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

Big Creek Park and Headwaters Park (Geauga Park District)

Chardon & Hiram · Geauga & Portage Counties · Northeast Ohio
Managed by Geauga Park District
—acres
—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
Geauga Park District (search this park)
Location confidence
Verified property location
Big Creek Park, 9160 Robinson Rd, Chardon
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Reservations or tickets
ReserveOhio — camping and cabin bookings
Hunting or permits
Hunting is not permitted in Geauga Park District parks except in designated programs.

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 Geauga Park District runs Big Creek Park (9160 Robinson Road, Chardon Township) and Headwaters Park, and both are on the Buckeye Trail's Burton Section. The Buckeye Trail Association lists camping at both, either on tent sites or in Adirondack shelters, at Point 11 of the section. Campsites must be reserved online at least seven days ahead, or by phone before 4 p.m.

The district's parks are small, quiet and free to enter, which makes them a useful stop on a stretch of the trail that is otherwise towns and farm roads.

Things to do in the park

  • Camp in a tent site or an Adirondack shelter
  • Hike the park trails
  • Walk the Buckeye Trail through the parks

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for Big Creek Park and Headwaters Park (Geauga Park District).

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

  • Chardon's historic square and diner
  • Hiram and Mantua to the south
  • Punderson State Park nearby to the north

Hiking trails

Park trails; the Buckeye Trail's Burton Section passes through

Wildlife you might see

  • Woodland birds and deer
  • Headwaters of the Grand River watershed
  • Wetland and meadow habitat

Fishing

  • Fishing in some park ponds; check the district. Ohio fishing license required for ages 16 and up.

Hunting

Hunting is not permitted in Geauga Park District parks except in designated programs.

A Shelter for Every Hiker

Northeast Ohio's Buckeye Trail runs through a landscape of towns and farm roads where a place to pitch a tent is not easy to find. The Geauga Park District solved part of that by giving hikers a roof: Adirondack shelters, three-sided log lean-tos, at both Big Creek Park and Headwaters Park.

Hikers who reach them at the end of a long day on the Burton Section find a dry place to sleep and a spot to cook.

Behind the legend

The tent sites and shelters, the seven-day reservation rule and the Point 11 location are on the Buckeye Trail Association's Burton Section page. The romance of the lean-to is the writer's; the reservation is the practical part.

If you go

Reserve a shelter a week ahead, walk the Burton Section from Chardon and plan food stops in Chardon and Hiram.

Historic sites near Big Creek Park and Headwaters Park (Geauga Park District)

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

Century Village Museum, Burton

Burton · Geauga County · Northeast Ohio
A museum village of moved 19th-century buildings on a working farm just off Burton's town square, on the Buckeye Trail.
Western Reserve village
About 8 miles from this park · 1798 to about 1900

Waterfalls near Big Creek Park and Headwaters Park (Geauga Park District)

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

Paine Falls

Leroy Township · Lake County
A 25 foot waterfall on Paine Creek viewed from a rim trail in a quiet Lake Metroparks preserve east of Painesville.
25 ftEasy walk
About 7 miles from this park

Affelder Falls

Russell Township · Geauga County
A 20 foot sandstone cascade on a cold water trout stream in The West Woods, reached by a 1.5 mile trail from the nature center.
20 ftModerate hike
About 10 miles from this park

Buttermilk Falls (North Chagrin Reservation)

Willoughby Hills · Cuyahoga County
An easy, family friendly cascade in North Chagrin Reservation, with a wooded overlook deck that highlights the exposed shale geology.
10 to 15 ftEasy walk
About 12 miles from this park

Chagrin Falls

Chagrin Falls · Cuyahoga County
A wide river waterfall in the heart of downtown Chagrin Falls, viewable from a bridge and streamside park just steps from Main Street shops.
20 ftEasy walkAccessible overlook
About 16 miles from this park

The Buckeye Trail at Big Creek Park and Headwaters Park (Geauga Park District)

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

1 Burton Section

57 miles · Lake, Geauga, Portage
Tent sites and Adirondack shelters, Point 11
3 parksTrail towns

Campsites

Tent sites and Adirondack shelters
At Big Creek Park and Headwaters Park; reserve online at least seven days ahead or by phone before 4 p.m.
See Geauga Park District

On site

  • Shelters and tent sites
  • Trails through the parks
Reserve with Geauga Park District →
Field Notes Ohio isn't connected to Geauga Park District, so it can't hold a site or take payment. Tapping through opens it in a new tab — search "Big Creek Park and Headwaters Park (Geauga Park District)" there to finish reserving.
Prefer the phone?See Geauga Park District

Reserve ahead; sites have to be booked at least seven days before your stay.

Restaurants nearby

Spinner's Good Time Diner
Retro breakfast and lunch diner; closed Monday
Directions
Square Bistro
Dinner and sushi on the square; open Tuesday to Saturday
Directions

Gas stations nearby

Chardon Marathon
Basic fuel and snacks; open daily
Directions
Mantua EZ Mart
Fuel and snacks; no public restrooms
Directions

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