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

Delaware State Park

Delaware · Delaware County
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
1,815acres
6.5trail miles
1951established

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
ODNR park finder (search this park)
Location confidence
Verified property location
Delaware State Park, 5202 US-23
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Reservations or tickets
ReserveOhio — camping and cabin bookings
Hunting or permits
Permitted in designated areas with a valid Ohio license. The adjoining Delaware Wildlife Area adds substantial public hunting ground.

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

The Delaware — who call themselves Lenape — were pushed west out of their homeland along the Delaware River, and by the mid-1700s a substantial population had settled in central Ohio. They did not go quietly into anyone's arrangement. Delaware warriors rode with Chief Pontiac in Pontiac's Rebellion, and later joined Blue Jacket's confederation during the Northwest Indian War. The county, the city, and this park all carry their name.

American settlers came in the early nineteenth century along a wagon trail that ran roughly where U.S. 23 runs now. In 1810 someone built a tavern on a small hill that is today part of the park. When war with Britain looked certain, a Captain Taylor directed the building of a palisade around it, and the result became known as Fort Morrow — part roadhouse, part refuge for local families if attack came. Several scares sent settlers inside those walls. No attack was ever actually recorded.

The Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Olentangy River in 1951 for flood control, and the reservoir was dedicated as a state park later that same year. It's become one of central Ohio's heavily used camping parks, twenty minutes from Columbus, with four separate camping areas connected to the lakeshore by trail.

Things to do in the park

  • Four separate camping areas, all connected to the lake by trail
  • Marina with seasonal docks and launch ramps for power and paddle craft
  • Disc golf course
  • Swimming beach
  • Birdwatching through meadow, woodland and wetland habitat

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for Delaware State Park.

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

  • Downtown Delaware's restaurant scene, 5 miles south
  • Alum Creek State Park, a short drive east
  • Columbus, about 30 minutes
  • Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware

Hiking trails

About 6.5 miles across six easy trails linking the lakeshore to each of the four camping areas, crossing meadow, woodland and wetland: Lakeview (1.6 mi), Big Foot (1.5 mi), Briar Patch (1.5 mi), Mink Run (1 mi), Dam Trail (1 mi) and Fisherman Trail (0.25 mi).

Wildlife you might see

  • Waterfowl and shorebirds across the reservoir
  • Great blue herons in the wetland sections
  • White-tailed deer through the meadows and woodlots
  • Strong birdwatching, particularly during migration

Fishing

  • Delaware Lake: saugeye, crappie, largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill and white bass. Marina, launch ramps for both power and paddle craft, and seasonal docks.

Hunting

Permitted in designated areas with a valid Ohio license. The adjoining Delaware Wildlife Area adds substantial public hunting ground.

Getting on the water

Delaware Lake is a flood-control reservoir, which means water levels move with the season and the weather. Marina, ramps for both motor and paddle craft, and seasonal docks.

Launches & facilities

Marina
Seasonal docks and full boating services.
Launch ramps
Separate provisions for power boats and paddle craft.
Swimming beach
Separate from the boating water.

Good to know

  • Water levels fluctuate — this is a Corps flood-control reservoir first and a recreation lake second.
  • Saugeye is the fish to target here.
  • All four campgrounds connect to the lake by trail, so you can walk to the water from any of them.

Fort Morrow, the Fort That Never Fought

In 1810 someone built a tavern on a small hill that is now part of the park. When war with Britain looked certain, a Captain Taylor had a palisade built around it, and the result became known as Fort Morrow, part roadhouse and part refuge for local families if an attack came. Several scares sent settlers running inside its walls. No attack was ever recorded.

The people the county and the park are named for were pushed west long before. The Delaware, who call themselves Lenape, were forced out of their homeland along the Delaware River, and by the mid-1700s a large population had settled in central Ohio. Their warriors rode with Chief Pontiac in Pontiac's Rebellion and later joined Blue Jacket's confederation in the Northwest Indian War.

Behind the legend

The fort's story is a small piece of frontier fear, and it shows how easily a tavern became a fortress when war seemed close. The wagon trail that led to it ran roughly where U.S. 23 runs today. The park itself is younger. The Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Olentangy River in 1951 for flood control, and the reservoir was dedicated as a state park later that same year.

