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

Lake Logan State Park

Logan · Hocking County
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
318acres
—trail miles
1955established

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
Lake Logan State Park, 20160 St. Rt. 664, Logan
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Hunting or permits
Permitted — the park explicitly lists prime hunting among its offerings. Valid Ohio license required; check current boundaries.

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 Wyandot were living in this valley when Anglo-Americans arrived. Governor Thomas Worthington established the city of Logan in 1816, and residents named it in honor of Chief Logan of the Mingo — the same man Mount Logan near Chillicothe is named for, whose lament after settlers killed his family became one of the most quoted speeches in early American history.

Iron ore was found in southern Ohio in the mid-nineteenth century, and the Hocking Valley went to work — iron, coal, and later the clay and brick industries that shaped Logan itself.

Lake Logan was created in 1955 by damming Clear Fork Creek, a tributary of the Hocking River, and became a state park in 1964. It sits in the rolling Appalachian foothills just southwest of Logan, and it has a quiet reputation among anglers as one of the better fishing lakes in Ohio. Given that Hocking Hills draws enormous crowds ten minutes away, the relative solitude here is the point.

Things to do in the park

  • Fishing — the main event, and the lake has a strong local reputation
  • Boating with a 10-horsepower limit
  • Swimming and picnicking
  • Quiet hiking in the foothills
  • Winter: ice fishing and ice boating

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for Lake Logan State Park.

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

  • Hocking Hills State Park, about 15 minutes southwest
  • Logan's downtown — 58 West and TheFeed are both excellent
  • Rockbridge State Nature Preserve
  • Hocking Valley Scenic Railway

Hiking trails

Several miles of easy trail along the lake and through the surrounding foothills. This is a fishing park first.

Wildlife you might see

  • White-tailed deer and wild turkey
  • Waterfowl on the 400-acre lake
  • Appalachian foothill hardwood forest
  • Woodland songbirds and spring wildflowers

Fishing

  • Lake Logan (400 acres): a well-regarded fishery for largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, saugeye and channel catfish. Boats with motors up to 10 horsepower permitted.

Hunting

Permitted — the park explicitly lists prime hunting among its offerings. Valid Ohio license required; check current boundaries.

Getting on the water

400 acres with a 10-horsepower limit, tucked into the Appalachian foothills. Quiet water with a serious fishing reputation.

Launches & facilities

Boat launch
Motors up to 10 horsepower permitted.
Swimming area
Designated swimming on the lake.
Shoreline fishing
Bank access around parts of the lake.

Good to know

  • 10-hp limit keeps this lake quiet even on a Hocking Hills holiday weekend.
  • Ice fishing and ice boating are both permitted when conditions allow.
  • Ten minutes from one of Ohio's most crowded parks, and almost nobody comes here. That is the appeal.

Named for a Chief, Beside the Crowds

The town of Logan, and through it this lake, carries the name of a chief. Governor Thomas Worthington founded the city in 1816, and its residents named it for Chief Logan of the Mingo, the same man Mount Logan near Chillicothe is named for, whose lament after settlers killed his family became one of the most quoted speeches in early American history.

Before that the Wyandot were living in this valley, and after it iron ore, coal and later the clay and brick industries built the Hocking Valley. The lake is newer than any of it.

Behind the legend

Lake Logan was made in 1955 by damming Clear Fork Creek, a tributary of the Hocking River, and it became a state park in 1964. It sits in the rolling Appalachian foothills just southwest of the town, and it has a quiet reputation among anglers as one of the better fishing lakes in Ohio.

Hocking Hills draws enormous crowds ten minutes away, and the relative solitude here is the point. For the full Logan story, see the Tar Hollow and Jefferson Lake entries.

If you go

Fish or paddle the lake on a weekday and enjoy the quiet, then read the Legends tabs for Logan's Lament in Tar Hollow and Jefferson Lake.

