Lake Hope State Park is tucked into Zaleski State Forest and is rich in the
history surrounding the iron ore days more than a hundred years ago.
Although the once vibrant town of Hope is gone today, the chimney from
the Hope Furnace and an old cemetery can still be seen in this
wilderness-covered park.
State Park Lodging:
Cottages:
Lake
Hope offers Wildlife, Iron Furnace, and Forest cottages.All
cottages have linens, towels and complete kitchens with microwave ovens,
heat, air conditioning, and outdoor grills and fire rings. Groups may
reserve Laurel Lodge, a rustic structure with a beautiful stone fireplace,
which sleeps 22 persons, provides kitchen facilities and is open year round.
Camping:
219-site campground is suitable for tents or trailers. The campground
includes heated shower houses, pit latrines, waste disposal, laundry
facilities, picnic tables and fire rings. Forty-six sites have electric
hookups. Pets are permitted. Two primitive lakeside campsites are a short
hike from the group camps and may be reserved at the boathouse.
Rent-A-Camp: consist of a tent, dining fly, cooler,
cook stove and other equipment, and one camper-cabin along with one Rent-
A-Tepee: can be rented during the summer months.
Group camp: available for organized groups on a
reservation basis. A horsemen's camp is offered for bridle trail users in
Zaleski State Forest.
Resource
Land, acres
2983
Water, acres
120
Nearby State Forest,
acres
26,824
Nearby Wildlife Area, acres
1361
Activities
Fishing
yes
Hunting
state forest
Hiking Trail, miles
17
Bridle Trails, miles
6 (33 at state
forest)
Mountain Bike Trail, miles
14
Picnicking
yes
Picnic Shelters
3
Swimming Beach, feet
600
Beach Concession
yes
Nature Center
yes
Nature Programs
yes
Boating
Boat Rental
yes
Boating Limits
EMO
Launch Ramps
1
Winter
Sledding
yes
Ice Skating
yes
Cross-Country Skiing
yes
Ice Fishing
yes
Resort
Wildlife Cottages
25
Forest Cottages
20
Furnace Cottages
21
Group Lodge
yes
Restaurant
yes
Camping
Non-electric Campsites
173
Campsites with Elec.
46
Pets Permitted
yes
Showers
yes
Dump Station
yes
Youth Group Camp
capacity 100
Group Camp, capacity
100
Horsemen Campsites
16 at state
forest
Rent-A-Tepee
1
Rent-A-Campsites
3
Camper Cabin
1
Park Activities:
Visitor Center: there is a visitor
center near the campground and a naturalist.
Boating:
electric
motors only may be used on the 120 acre lake. Canoes, kayaks, and rowboats
are available for rent.
Fishing:
bluegill, catfish, crappie and largemouth bass.
Hunting:
permitted in the adjacent Zaleski State Forest. A valid Ohio hunting or
fishing license is required.
Swimming:
beach is located near the dam.
Facilities include a beach house with sun deck, restrooms, and a concession
building.
Picnicking:
Picnic areas with tables and grills are
located at many secluded and scenic areas around the park. 2 shelters are
available on a first-come, first-served basis or by reservation.
Trails:
17 miles of hiking trails.
Backpacking Trail Map:
A 21-mile backpack trail with primitive campsites is available. Backpackers
must register upon arrival.
Horseback riding:
Thirty-three miles of bridle trail in the
state forest are available for riders with their own mounts.
5th
Annual Easter Egg Hunt
Saturday March 22th, 2008 2:00pm Kids can search
for prize-filled eggs and families can participate in
“egg”-citing games! Nature Center.
Trail Day & Clean-Up
Saturday, April 5th 2008, 10:00am-Noon
Lake Hope Shelterhouse
Help
us fix up our trails and clean up the park. Great for Scout
groups, families, clubs, individuals. Cookout lunch
afterwards. Bring work gloves. Fun, Food, & PRIZES!
Annual
Wildflower Walk
Saturday,
April 19th, 2008, 10:00am-Noon,
1.5-mile walk along
Raccoon Creek to identify wildflowers and discuss folklore.
Hope Furnace with your vehicle.
Youth
Fishing Tournament
Saturday
May 3rd, 2008 8:00am-11:00am,
Parking Lot below the Lake Hope Dam
For kids aged 1-16. Adults
must be present with each child. Trophy presentation and
cookout afterwards.
We provide the poles and bait or bring your own.
Migration
Birdwalk
Saturday
May 10th, 2008 9:00am-Noon
Search different habitats
for spring migrants. Last year we saw 50 species of birds!
