Madison Lake State Park

Madison Lake State Park is a 182-acre state park near London, Ohio, managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Of that total, 76 acres are land and 106 acres are the lake itself. The park sits within the Darby Plains of Madison County, a landscape that once resembled a smaller version of the Great Plains before settlement. Ohio's original landscape was about 95 percent forest, with the remaining 5 percent made up of wetlands and prairies, and the state held roughly 1,000 square miles of prairie before it was cleared. About 4,000 years ago a dry period allowed prairie to push eastward into Ohio as part of what is known as the Prairie Peninsula.

It is a day-use park suited to anglers, paddlers, sailors, and families looking for a picnic or a swim rather than backcountry hiking or camping. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources describes it as a peaceful day-use getaway for visitors of all ages.

Plan your visit

Trails

1 named routes 0.41 mi of walkable ways mapped within 2 km

0.41 Sugar Maple Trail

Know before you go

Address: 4860 E Park Drive, London, OH, 43140
Phone: (740) 869-3124
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

Jonathan Alder, held for 15 years after being captured as a child by local Native Americans, became in 1796 the first permanent white settler along Big Darby Creek in the Darby Plains. Darby Creek was named after a Wyandot Chief (Darby) who resided along the stream. Early settlers avoided the treeless prairie, assuming it was infertile, hauled wood from distant woodlands, and found the wet ground impassable in heavy rain and prone to fire in dry spells. The dam and spillway that now hold back Madison Lake are the park's listed historic feature.

A one-mile loop, mapped as the Sugar Maple Trail at 0.41 miles, follows the shoreline and woods on the west side of the lake near the shelterhouse. Two shelterhouses, one on the east side and one on the west, anchor picnic areas with tables, grills, a playground, and latrines, available on a first-come, first-served basis. A 300-foot sand beach draws swimmers and sunbathers nearby, and a launch ramp lets boaters onto the 106-acre lake for paddling, sailing, and electric-motor boating. Anglers work the water for bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, and bullhead, while the north end of the lake is set aside as a waterfowl-only hunting area. A designated, unfenced dog swim area on the west side allows off-leash, supervised access to the lake, and basketball and volleyball courts sit near the beach for those staying on land.

Practical notes

Park hours run 6am to 11pm daily, though visitors may continue legitimate recreational activities outside that window. The park office can be reached at (740) 869-3124. The park is located at 4860 E Park Drive, London, OH, 43140.