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.
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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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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

Clendening Lake Marina & Campground

Freeport · Harrison County · Eastern Ohio
Managed by Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
4,802acres
—trail miles
—established

Visiting information you can trust

Content last reviewed
September 2026 — this is when Field Notes Ohio's content was last checked, not a live status.
Primary official source
Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (search this park)
Location confidence
Verified property location
Clendening Lake Marina and Campground, 79100 Bose Rd, Freeport
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Reservations or tickets
ReserveOhio — camping and cabin bookings
Hunting or permits
Public hunting is permitted on district land under Ohio Division of Wildlife rules; a valid Ohio hunting license is required.

Prices, hours, closures, campsite availability and trail conditions shown elsewhere on this page are not live — always confirm with the official source before you go.

The story of this land

Clendening Lake is the quietest of the Muskingum Watershed's Harrison County lakes. It has more than 40 miles of undeveloped shoreline, 1,800 acres of water and 4,802 acres of land, and a 10-horsepower motor limit that keeps it peaceful. Saugeye, bass, panfish and catfish draw anglers from around the state.

The marina and campground at Bose Road offer 80 electric and primitive campsites, a laundromat, boat rentals and vacation log cabins. It sits on the same Buckeye Trail country as Tappan and Piedmont lakes.

Things to do in the park

  • Camp in an electric or primitive site
  • Rent a log cabin or a boat
  • Fish from the accessible pier
  • Launch a kayak or small boat
  • Buy ethanol-free fuel and bait at the marina

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for Clendening Lake Marina & Campground.

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

  • Tappan Lake Park and Piedmont Lake nearby
  • Salt Fork State Park to the southwest
  • The village of Freeport

Hiking trails

Hiking around the marina and along the shoreline; the Buckeye Trail runs through the lake country nearby.

Wildlife you might see

  • Saugeye, bass, panfish and catfish
  • Waterfowl and shoreline birds
  • Deer and turkey on district land

Fishing

  • Saugeye, bass, panfish and catfish are the main catches, with three public launch ramps, a kayak ramp and an accessible fishing pier. Ohio fishing license required for ages 16 and up.

Hunting

Public hunting is permitted on district land under Ohio Division of Wildlife rules; a valid Ohio hunting license is required.

Forty Miles Nobody Built On

Clendening has something rare in Ohio: a big lake with almost nothing built along it. More than forty miles of shoreline are left undisturbed, and the ten-horsepower limit means the loudest sound most evenings is a loon or a paddle.

It is the kind of lake where locals keep their favorite fishing coves to themselves.

Behind the legend

The undeveloped shoreline and the 10-horsepower limit are stated on the MWCD's page for the lake, along with the numbers: 1,800 acres of water and 4,802 acres of land. The line about locals guarding coves is the sort of thing said about any good fishing lake and is not documented.

If you go

Camp at the marina, launch a kayak at the accessible ramp and paddle a quiet stretch of shore at dawn.

Historic sites near Clendening Lake Marina & Campground

Forts, villages, furnaces and lighthouses within reach of this park. Tap one for its story and visiting details.

Gnadenhutten Historic Site

Gnadenhutten · Tuscarawas County · Eastern Ohio
The Moravian mission town where militia killed 96 peaceful Christian Delaware in 1782.
Massacre site and memorial
About 16 miles from this park · 1772–1782

Road trips through Clendening Lake Marina & Campground

Scenic byways and heritage drives that pass this park or run close to it.

Tappan-Moravian Trail Scenic Byway

Eastern Ohio (Harrison County)
Camping and log cabins.
Scenic byway55 miles
Half a day · Harrison County to Harrison County

The Buckeye Trail at Clendening Lake Marina & Campground

Ohio's 1,444-mile blue-blazed loop passes through or beside this park. Tap a section for its route, camping, water and resupply.

4 Bowerston Section

64 miles · Carroll, Harrison, Belmont
Camping and log cabins on 40 miles of undeveloped shoreline
4 parksTrail towns

Campsites

Electric and primitive campsites
80 sites, laundromat, up to six people per site
See MWCD

Cabins

Vacation log cabins
Rental cabins near the marina
See MWCD

On site

  • Marina with seasonal and daily docking, boat rentals and bait
  • Store with snacks, drinks and gifts
  • Ethanol-free fuel and propane
  • Playground and picnic areas
  • Three public boat ramps
Reserve at MWCD →
Field Notes Ohio isn't connected to Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, so it can't hold a site or take payment. Tapping through opens it in a new tab — search "Clendening Lake Marina & Campground" there to finish reserving.
Prefer the phone?740-433-4858

Rates change; reserve through the MWCD. The office is open until 4 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Restaurants nearby

Clay's Drive In
Burgers and big soft-serve cones; open daily
Directions

Gas stations nearby

Freeport's Gas N Go
Fuel plus pizza and sandwiches
Directions

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