Some binoculars provided. Hope Furnace.
Hand-Feeding Hummingbirds
June
18-Labor Day, 2008
Participants can make a feeder and attempt to
hand-feed hummingbirds. Nature Center.
Every Wed-Sun
1-3pm
Zaleski Flint Knap-In
Saturday
July 19th, 2008 10:00am-4:00pm,
Learn how to make
arrowheads, primitive tools, and atl-atls. Displays and
demonstrations. Nature Center.
Hummingbird Banding Demo
Late
July, 2008, Nature Center
Call for details
Hummingbird expert Allen
Chartier will capture and band our hummingbirds. Allen will
also present his research about Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds.
Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides
Saturday, September 27th, October 11th,
18th, 25th
2-5:00pm from the Nature Center Enjoy the fall
colors as we “clippity-clop” though the hills. Continuous
20 minute rides begin at the Nature Center.
29th
Annual Fall Hike
Saturday October 18th, 2008 10:00am
3-mile guided hikes begin
at 10:00am from the shelterhouse. Hike ends at Hope Furnace
with bean soup and cornbread. Shuttles return you to your
car. Enjoy Sassafras tea to start.
Rural
Ohio Appalachia Revisited
(ROAR) DAY
Saturday,
October 25th, 2008 9:00am-5:00pm
Shelterhouse, Nature Center, & Hope School
Celebrate Appalachian
culture through crafts, music, food, and fun. Celebrate
Appalachian Halloween at the Nature Center. Hayrides,
S’mores, and more!
Holiday Trail of Lights
Each
night in December, 6:00-10:00pm
Hike through the forest to
view our 100,000+ light display including animated scenes,
decorated trees, and landscape lighting. Extra activities
on weekends. Nature Center.
Lake Hope State Park Mountain Bike Trails With 17 miles of singletrack
open to mountain bikes, there are plenty of riding options at Lake
Hope. Here are a few ideas to get you started. (All mileage is
approximate.)
Hope Furnace Trail Loop (4.5 miles/6.5 miles)
Hope Furnace Trail hugs the lakeshore, providing beautiful views and
not much elevation gain. Technical bridge crossings, roots, and a
few short, steep ups-and-downs keep you on your toes (and we hope
not on your head). As this is one of the park’s most heavily used
trails, be sure to yield to hikers and to look out for other
cyclists.
Park either at the Furnace Parking Lot or the Trailhead Parking Lot.
Ride the trail in one direction and return to your starting point
via State Route 278 (total ride mileage ~4.5 miles), or double back
and enjoy the trail in the opposite direction (total ride mileage
~6.5 miles).
Copperhead Loop (10 miles)
This loop features fantastic ridge riding on Copperhead Trail. Be
careful — tight turns come up unexpectedly on this trail. This loop
also will let you roll alongside the lake on Hope Furnace Trail —
then you’ll push your bike up Grouse Point Trail to finish the loop.
Park at the Grouse Point Picnic Area near the Copperhead/Little
Sandy intersection. Ride Copperhead Trail, intersecting Long Ridge
Road two times before crossing Lake Ridge Road. Continue on
Copperhead for almost 4 more miles, eventually taking a right on
Habron Trail. Follow Habron for 1.1 miles, then turn right onto Hope
Furnace Trail. Ride for 1.5 miles, watching for the Grouse Point
intersection. Take a right and push your bike up this steep hill and
you’ve finished the loop.
Sidewinder Loop (5.5 miles)
This twisty trail is full of tight turns, steep climbs and descents,
switchbacks, roots, fun little dips and a tricky bridge crossing.
Because Sidewinder is a climb from the Trailhead Parking Lot to
Cabin Ridge Road, it’s become most popular in the opposite direction
(but there are those of us who like to climb it, too). However, you
still need to get to the top of the hill if you want to ride
Sidewinder down, and there are two options:
a) Head on to Sidewinder from the Trailhead Parking Lot. Ride for
about .5 mile to the Little Sandy/Sidewinder intersection. Go left
and down the hill, then immediately turn right onto Little Sandy.
Climb (and oh, you will climb) to the top of the ridge. Take a right
onto Sidewinder, then ride back down to the Trailhead Parking Lot.
b) From the Trailhead Parking Lot, ride up the paved Cabin Ridge
Road, through the vacation cabins, to the Little Sandy/Copperhead
intersection (almost 2 miles). Turn left onto Little Sandy; nearly
immediately you’ll see Sidewinder heading into the woods on your
left. Follow Sidewinder to the Trailhead Parking Lot.
