Alum Creek State Park experience the beauty of nature
Within a short distance of Lewis Center, Alum Creek’s sizable reservoir, open grassland, and woodlands serve as a center of recreational activities. In the park’s northern areas, solo anglers can find peaceful bays tucked between shale cliffs while thousands of sunbathers congregate to the south on Ohio’s biggest inland beach.
The Adena culture refers to what were probably a number of related Native American societies sharing a burial complex and ceremonial system. Seven mounds were found in the Alum Creek valley and six of the mounds were excavated by archaeologists before the valley was flooded, creating Alum Creek Reservoir.
Here is a list of some of the unforgettable adventures in Alum Creek State Park:
- ESSENCE OF THE AREA: Alum Creek is located near Lewis Center, a fertile agricultural area of till plains and river valleys. The park has a wide range of natural characteristics, in contrast to the nearby farmlands. Alum Creek and other streams expose Ohio shale cliffs in several places when they cut through the underlying bedrock. The shale was created as mud washed into the region’s old sea, which was present hundreds of millions of years ago.
- After the glaciers retreated around 12,000 years ago, the rich soils of the area gave rise to a lush beech-maple forest. Although the park still contains a good second growth forest, the original forest was long ago cleared. The forests are home to a wide range of plant species and provide keen observers with stunning displays of wildflowers and fauna. The woodland floor is covered in large-flowered trillium, wild geranium, bloodroot, and spring beauties. Numerous additional wildlife species, including fox, squirrels, woodchucks, rabbits, and white-tailed deer, can be found in the woodland.
- THE AREA’S HISTORY: The Alum Creek valley and this forest have been inhabited by people for a very long time. Over 2,000 years ago, the Adena civilization called this place home. Along the watercourse, seven mounds built by the mound builders have been found. Although researchers did not think they were burial mounds, six of them were excavated before the valley was inundated.
- The Indian tribe settled in a number of settlements close to Alum Creek much later. On the banks of the Olentangy River, there formerly stood a sizable town. Was once a 400-acre cornfield cultivated by Indians. After being driven from their eastern homeland in the Delaware River basin by the ferocious Iroquois people, these Algonquin tribespeople arrived in Ohio around 1700.
- One of the county’s original settlers was Colonel Moses Byxbe. In the around 1800s, he constructed his residence on Alum Creek and gave the township the name Berkshire in honor of his hometown Berkshire, Massachusetts. He co-owned around 30,000 additional acres in addition to his nearly 8,000 creekfront acres.
- The frontier counties started building defenses against Indian attack as a result of the War of around 1810 threat. In the county, four blockhouses were constructed, one of which was on Alum Creek. The wood structure of the castle had two levels, the second of which protruded over the first, providing a vantage point from which to shoot, spout boiling water on the intruders, and resist efforts to set it on fire. Later, this Fort Cheshire, which existed until the Civil War, used as a classroom. In the present-day family campground of the park, the location of the former fort is commemorated by a bronze plaque.
- The border state of Ohio provided several paths for the Underground Railroad in the fifty years before the Civil War, allowing slaves to flee to freedom. Along these routes, almost 40,000 slaves traversed Ohio on their way north. The ghostly white bark of this floodplain tree served as a guidepost on the Sycamore Trail, which followed Alum Creek. As they departed the secure Hanby House in Westerville, the slaves waded in the creek’s waters in an effort to evade the pursuing trackers. Africa Road got its name because thirty freed slaves from North Carolina moved close to welcoming neighbors here.
- The Ohio River Basin’s flood management strategy includes the Alum Creek Dam. In the Flood Control Act of 1962, Congress gave the lake its approval.
- CAMPING: Around 300 family campsites at Alum Creek include sunny and shaded locations, some of which have lake views. The overnight visitors alone are permitted to utilize the beach and boat ramp at this tastefully planned campsite. Every site has an electricity connection, and warm showers are spread out across the campground.
- SWIMMING: Alum Creek is home to Ohio’s state park system’s largest inland beach. There is a changing room and snack shop at this nearly 3,000-foot beach. Only over the course of the day is the beach open.
- BOATING: Around 3000 plus acres of water are in Alum Creek Reservoir. South of Cheshire Road, the lake’s wide length is a boater’s paradise with limitless horsepower and lots of space for skiers. Canoeists will find calmer surroundings with tree-lined coasts, shale cliffs, and protected inlets in the northern part.
- FISHING: Bass, bluegill, crappie, walleye, and saugeye are excellent catches in the secluded inlets and confined coves. While the southern half of the park gives greater prospects for rabbit and other upland game, the northern half of the park is excellent for squirrel and deer hunters. A current Ohio hunting and fishing license is necessary. Due to restrictions, numerous locations are included on the hunting map.
LOCATION: Alum Creek State Park is situated near Lewis Center, Ohio just north in Delaware county.
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