It has become one of central Ohio's heavily used camping parks, twenty minutes from Columbus, with four separate camping areas connected to the lakeshore by trail.

If you go

Look for the hill where the tavern stood and picture the palisade. Then walk the trails from the campground to the lakeshore.

Mounds & earthworks near Delaware State Park

Ancient earthworks within easy reach of this park. Tap one for its history, legends and visiting details.

Highbanks Earthworks & Adena Mounds

Lewis Center · Delaware & Franklin Counties · Central Ohio
A wall of engineered clay on a river bluff, and two small Adena mounds in a busy metro park.
Can visitNational Register of Historic Places
About 16 miles from this park · Mounds over 2,000 years old; the earthwork about 700 to 1,300 years old

Shrum Mound

West Scioto · Columbus · Central Ohio
A 2,000-year-old burial mound on a bluff in a Columbus neighborhood, with quarries and condos around it.
Can visitNational Register of Historic Places
About 26 miles from this park · About 800 BCE to 100 CE

Historic sites near Delaware State Park

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

Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery

Columbus · Franklin County · Central Ohio
The last remnant of a large Civil War prison camp in Columbus, and one of the largest Confederate cemeteries in the North.
Civil War prison camp site
About 25 miles from this park · 1861–1865

Warren G. Harding Presidential Sites

Marion · Marion County · Central Ohio
The home, library and memorial in Marion where Warren Harding ran the last front porch campaign in 1920.
National Historic Landmark
About 35 miles from this park · 1891–1923; library opened 2021

Wyandot Mission Church

Upper Sandusky · Wyandot County · North-central Ohio
A limestone mission church on the Grand Reserve, the starting point of the 1843 Wyandot removal and now owned again by the Wyandotte Nation.
National Register of Historic Places
About 45 miles from this park · 1816–1843; returned 2019

Road trips through Delaware State Park

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

Scenic Olentangy Heritage Corridor

Central Ohio
A lake and fort-history park to the north.
Scenic byway10.5 miles
1 hour · I-270, Franklin County to US 23, Delaware County

Oddities near Delaware State Park

Roadside curiosities, legends and giant things within reach of this park.

Field of Corn (Cornhenge)

Dublin · Franklin County
109 six-foot ears of concrete corn standing in rows in a Columbus suburb.
Public art
About 20 miles from this park

World's Largest Gavel

Columbus · Franklin County
A 12-by-30-by-15-foot steel gavel in a reflecting pool between two judicial buildings.
Giant object
About 25 miles from this park

Caves near Delaware State Park

Caves, rock shelters and cave attractions within reach of this park. Stay on marked trails and official tours.

Olentangy Caverns

Delaware · Delaware County
A self-guided audio tour through a limestone cavern on three levels, with Native American and settler history.
Show cavern (limestone)
About 6 miles from this park

Waterfalls near Delaware State Park

Falls inside or within reach of this park. Stay behind railings and on marked trails; wet rock is slick in every season.

Indian Run Falls

Dublin · Franklin County
A pair of small cascades in a limestone ravine in the middle of Dublin, once home to the Wyandot people, now reached by boardwalk and footbridge.
22 ftEasy walk
About 20 miles from this park

Hayden Falls

Columbus · Franklin County
A limestone plunge waterfall in a Scioto River gorge in west Columbus, reached by a stairway and boardwalk or a stair free overlook above.
25 to 35 ftEasy walkAccessible overlook
About 22 miles from this park

Campsites

Electric site
Four camping areas with a mix of hookups
$35–39/night

On site

  • Showers and flush toilets
  • Camp store
  • Marina
  • Swimming beach
  • Disc golf
  • Dump station
Continue to ReserveOhio →
Field Notes Ohio isn't connected to ReserveOhio, so it can't hold a site or take payment. Tapping through opens it in a new tab — search "Delaware State Park" there to finish reserving.
Prefer the phone?740-369-2761

Restaurants nearby

Son of Thurman
Famous oversized burgers in historic downtown Delaware
Directions
Old Dog Alehouse & Brewery
Brewpub with a big dog-friendly patio. Closed Mondays
Directions
Opa Grill & Tavern
Greek-American with a serious bourbon list. Closed Sundays
Directions

Gas stations nearby

Speedway
24 hours on US-23, the road to the park entrance
Directions
Turkey Hill Mini Market
Kroger fuel discounts, south of town
Directions

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