Shawnee
State Park
Shawnee State Park at a Glance
Date established:1922 as Theodore Roosevelt State Game Preserve,
1949 split into Shawnee State Park and State Forest
Acreage (total):1,095 acres (443 hectares)
the above figure is stated on the park website, but the forest brochure states that the park is 1,165 acres
embedded in the 63,000-acre Shawnee State Forest
Water acreage:70 acres (28 hectares)in 3 lakes: Bearl, Roosevelt, Turkey Creek
Boat ramps:Two (one each in Turkey Creek and Roosevelt Lakes)
Miles of trails:about 15 miles total within the park (24 kilometers)
miles total in the state park and state forest ( kilometers)
Trail miles open to horses:about 75 miles in the state forest (120 kilometers)
RV-friendly campsites:107 electric (includes two camper cabins)
Horse camp:57 sites
Group camp:Accommodates up to 45 people
Cottages:25 2-bedroom cottages
Lodge:50 rooms
Hunting:No hunting, but allowed in the adjacent state forest
Official park website:http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/shawnee
Shawnee State Park is embedded well within the Shawnee State Forest, in Scioto County close to the Ohio River. It has an additional section adjacent to the Ohio River with a golf course and a marina. The northern, embedded section features three small lakes, trails, a nature center, a 50-room lodge, a group camp, and a horse camp.

The park was, for a short time, renamed Portsmouth State Park in the early 1970s, but the name was shortly reverted to Shawnee.

There are three lakes at Shawnee State Park, but one, Bear Lake, is really just a pond. Each of the other two, Turkey Creek (the largest) and Roosevelt, has a boat ramp and a swimming beach. Only electric motors are allowed on the lakes. The boat ramp at Roosevelt Lake has a significant dropoff at water's edge, so don't try backing a vehicle all the way into the water.

There are also a basketball court, a tennis court, a volleyball court, a miniature golf course, a shuffleboard court, two picnic shelters, a nature center, a playground and an amphitheater.

Directly bordering the state park on the map, but several miles away by road is the 69-acre Boy Scout Camp Oyo. Some distance to the west, there is an 8000-acre wilderness area that is part of the Shawnee State Forest, the only designated wilderness area in Ohio.

Shawnee Hiking Trails

Tree Trail
Length: 0.5 mile, easy, accessible
Lookout Trail
Loop; Length: 2 miles, moderate
Knighton Nature Trail
Linear; Length: 2 miles, moderate
Beach Trail
Linear; Length: 0.5 mile, easy
Lampblack Nature Trail
Loop; Length: 1 mile, moderate
Shawnee State Forest Day Hiking Trail
Loop; Length: 7.2 miles, moderate
Shawnee Backpacking Trail
In north and south loops, total 60 miles, Connects with the BENCAD Trail,
moderate to strenuous

Shawnee Horse Trails

Mackletree Horse Trail
Starts at Mackletree Road near Roosevelt Lake, connects with state forest horse trails
Lampblack Run Horse Trail
Begins near the head of Turkey Creek Lake. Connects with state forest horse trails
Bridge Timber Horse Trail
Silver Arrow Horse Trail
Hobey Hollow Horse Trail
Rock Lick Horse Trail
Pigeon Roost Horse Trail
Conley's Run Horse Trail
Morgan Horse Trail
Blackburn Ridge Horse Trail
To reach Shawnee State Park, take OH-32 west 59 miles from US-33 at Athens to US-23. Take US-23 south (left turn), and go miles to OH-349. Turn right on OH-349 and cross the Ohio River, to OH-140. Turn left on OH-140 and go 22 miles to US-52 (you can also take US-23 straight to OH-52, but this requires going through a lot of city traffic). Take US-52 west (right) 7 miles to OH-125 (ignore the "park entrance" sign; you must go through the small community of before reaching OH-125). Turn right on OH-125 and go about 6.5 miles to the state park area.