Field Notes Ohio

Ohio's parks, forests and wildlife areas with camping, the ancient mounds beside them, and the Buckeye Trail that links them. Stories, trails, wildlife, and where to eat and fuel up nearby. Book campsites on ReserveOhio.
Try:
The Buckeye TrailA 1,444-mile blue-blazed loop around Ohio, with all 26 sections.
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Mounds & Earthworks43 ancient sites, including the Great Serpent Mound and the Newark Earthworks.
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Historic Sites39 places, from Fort Steuben and Zoar to Camp Chase and the Rankin House, from the frontier to the Civil War.
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Road Trips33 drives, from the Lincoln Highway to the Morgan Heritage Trail.
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Lake Erie Beaches20 public beaches from Conneaut to Toledo and the islands, with a map.
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Oddities & Roadside Attractions19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops, plus a Mothman just over the line.
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Caves & Caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters, with a map.
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Waterfalls34 falls from the Cuyahoga Valley to the Hocking Hills, with trail notes and a map.
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Explore Ohio

One map for every park, mound, historic site, beach, cave, waterfall and oddity in the app.

Lake ErieWest Virginia27 places277 places77 places73 places35 places519 places1913 places1319 places1916 places168 places810 places1010 places109 places98 places820 places204 places43 places3Barkcamp State Park4 places47 places77 places76 places69 places917 places173 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places2Forked Run State Park3 places32 places26 places610 places103 places32 places2

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117 parks in 7 regions

St. Marys Section

Miami, Shelby, Auglaize · West & Northwest Ohio
Buckeye Trail Association
48miles
19 of 26clockwise
3counties

Canal locks, towpaths and canal towns.

Follows the Miami & Erie Canal through Lockington and Fort Loramie toward Grand Lake St. Marys.

Highlights

  • Lockington Locks and Reserve
  • Lake Loramie State Park
  • Grand Lake St. Marys

Parks on this section

Lockington Reserve
Two backpacker campsites beside the Lockington Locks
Open
Lake Loramie State Park
Fee-based walk-in sites are available year-round
Open
Grand Lake St. Marys State Park
Nearby camping options
Open

Historic sites near this section

Johnston Farm and Indian Agency
A federal Indian agent's farm on the Miami & Erie Canal
Open
Armstrong Air & Space Museum
A museum built like a moon base, in Neil Armstrong's hometown
Open
Lockington Locks
Stair-step locks of the Miami & Erie Canal, among the best preserved in Ohio
Open

Section map and alerts

Show this section on the mapDistances between stops in this section

The Buckeye Trail Association sells a detailed map for this section and posts current trail alerts.

Official St. Marys Section page →This section on AllTrails →

Camping

  • Lockington Reservation (near Point 2): primitive, backpacker-only sites for a one-night permit from the Miami Conservancy District
  • Fort Loramie (Lake Loramie) State Park (near Point 17): fee-based walk-in sites, year-round
  • Grand Lake St. Marys State Park has more camping nearby

Campsites are run by different agencies and owners, and the rules and fees change, so confirm before you go.

Lodging near the trail

Americas Best Value Inn & Suites St. Marys
Motel with a lounge, St. Marys
Budget motel in a Buckeye Trail Town on the St. Marys Section.
DirectionsCall 419-394-2341

These are places to sleep near the route, not places that advertise to hikers. Confirm that they welcome hikers, and ask about shuttles.

Water

Seasonal water at park fountains and developed trailheads; filter anything from forest springs or rivers.

Take the stops with you

Save the camps, resupply, lodging, trail towns and parks for this section as waypoints.

Google Maps: stops 1 to 9

The file holds 9 waypoints and a stop-by-stop route line. Locations are approximate, often a town center, so use the stop notes to find the exact spot. Your maps app chooses the roads between stops, usually the fastest, so follow the byway signs where they differ. The GPX arrives in a zip file; unzip it and open the .gpx in a GPS or hiking app. The CSV imports into Google My Maps.

Resupply

Fort Loramie and St. Marys are Buckeye Trail Towns.

Food and fuel

Fort Loramie Trail Town
A town of canal heritage and lake views, next to Lake Loramie State Park.
Morrie's Landing
Right by the park and easy to drive past — breakfast, fried chicken, outdoor patio
Directions
The Farmer's Daughter
A longer drive, but worth it for homestyle cooking. Closed Sundays
Directions
Marathon
Opens 5 a.m.; card readers at the pump are unreliable — be ready to go inside
Directions
St. Marys Trail Town
Linked to Grand Lake St. Marys and the old canal.
The Bay Restaurant
Lake-view breakfast and lunch, enormous portions. Closed Mondays, closes at 2 p.m.
Directions
Boardwalk Grill
On the Celina boardwalk with live music. Closed Mondays
Directions
Marathon
24 hours in Celina
Directions
Near Lockington Reserve
Crooked Handle Brewing Co.
Brewpub with a patio overlooking the canal lock park; closed Monday
Directions
Clark Gas
A basic fuel stop; reviews are mixed
Directions
Near Lake Loramie State Park
Morrie's Landing
Right by the park and easy to drive past — breakfast, fried chicken, outdoor patio
Directions
The Farmer's Daughter
A longer drive, but worth it for homestyle cooking. Closed Sundays
Directions
Marathon
Opens 5 a.m.; card readers at the pump are unreliable — be ready to go inside
Directions
Near Grand Lake St. Marys State Park
The Bay Restaurant
Lake-view breakfast and lunch, enormous portions. Closed Mondays, closes at 2 p.m.
Directions
Boardwalk Grill
On the Celina boardwalk with live music. Closed Mondays
Directions
Marathon
24 hours in Celina
Directions

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.