabin, with reservations required online or by calling (866) 644-6727. The park is located at 422 Lake Alma Road, Wellston, OH, 45692, and the park office can be reached at (740) 384-4474.

Nearby parks

Parks of Ohio

Miner's Memorial Park & Big Muskie's BucketHueston Woods State ParkWilliam Howard Taft National Historic SiteEast Fork State ParkShawnee State ParkGeneva State ParkQuail Hollow State ParkStonelick State ParkCowan Lake State ParkFirst Ladies National Historic SiteRock House CavernGuilford Lake State ParkHeadlands Beach State ParkIndian Lake State ParkBarkcamp State ParkFindley State ParkMadison Lake State ParkPymatuning State ParkAdams Lake State ParkStrouds Run State ParkRocky Fork State ParkPunderson State ParkMosquito Lake State ParkCatawba Island State ParkTar Hollow State ParkLake Logan State ParkAlum Creek State ParkCharles Young Buffalo Soldiers National MonumentLittle Miami State ParkMarblehead Lighthouse State ParkJesse Owens State ParkGrand Lake St Marys State ParkMt Gilead State ParkOak Point State ParkDayton Aviation Heritage National Historical ParkBlue Rock State ParkDeer Creek State ParkCuyahoga Valley National ParkNorth Bass Island State ParkJefferson Lake State ParkScioto Trail State ParkPike Lake State ParkLake Hope State ParkIndependence Dam State ParkKiser Lake State ParkWingfoot Lake State ParkForked Run State ParkWolf Run State ParkBuckeye Lake State ParkMiddle Bass Island State ParkSalt Fork State ParkGreat Seal State ParkMohican State ParkJohn Bryan State ParkBurr Oak State ParkGreat Council State ParkMohican-Memorial ShrineCaesar Creek State ParkPaint Creek State ParkBeaver Creek State ParkLake White State ParkHopewell Culture National Historical ParkEast Harbor State ParkDelaware State ParkWest Branch State ParkBuck Creek State ParkLake Milton State ParkSycamore State ParkKelleys Island State ParkMary Jane Thurston State ParkSouth Bass Island State ParkA.W. Marion State ParkHarrison Lake State ParkPerry's Victory & International Peace MemorialDillon State ParkVan Buren State ParkLake Loramie State ParkCaesar's Creek Pioneer VillageJackson Lake State ParkHocking Hills State ParkMuskingum River State ParkMaumee Bay State ParkPortage Lakes State ParkTinkers Creek State ParkJames A Garfield National Historic SiteMalabar Farm State ParkNelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park

88 parks mapped in Ohio

You're looking at Lake Alma State Park — the gold marker.

Every dot is a park. Tap one to jump to it.

Browse all Ohio parks →

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