Punderson State Park

On the ground

Punderson Lake sits at the center of the park, a kettle lake left behind when a block of ice calved from the retreating Wisconsinan glacier about 14,000 years ago and melted into a depression. The state agency describes it as the largest and deepest kettle lake in Ohio. The lake's story is tied to Lemuel Punderson, who settled here in 1808, dammed the south side of what he called the "big pond," and ran a grist mill off the outflow; his family's lakeside estate later grew into a small resort with cottages and a hotel on the surrounding hills. Construction on the English Tudor-styled manor house began in 1929 and wasn't finished until 1948 — it now operates as Punderson Manor Lodge & Conference Center, with 31 guest rooms and 26 cabins.

Walking trails thread the grounds in short, named segments: the Cayuga Trail runs 2.21 miles, the Erie Trail 2.17 miles, the Huron Trail 1.32 miles, the Mushers Trail 0.98 miles, the Mohawk Trail 0.65 miles, the Iroquois Trail 0.61 miles, the Beach Trail 0.41 miles, the Whitetail Trail 0.11 miles, and the Erie Point Trail 0.1 miles. Along the lake, a 600-foot public beach offers designated swimming areas, and anglers can also try Pine Lake near the disc golf course or Stump Lake near the campground for bluegill, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, and catfish. The disc golf course, built by the Friends of Punderson State Park near the Musher's Trail, includes what the agency calls the only island basket in the state park system, and golfers can play the manor's 18-hole championship-rated course. A renovated nature center near the campground rounds out the grounds, and a downed old maple tree stands among the park's noted natural features.