The Big Loop (16 miles, and equally fun in
either direction)
This loop features some of the best mountain bike trails at Lake
Hope: Hope Furnace, Habron, Copperhead and Sidewinder. And, if once
isn’t enough, simply turn around and ride the loop in the opposite
direction — you’ll log more than 30 miles of sweet southeastern Ohio
singletrack.
Begin at the Furnace Parking Lot and ride Hope Furnace Trail for
approximately .7 miles. Watch out for bridges — they might be
slippery or have steps! At the Habron intersection, turn right and
continue on Habron past the Red Oak intersection. Climb up a fun
switchback (it’s a doer!), continuing on up the ridge to the
Copperhead intersection. Turn left onto Copperhead and let some fun,
fast ridgetop riding begin. Watch out for tight turns at high speed!
Cross Lake Ridge Road and continue on Copperhead for nearly a mile.
Turn left onto Long Ridge Road for just a few hundred yards, then
left again back into the woods on Copperhead for another mile of
twisty, fast trail. Turn left onto Lake Ridge Road again, bear left
at the fork in the road, then turn left into the woods for the
final, 1.4-mile section of Copperhead. Cross over Cabin Ridge Road
onto Little Sandy. Very soon you’ll see the Sidewinder intersection
on your left. Follow Sidewinder to the Trailhead Parking Lot, then
take a left onto the paved road and ride past the Beach House to the
entrance to Hope Furnace Trail (approx. .6 miles on paved road).
Follow Hope Furnace Trail 3.25 miles back to the Furnace Parking
Lot.
Ride the Ridgetop (various distances)
If you'd like to practice your singletrack skills without riding up
major climbs or riding for a long period of time, drive to the top
of the ridge and ride some of Copperhead Trail. Park either at the
Cabin Ridge Road / Little Sandy intersection or along Long Ridge
Road near the Lake Ridge Road intersection. Ride any or all of the
three sections of Copperhead that intersect Long Ridge and Cabin
Ridge roads.
Good Things to Know
If you’d like to add 2 miles to your ride, look for Wildcat Trail
right next to Copperhead off of Lake Ridge road. This out-and-back
trial will add some fun mileage.
There are several "bailout" options on the Lake Hope trails. From
these you can easily access park roads that will take you back to
the main parking lots. (See map for further information.)
From Sidewinder: Approximately 1.25 miles from the Cabin Ridge Road
intersection you can hop off Sidewinder and walk or ride a few
hundred feet to Cabin Ridge Road. OR, just a bit further down the
trail, you can take the Cabin Ridge Road Connector out to Cabin
Ridge Road (or over to Little Sandy Trail).
From Copperhead: There are several intersections and near
intersections with Long Ridge Road, which will eventually intersect
with Cabin Ridge Road and take you back to the Trailhead Parking
Lot.
From Hope Furnace Trail/Cabin Ridge Road: Grouse Point, Oak Point
and Keeton Trails all are steep, quick connectors between Hope
Furnace Trail and Cabin Ridge Road.
The Lake Hope Moutain BikeTrails are
multi-use trails and users should observe the International Mountain
Bicycling Association’s (IMBA) Rules of the Trail:
Hocking Hills Cabins-The
Hocking Hills Region is a place of many characters. Cabins,
cottages and inn rooms dot the area around the myriad of wild,
tumbling waterfalls and thick, cozy forests of hemlocks to
mysterious sandstone caves and fascinating historical sites.
And for each personality of the landscape, there is a rustic
cottage or elegant inn room to complement a stay.
Whether it's a family vacation, a
romantic getaway or weekday business retreat, the region offers
travelers the choice of hundreds of cabins, cottages and bed and
breakfast inn rooms to stay.
Restaurant
Pet
Friendly StaySpecials
Offered
Free
Breakfast w/Stay
Kid Friendly
Honeymoon/Wedding Services
Spa/Massage Services Available
Private Hiking Trails
Internet
Available
Hot Tub or JacuzziBird
Watching Area
Television available
Astronomy
Viewing Areas
Handicap
Accessible for at least 1 rentalFishing
Area
Oakwood Cabins -
Real log cabins
designed for couples on 70 acre farm.
New luxury
real log cabins designed for couples.
Oakwood Cabins is situated on a 70 acre farm
with a stocked pond in the Hocking Hills.
Only ten minutes from Ash Cave and Cedar
Falls. Amenities include: hot tub on private
screened porch, loft bedroom, gas log
fireplace, fully equipped kitchen,
TV/DVD/VCR, air conditioning and very
private.
