Van Buren State Park

Van Buren State Park is a 341-acre Ohio state park near Van Buren, managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The park's 296 acres of land and 45 acres of water sit within the till plains of northwest Ohio, and the agency's own description calls it a calm, peaceful retreat with camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, and picnicking opportunities.

The park suits visitors looking for a quiet, low-key stop rather than a destination built around a single dramatic feature. Its mix of woods and agricultural surroundings, combined with camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, and picnicking, points to a broad but modest set of uses for day-trippers and campers alike.

Plan your visit

Trails

4 named routes 12.84 mi of walkable ways mapped within 2 km

1.92 Pink Trail
1.82 Yellow Trail
1.37 Red Trail
1.15 White Trail

Camping & lodging

2 mapped camping locations

Van Buren State Park Campground is a peaceful, quiet loop. It offers 61 sites with 50-amp electricity and water -- several perfect for tent camping. Pets are permitted on all sites. Many sites are partially shaded.

Know before you go

Address: 12259 Township Road 218, Van Buren, OH, 45889
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 area was originally inhabited by the Shawnee, according to the park's history, and the tribe's last stronghold before departing for lands west of the Mississippi River was located here after they were banished from their homeland in south-central Ohio. Native American artifacts and relics can still be found on what used to be Indian Island, in the northwest section of the park. Van Buren is located just north of Findlay, a town founded in 1821 whose slow development changed after natural gas was discovered in the 1880s, a find a German physician named Charles Osterlen had predicted lay beneath the town.

The park sits on till plains, land named for the glacial debris, or till, left behind by the retreating Wisconsinan glacier over preglacial hills and valleys. Beneath this glacial cover lies sedimentary bedrock that in this region is mostly limestone with a little shale, much of it the magnesium-bearing form called dolomite. Before settlement, the area was mostly woodland. Named routes in the park include the Pink Trail, Yellow Trail, Red Trail, and White Trail, which also serve as bridle trails through the property.

Practical notes

Park hours run from 6am to 11pm daily, though visitors are permitted to actively engage in legitimate recreational activities outside these hours; questions can be directed to the park office at (419) 832-7662. Van Buren State Park Campground offers 61 sites with 50-amp electricity and water, several suited to tent camping, with pets permitted on all sites and many sites partially shaded. Three shelterhouses can be reserved online or by calling (866) 644-6727.