Mt Gilead State Park
State Park · Ohio · Ohio Department of Natural Resources
- Camping
- 213 acres
Mt Gilead State Park is a 213-acre state park in Mt Gilead, Ohio, managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Of that total, 181 acres are land and 32 acres are water. The park is built around a small lake and wooded moraine terrain, with a full-service campground, five picnic areas, and about nine miles of unpaved multi-use trail.
It suits visitors looking for a modest, low-key stop for fishing, picnicking, and short hikes or trail rides rather than a large backcountry destination. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources can be reached at (419) 946-1961.
Plan your visit
Camping & lodging
3 mapped camping locations
Site types & reservations: see the official site.
Know before you go
- Address
- 4353 State Route 95, Mt Gilead, OH, 43338
- Phone
- (419) 946-1961
- 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
4353 State Route 95, Mt Gilead, OH, 43338
Directions on Google Maps →On the ground
Mt. Gilead Lake covers 13.5 acres and is open to paddlecraft, sailboats, and boats with electric motors only. Anglers fish the lake for bass, bluegill, and other panfish, and a valid Ohio fishing license is required for those 16 and older. The Bridle Trail, at 1.5 miles, and the Lake View Trail, at 1.3 miles, are the longest of the park's named routes, and the Bridle Trail begins at a parking lot off State Route 42. Shorter paths, including the Big Oak Trail, Big Oak Loop, Spring Trail, and Whetstone Loop, fill out the network through the park's rolling, glacially shaped ground.
Three end moraines, ridges of glacial sediment left behind as Ice Age glaciers retreated, converge near Mt. Gilead and account for the park's rolling terrain. The park also preserves a historic bridge and a dam and spillway among its historic features. The first lake at the site was built in 1919 on the upper level of Sam's Creek, and a larger lake was completed below it on July 10, 1930, on the same tributary of Whetstone Creek. European settlers arrived after the War of 1812, and the first gristmill and sawmill on Whetstone Creek were built in 1821.
Photos
Practical notes
Park hours run from 6am to 11pm daily, though visitors may continue legitimate recreational activities outside that window. The park office can be reached at (419) 946-1961.
Nearby parks
Parks of Ohio
88 parks mapped in Ohio
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Browse all Ohio parks →Sources: State agency, Wikimedia Commons / editorial, OpenStreetMap contributors, USGS PAD-US, Google Places · updated 2026-08-23