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

Jesse Owens State Park & Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area

McConnelsville · Morgan, Muskingum, Noble & Guernsey Counties · Southeast Ohio
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
54,525acres
—trail miles
1961established

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
Jesse Owens State Park, 100 Natural Resources Dr, McConnelsville
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Reservations or tickets
ReserveOhio — camping and cabin bookings
Hunting or permits
White-tailed deer, squirrel, rabbit, wild turkey and waterfowl can be hunted in season. Wild turkey and deer are among the best prospects in the region. Observe marked no-hunting zones, especially around the state park, and use ODNR's Jesse Owens hunting map. 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

This ground was one of the largest strip mines in the country. In 1947 the Ohio Coal Company, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, started mining here for coal buried about 180 feet down. Over the years it moved some 2 billion cubic yards of earth and took out 110 million tons of coal. The topsoil was set aside and stored, and when the mining was done the land was graded, dressed with hundreds of new lakes and ponds and replanted with grass and more than 63 million trees.

In 1961 the Ohio Power Company (now AEP) struck a deal with ODNR to let the public onto the reclaimed land. As more ground was mined and restored, more was added, until nearly 60,000 acres called the ReCreation Lands were open for free hunting, fishing, camping, boating and trails. In 1998 ODNR recognized it as the largest single outdoor recreation facility in Ohio and one of the most diverse. For decades the free camping was widely known around Ohio as the AEP permit.

The state has now taken the land over. ODNR began buying big tracts in 2018, added another 1,800 acres in 2020, and the wildlife area was bought from AEP between 2018 and 2021. In 2026 the state opened a new campground, ten cabins and a visitor center. Along State Route 78, the Miners' Memorial Park shows off the Big Muskie Bucket, the bucket of the largest dragline ever built, and a Wall of Honor for the workers who ran it. ODNR has also said it plans to bring a bison herd to a site near the visitor center.

Things to do in the park

  • Camp free at one of four rustic campgrounds, or reserve the full-service Big Muskie Campground
  • Stay in one of ten new Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired cabins
  • Fish and paddle the small lakes (9.9 hp limit on all lakes)
  • Hunt deer and turkey across the wildlife area
  • See the Big Muskie Bucket and Wall of Honor at Miners' Memorial Park
  • Archery range, gem mining, and basketball and pickleball courts at the camp office

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for Jesse Owens State Park & Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area.

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

  • McConnelsville and the Opera House, a small river town on the Muskingum
  • Muskingum River Parkway, with historic locks and river access
  • Wayne National Forest and Wildcat Hollow, about an hour south
  • Zanesville and its Y-Bridge, about 45 minutes north

Hiking trails

The reclaimed land is a patchwork of gravel roads, old haul roads and grassland with hunting access on foot. The old ReCreation Lands offered hiking, biking and horseback trails at no charge; check ODNR's Jesse Owens region map for what is currently marked.

Wildlife you might see

  • White-tailed deer, wild turkey, squirrel and rabbit
  • Waterfowl and shorebirds in seasonal wetlands in the valleys
  • Grassland and brushland birds, a habitat that is unusual for the hills of southeast Ohio
  • Bass, bluegill, red-ear sunfish and channel catfish in the stocked ponds
  • A planned bison herd, announced by ODNR, near the visitor center

Fishing

  • Hundreds of ponds and lakes across the park, wildlife area and adjacent ReCreation Lands are stocked with bass, bluegills, red-ear sunfish and channel catfish. Ohio fishing license required for ages 16 and up.

Hunting

White-tailed deer, squirrel, rabbit, wild turkey and waterfowl can be hunted in season. Wild turkey and deer are among the best prospects in the region. Observe marked no-hunting zones, especially around the state park, and use ODNR's Jesse Owens hunting map. A valid Ohio hunting license is required.

Getting on the water

There is one lake inside the state park and dozens of small ponds and lakes across the surrounding wildlife area, most with boat ramps. All of them have a 9.9 horsepower limit, so this is small-boat and paddle country.

Launches & facilities

State park lake
Boat ramp and fishing access at the main lake.
Wildlife area lakes and ponds
Numerous ramps and bank-fishing spots on the reclaimed lakes.

Good to know

  • Ponds are stocked with bass, bluegill, red-ear sunfish and channel catfish, so bring light tackle.
  • Many lakes are reached by gravel roads, so check road conditions after heavy rain.

