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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117 parks in 7 regions

Mt. Gilead State Park

Mount Gilead · Morrow County
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
181acres
5.5trail 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
ODNR park finder (search this park)
Location confidence
Verified property location
Mt. Gilead State Park, 4353 OH-95
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Reservations or tickets
ReserveOhio — camping and cabin bookings
Hunting or permits
Limited given the park's small size. Check current park regulations before planning a hunt.

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 is one of the small parks Ohio built in the Depression era, on Whetstone Creek in the gently rolling farm country of Morrow County. The creek name is literal — the stone here was used for sharpening.

The scale is intimate by design. Two small lakes formed by damming the creek, a modest campground, and a handful of short trails through second-growth woods and old field edges. There is no lodge, no marina, no beach worth the name.

What it serves is the everyday: a place for people in central Ohio to fish for an afternoon, walk a dog, throw disc golf, or put a canoe in without driving two hours. Mount Gilead sits just off US 42 between Columbus and Mansfield, which makes the park a convenient stop rather than a destination — and there is nothing wrong with that.

Things to do in the park

  • Nine-hole disc golf course in the day-use areas (no equipment rental)
  • Five picnic areas, four on the south side and one at the Route 42 entrance
  • Paddling on the lake — electric motors only
  • Winter: ice skating, ice fishing, cross-country skiing

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for Mt. Gilead State Park.

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

  • Mount Gilead's small downtown
  • Mohican State Park, about 45 minutes northeast
  • Delaware State Park to the south
  • Malabar Farm, roughly an hour

Hiking trails

About 5.5 miles across six multi-use trails open to hiking, running and horseback riding: Lake View (1.7 mi), Bridle Trail (1.5 mi), Whetstone Loop (0.8 mi), Whetstone Trail (0.8 mi), Big Oak (0.4 mi) and Spring Trail (0.3 mi).

Wildlife you might see

  • White-tailed deer and wild turkey
  • Waterfowl on the small lakes
  • Woodland songbirds along Whetstone Creek
  • Spring wildflowers through the ravines

Fishing

  • Mt. Gilead Lake: bass, bluegill and other panfish. Paddle craft, sailboats and electric motors only.

Hunting

Limited given the park's small size. Check current park regulations before planning a hunt.

Getting on the water

Small, quiet water restricted to paddle craft, sailboats and electric motors. Good for a canoe and an afternoon of panfish.

Launches & facilities

Boat access
Paddle craft, sailboats and electric motors only.
Shoreline fishing
Accessible around much of the lake via the Lake View Trail.

Good to know

  • No gas motors — bring a paddle.
  • The lake freezes most winters for ice fishing and skating.
  • Equipment rental is not available for the disc golf course; bring your own.

The Creek You Sharpen a Knife On

Whetstone Creek is named for what you did with its stone. It was used to sharpen tools, and the name says so plainly. Ohio built this park on it during the Depression, in the gently rolling farm country of Morrow County, and it stayed small on purpose: two little lakes formed by damming the creek, a modest campground and a few short trails through second-growth woods and old field edges.

There is no lodge, no marina and no beach worth the name. It is the kind of park that exists for everyday use.

Behind the legend

It serves people who want to fish for an afternoon, walk a dog, throw a disc golf round or put a canoe in without driving two hours. Mount Gilead sits just off US 42 between Columbus and Mansfield, which makes the park a convenient stop rather than a destination, and that is exactly what it is for.

It is one of the small parks Ohio built in the Depression era, and it has kept its scale.

If you go

Paddle one of the small lakes and look for the creek's stone. Bring a fishing rod for an afternoon.

Campsites

Electric site
Small campground
$33–37/night

On site

  • Showers and flush toilets
  • Disc golf course
  • Five picnic areas
  • Bridle trail access
  • 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 "Mt. Gilead State Park" there to finish reserving.
Prefer the phone?419-946-1961

Restaurants nearby

La Cabanita
Genuinely good Mexican, open daily, cheap
Directions
The End Zone Bar and Grill
Weekend breakfast from 8 a.m., wings and karaoke
Directions

Gas stations nearby

bp
24 hours, hot food and daily donuts
Directions
Sunoco
Opens 5 a.m. and sells live bait
Directions

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