Mounds & earthworks near Lake Logan State Park

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

George Deffenbaugh Mound

Laurelville · Hocking County · Southeast Ohio
A small Adena mound on a ridge in Tar Hollow country, with a much younger stone mound nearby.
National Register of Historic Places
About 12 miles from this park · Adena period

Horn Mound

Tarlton · Pickaway County · South-Central Ohio
A pristine mound at the end of a country road, guarded by nothing but a creek.
National Register of Historic Places
About 13 miles from this park · Adena period

Historic sites near Lake Logan State Park

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

New Straitsville Mine Fire

New Straitsville · Perry County · Southeast Ohio
A coal-country fire set during a miners' strike in 1884 that burned under southeast Ohio for generations and is said to be burning still.
Ohio Historical Society marker
About 15 miles from this park · 1884 to today

Caves near Lake Logan State Park

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

Ash Cave

Logan · Hocking County
Ohio's largest recess cave, a horseshoe of sandstone 700 feet across with a seasonal waterfall, reached by an accessible gorge trail.
Recess cave (sandstone)
About 15 miles from this park

Old Man's Cave

Logan · Hocking County
A gorge of waterfalls and recess caves where a hermit is said to have lived, with the park's visitor center.
Recess cave (sandstone)
About 12 miles from this park

Waterfalls near Lake Logan State Park

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

Rockbridge Falls

Rockbridge · Hocking County
A little known seasonal waterfall that drops beneath Ohio's longest natural stone bridge, away from Hocking Hills' crowds.
40 ftEasy walk
About 3 miles from this park

Buck Run Falls at Cantwell Cliffs

Rockbridge · Hocking County
A seasonal curtain of water that can spill more than 100 feet down the cliff face at Hocking Hills' most remote, least crowded unit.
Up to 150 ftStrenuous hikeLegend
About 6 miles from this park

Robinson Falls

Logan · Hocking County
A tucked away canyon waterfall, also called Corkscrew Falls, that can only be visited with a free access permit from the state.
12 ftEasy walk
About 7 miles from this park

Upper Falls at Old Man's Cave

Logan · Hocking County
The first waterfall in the gorge, viewable from an accessible ramp and deck just steps from the parking lot.
15 ftEasy walkAccessible overlook
About 8 miles from this park

Conkle's Hollow Falls

Rockbridge · Hocking County
A narrow waterfall at the head of a gorge with cliffs nearly 200 feet high, reached on a mostly flat, partly paved trail.
20 to 25 ftEasy walkAccessible overlookLegend
About 8 miles from this park

Cedar Falls

Logan · Hocking County
Hocking Hills' broadest waterfall, a wide sandstone cascade with the biggest year round flow of any falls in the park.
50 ftModerate hikeLegend
About 9 miles from this park

Lower Falls at Old Man's Cave

Logan · Hocking County
A deep plunge pool at the far end of the Old Man's Cave gorge, reached down a steep stone stairway.
25 ftModerate hike
About 9 miles from this park

Whispering Falls

Logan · Hocking County
Reported as the tallest falls in Hocking Hills at around 100 feet, reached on a newer, five mile loop trail past a swinging bridge.
100 to 105 ftStrenuous hike
About 9 miles from this park

The Buckeye Trail at Lake Logan State Park

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

10 Old Man's Cave Section

53 miles · Hocking, Vinton
Listed on the ODNR trail overview map near the route
3 parks

No campground here — Hocking Hills State Park, fifteen minutes away, has the camping. Come to Lake Logan for the fishing and the quiet.

Where to camp nearby

Hocking Hills State Park Campground
State park campground near the gorges, about 20 minutes south
Directions
Lake Hope State Park
Campground and cabins at Lake Hope, about 35 minutes southeast
Directions

Restaurants nearby

58 West
Brewery and distillery in historic downtown Logan. Closed Tuesdays
Directions
TheFeed
Excellent burgers, open daily
Directions

Gas stations nearby

Murphy USA
On the road toward Hocking Hills
Directions

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