Each of the Hummingbird Hill cabins is
like a home away from home. Situated on
ridgetops, these chalets also boast
hiking trails, a pond and screened
porches. Complete with hot tub, these
deluxe log homes have fully equipped
kitchens, plenty of room to relax,
central air, stone fireplaces, gas heat
and DIRECTV as part of the basic cabin
features.
Two spacious and secluded log cabins on 20 private acres. Both
cabins have fully equipped kitchens and
offer all the amenities of home. Within 5 miles of Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls! Stays include a
queen-size bed, central heat and air
conditioning, television, charcoal grill,
fire ring and hot tub.
Escape to a quiet destination getaway.
Authentic style log cabins nestled in an
enchanting pine forest. Only minutes from
all state parks in the Hocking Hills.
Private hot tubs, gas log fireplaces, fully
equipped kitchen and bath, queen beds. 43
private acres with hiking trails and private
pond stocked for fishing. Connected to
hiking trails.
Hot Tub Relaxation... Quiet morning
awakenings... Peaceful afternoons.. Romantic
Evenings... Reclaim your serenity in one of
the secluded log cabins or cottages nestled
on private wooded properties in the
beautiful Hocking Hills of Ohio. Each cabin
is fully furnished and includes decks with
private hot tub, gas grill, central
heat/air, queen beds, linens, cooking and
dining ware.
The Hocking
Hills Region brings to Ohio a sweet taste of
nature topped off with the charm of dozens
of tiny towns speckled between. From thick
forests and craggy cliffs to picture-perfect
swells of Appalachian hillsides, the region
around Hocking Hills Homestead blends both
nature and country to make the perfect
setting for any type of vacation. Whether a
romantic getaway for two or a family outing,
the region is full of happy memories to make
and then to last a lifetime. With waterfalls
on nearly every one of the 25 miles of
trails at Hocking Hills State Park, mountain
biking trails at Lake Hope and antique
shopping in Logan, there is something to
please everyone on your getaway list. So
come and enjoy a stay at Hocking Hills
Homestead, your best place for Hocking Hills
cabin rentals.
Overlooking Lake Logan in the Hocking Hills,
A Georgian Manner is the premier romantic
location of Ohio. The lakeside Grecian
wedding chapel/pavilion holds 125 guests.
Enjoy the complementary canoe, kayak,
bicycles and fishing poles. Sunfish sailboat
available. Look for the resident eagle and
unique nesting swans on the Hocking Valley
Birding Trail. Perfect for honeymoons,
anniversaries, getaways. Relax by the
fireplace and in the Jacuzzis.
If a quiet and relaxing
getaway to a secluded,
luxury log cabin in the
Hocking Hills is what you've
been looking for, Pleasant
Valley Cabins promises to
deliver. These cabins
overlook a large, wooded
ravine, filled with birds,
wildlife and foliage. Each
cabin is over 1000 sq. ft &
sleeps 4. Queen size beds,
up & down, are adorned with
pillow top mattresses &
country quilts. The great
room offers a stone
fireplace with comfortable
furnishings as well as
DirecTV with DVD. The large
deck offers picturesque
views, a gas grill, table &
chairs and a 5 person
HotSpring hot
tub. The kitchen is well
equipped with all the
amenities of home including
dishwasher, icemaker and
large dining table with 4
chairs.
Hocking Hills cabin features
a hot tub, full kitchen and
gas log fireplace.
Tucked
into a hillside and nestled
on nearly 100 acres of
secluded private property.
Large deck. Visitors to this
log cabin retreat can
explore thick woodlands,
rugged trails, breathtaking
views and a beautiful pond
by day and relax in the hot
tub on the large covered
deck in the evening. Place
for horses and covered area
for motorcycles.
This luxury cabin has a grand 2-sided stone gas
fireplace and a flat screen tv with nearly 100 dvds and
a full kitchen with stainless steel appliances.
Dreamscape Hideaway offers not only a
hot tub overlooking the forest but a Jacuzzi bathroom to
boot. There is chilled champagne and soothing music
greet you upon your arrival. This cabin features 2
queen-size beds. There are more than just a few extras
like a full range of Dorothy Prentice Spa Bath
amenities, soft spa robes and towels and
Royal Kona Coffee from Hawaii and gourmet
tea
Restaurant
Pet
Friendly Stay
Specials
Offered
Free
Breakfast w/Stay 
Kid Friendly 
Honeymoon/Wedding Services
Spa/Massage Services Available 
Private Hiking Trails
Internet
Available 
Hot Tub or Jacuzzi
Bird
Watching Area
Television available
Astronomy
Viewing Areas
Handicap
Accessible for at least 1 rental
Fishing
Area