The Land That Was Put Back

Stand almost anywhere in this wildlife area and the first thing to understand is that the hills were moved. From 1947 the Ohio Coal Company, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, dug down about 180 feet to reach the coal, and by the end it had shifted some 2 billion cubic yards of earth and mined 110 million tons of coal. Along State Route 78, the bucket of the giant dragline Big Muskie, the largest ever built, sits at Miners' Memorial Park, with a Wall of Honor for the workers who ran it.

But the miners did something unusual. They saved the topsoil, and when the coal was gone they put the land back. It was graded, planted with grass and more than 63 million trees, and left with hundreds of new lakes and ponds. In 1961 the company opened it to the public, and for decades it was one of Ohio's best-known free places to hunt, fish and camp, with the required 'AEP permit.'

Behind the legend

The numbers come from ODNR and are round ones. What is less well known is how the land changed hands. AEP sold it, and ODNR started buying large tracts in 2018, adding another 1,800 acres in 2020, and the wildlife area was acquired between 2018 and 2021. The new campground, cabins and visitor center opened in 2026. ODNR has also said it plans to bring a bison herd to a site near the visitor center, and that has not yet happened.

Reclamation stories can be told two ways. It is a triumph, since the ridgetops are forested again and the lakes are stocked. It is also a reminder that the land was once open to public use only because a coal company allowed it, which is why the purchase is a big deal.

If you go

See the Big Muskie bucket at Miners' Memorial Park and read the Wall of Honor. Then pick a rustic campground, watch a lake at dusk and think about the ground you are standing on, which is all put back.

Road trips through Jesse Owens State Park & Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area

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

Appalachian Byway

Southeast Ohio
Free rustic camping on former mine land in Morgan County.
Scenic byway115 miles
1 to 2 days · Hannibal, on the Ohio River to Nelsonville

Ohio Art Corridor

Appalachian Ohio
Jesse Owens State Park.
Heritage driveVaries
2 days · Circleville to Portsmouth

Oddities near Jesse Owens State Park & Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area

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

Big Muskie's Bucket

McConnelsville · Morgan and Noble counties
The bucket of the world's largest dragline, big enough to climb inside.
Machine relic
Part of this park

The Buckeye Trail at Jesse Owens State Park & Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area

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

5 Belle Valley Section

58 miles · Guernsey, Noble
The former AEP land, with free rustic camping
4 parks

6 Stockport Section

58 miles · Morgan, Noble
The former AEP lands and rustic campgrounds
2 parks

8 Whipple Section

58 miles · Washington, Noble, Morgan
The former AEP ReCreation Land
Remote2 parks

Campsites

Rustic campgrounds (4 areas)
No-fee primitive camping · self-registration, first-come, first-served · two-week maximum stay · Sand Hollow closes in winter
Free
Big Muskie Campground (full service)
Full hookups and a camp store · open year-round · reservation-based
$42–46/night
Non-electric site (reservation)
Listed on ODNR's rate sheet for Jesse Owens · reserve through ReserveOhio or by phone
$23–27/night

Cabins

Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired cabin
10 cabins added in 2026 · 900 sq ft, sleeps up to six · 3 are fully ADA, 2 allow pets
See ReserveOhio

On site

  • Camp store at Big Muskie Campground
  • Basketball and pickleball courts at the camp office
  • Archery range
  • Boat launch ramps in the surrounding wildlife area
  • New visitor center for the wildlife area
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 "Jesse Owens State Park & Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area" there to finish reserving.
Prefer the phone?740-558-6040

The four rustic areas are true primitive camping, with simple pit-style toilets, no showers and no hookups. Big Muskie Campground and the cabins are booked on ReserveOhio. Cell coverage can be spotty in the reclaimed hills, and there are steep unreclaimed spoil banks in places, so stay on roads and marked areas.

Restaurants nearby

The Boondocks BBQ & Grill
Riverfront BBQ featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives; closed Sun to Tue
Directions
Chatterbox Tavern
Burgers, steaks and haddock sandwiches; open daily
Directions
Mary Claire's Place
Home cooking and fresh donuts; closed Monday
Directions

Gas stations nearby

Marathon Gas
In town; some travelers report high prices, so fill up before you come
Directions

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