Field NotesOhio
Upper Falls in the Old Man's Cave gorge, Hocking Hills, with visitors on the rocks

An independent field guide · 365 places

The field guide to outdoor Ohio

Parks and forests, ancient mounds, caves, waterfalls and back roads, with the story behind each place and where to eat and fuel up nearby.
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  • 117parks & forests
  • 64ancient mounds
  • 34waterfalls
  • 40historic sites
  • 33road trips

Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills · Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0

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State parks & forests117 places, with cabins, campsites and trails117 places Waterfalls34 falls, with trail notes34 falls Mounds & earthworks64 ancient sites, from Serpent Mound to Newark64 ancient sites Caves & caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters12 caves Lake Erie beaches20 public beaches, Conneaut to Toledo20 beaches Historic sites40 places, from the frontier to the Civil War40 places Road trips33 drives, from the Lincoln Highway to the Morgan Heritage Trail33 drives Oddities19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops19 roadside stops The Buckeye TrailA 1,444-mile loop, all 26 sections1,444 miles

New to the guide?

Six places to start

One from every corner of the state, each with its full story inside.

01Old Man's CaveHocking Hills · SoutheastA gorge of waterfalls and recess caves where a hermit is said to have lived, with the park's visitor center. 02Great Serpent MoundAdams County · SouthwestA gigantic earthen snake on a hilltop over Ohio Brush Creek, built by a people whose name is still argued over. 03Brandywine FallsCuyahoga Valley · NortheastThe tallest waterfall in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, reached by an easy boardwalk with an accessible upper overlook. 04Marblehead LighthouseMarblehead · Lake ErieThe oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes, lit since 1821, on nine acres of limestone shoreline. 05Zoar VillageTuscarawas County · EasternA well-preserved communal village founded by German separatists in 1817, on the Ohio & Erie Canal. 06Longaberger Basket BuildingNewark · CentralA seven-story office building shaped like a picnic basket, with handles that are heated in winter.

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Lake ErieWest Virginia36 places368 places813 places135 places523 places2321 places2124 places2416 places1613 places134 places418 places182 places217 places1710 places1014 places142 places27 places76 places613 places133 places34 places414 places143 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places22 places22 places26 places64 places4

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Parks, forests & wildlife areas

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117 parks in 7 regions

Quail Hollow Park

Hartville · Stark County
Managed by Stark Parks (county park system)
703acres
7trail miles
1975established
13480 Congress Lake Ave NE, Hartville Directions →Official source →

The story of this land

The ground here was a privately owned family farm for generations, and later a hunting camp. What sets it apart is the house. The Stewart Manor House — 40 rooms, with Greek Revival and Federal influences — sits in the middle of rolling meadows with a herb garden behind it, looking rather more like an estate in Virginia than something you'd expect in Stark County.

In 1975 the family sold the buildings and more than 700 acres to the State of Ohio at half the appraised value. That's the detail worth sitting with: they could have sold the land for what it was worth, and instead they took half so it would be preserved. Quail Hollow became the first state park in Stark County.

Since 2016 the Stark County park system has managed the property, which is why it's now generally called Quail Hollow Park rather than a state park. What it offers is unusually varied for its size: wetland marshes, meadows, pine and deciduous woods, vernal pools with rare plants and small animals, and a well-developed trail system. The Buckeye Trail passes through on its way north into Summit County. The manor is open for tours and rented out for weddings.

Things to do in the park

  • Tour the 40-room Stewart Manor House and its herb garden
  • The paved Nature for All accessible trail
  • 3.3-mile beginner-friendly mountain bike loop
  • Walk the Buckeye Trail section through meadow, marsh and woods
  • Wildflower gardens and photo spots around the manor

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for Quail Hollow Park.

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

  • Hartville Marketplace and Flea Market — one of the largest in Ohio
  • Hartville Hardware, an unexpectedly enormous store
  • Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, about 20 minutes
  • Portage Lakes to the northwest

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
Stark Parks (county park system) (search this park)
Location confidence
Verified property location
Quail Hollow Park, 13480 Congress Lake Ave NE, Hartville
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Hunting or permits
Not permitted. This is a county park with heavy day-use traffic.

