Mary Jane Thurston State Park

Mary Jane Thurston State Park is a 105-acre state park near McClure, Ohio, managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources describes the park as situated along the historic Maumee River, offering a variety of day-use and overnight activities, and notes that the Maumee is scenic and provides some of the best stream fishing in Ohio. It suits anglers, paddlers, and campers looking for a modest riverside stop rather than a backcountry destination.

The park offers a mix of day-use and overnight activities, with a campground, picnic areas, and a marina. Visitors who want a short walk or a longer paddle both have options here, and the presence of a historic dam and spillway ties the park's recreation to the region's canal-era past.

Plan your visit

Trails

1 named routes 3.58 mi of walkable ways mapped within 2 km

0.22 Park Walkway

Camping & lodging

5 mapped camping locations

Mary Jane Thurston State Park Campground offers Electric sites and Tent-only sites (non-electric; parking is not at the tent site). Pet camping is available at all sites. Reservations may be made up to six months in adva…

Know before you go

Address: 1466 State Route 65, McClure, OH, 43534
Phone: (419) 832-7662
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 park's launch ramp is located at the marina near the park office, giving boaters access to the river, and kayaks are available for rent at the park office seasonally. Walleye, white bass, smallmouth and largemouth bass, channel and flathead catfish, bullhead, and crappie offer good sport, and a valid Ohio fishing license is required for anglers 16 and older. The park's historic feature is listed simply as Dam/Spillway, a reminder of the water-management structures long associated with this stretch of river.

On foot, the Park Walkway covers 0.22 miles and a short segment of the Buckeye Trail, 0.08 miles, passes through the park. Two picnic areas with picnic tables, grills, restrooms and water are located along the river shore, and a Storybook Trail located at the end of the marina parking lot presents a children's story in segments along a mowed path. The park's history runs deeper than its trails: this area was a rich hunting ground for many Native American tribes, and General Anthony Wayne, after building Fort Defiance in 1794 at the junction of the Maumee and Auglaize rivers, advanced down the Maumee Valley before defeating Native American warriors commanded by Blue Jacket at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. In the mid-19th century, the Miami and Erie Canal merged with the Wabash and Erie Canal south of Defiance in 1845, linking Cincinnati to Lake Erie.