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.

Hiking trails

Over 7 miles of hiking trail, including a paved 'Nature for All' accessible trail. A 3.3-mile mountain bike trail, adopted by the Cleveland Area Mountain Bike Association, is considered a good beginner course. Equestrian trails as well, and the Buckeye Trail passes through.

Wildlife you might see

  • Rare plants and small animals in the vernal pools and wet areas
  • Wetland marsh birds
  • White-tailed deer through the meadows and woodlots
  • Meadow wildflowers in late spring and summer

Birding

Quail Hollow Park mixes forest-edge and backyard-style birds typical of a wooded park near a city.

  • Eastern Towhee
  • House Wren
  • Chestnut-sided Warbler
  • Indigo Bunting
  • Baltimore Oriole
  • American Redstart
  • Brown Thrasher
  • Chimney Swift
  • Scarlet Tanager
  • Orchard Oriole
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  • White-breasted Nuthatch

March–April and October–November for migrating waterfowl and raptors; June–July for nesting grassland and marsh birds. For a full, current checklist, search this park's name on eBird's Hotspot Explorer.

Fishing

  • Small fishing ponds on the property. Modest, family-scale fishing.

Hunting

Not permitted. This is a county park with heavy day-use traffic.

The Family That Took Half

The house is the reason to come. The Stewart Manor House is a 40-room mansion with Greek Revival and Federal touches, standing among rolling meadows behind a herb garden. It looks more like an estate in Virginia than something you would expect in Stark County. For generations the ground was a private family farm, and later a hunting camp.

In 1975 the family sold the buildings and more than 700 acres to the State of Ohio at half the appraised value. They could have taken full price, and they took half so it would be preserved. Quail Hollow became the first state park in Stark County.

Behind the legend

The half-price sale is the detail people remember, and it is part of the story the park tells about itself. Since 2016 the Stark County park system has managed the property, which is why it is now usually called Quail Hollow Park rather than a state park.

What it offers is unusually varied for its size: wetland marshes, meadows, pine and deciduous woods, vernal pools with rare plants and small animals, and a well-developed trail system. The Buckeye Trail passes through. The manor is open for tours and is rented for weddings.

If you go

Tour the manor and walk the herb garden behind it, then take a trail through the meadows and vernal pools.

Historic sites near Quail Hollow Park

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

McKinley Presidential Library & Museum and National Memorial

Canton · Stark County · Northeast Ohio
A hilltop memorial and museum in Canton that covers McKinley's life and presidency, Stark County history and outer space.
Presidential library
About 12 miles from this park · 1897–1901; memorial finished 1907

Fort Laurens

Bolivar · Tuscarawas County · Eastern Ohio
The only fort in Ohio built during the American Revolution, beside the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.
Only Revolutionary War fort in Ohio
About 25 miles from this park · 1778–1779

Road trips through Quail Hollow Park

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

Lincoln Highway Historic Byway

Northern and western Ohio
A Stark County park with a mansion near Canton.
Heritage drive241 miles
East Liverpool to Indiana line near Van Wert

The Buckeye Trail at Quail Hollow 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.

2 Mogadore Section

75 miles · Portage, Stark
Listed on the trail route in Hartville
2 parks

Managed by Stark Parks rather than ODNR, so it doesn't book through ReserveOhio. Day use only, no camping. The mountain bike trail closes seasonally — CAMBA typically reopens it the third Saturday in May.

Where to camp nearby

Berlin Lake (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
Corps of Engineers campground on Berlin Lake, about 45 minutes east
Directions
Atwood Lake Park
Lakeside park with campground, about 45 minutes south
Directions

Restaurants nearby

Hartville Kitchen Restaurant & Bakery
An area institution — home cooking and famous pies. Closed Wed & Sun
Directions
Grinders Above & Beyond
Oven-baked grinders, generous portions, cheap. Closed Sundays
Directions
The Inferno Hartville
Family-run, wood-fired pizza and giant wings, open daily
Directions

Gas stations nearby

Circle K
24 hours toward Akron; fuel options in Hartville itself are limited
Directions

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

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