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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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

Tappan Lake Park

Deersville · Harrison County · Eastern Ohio
Managed by Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
5,410acres
10trail 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
Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (search this park)
Location confidence
Verified property location
Tappan Lake Park, 84000 Mallarnee Rd, Deersville
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Reservations or tickets
ReserveOhio — camping and cabin bookings
Hunting or permits
Seasonal public hunting is available on district land under Ohio Division of Wildlife rules.

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

Tappan Lake is one of the reservoirs of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, the flood-control system built in the 1930s to hold back the waters of the Muskingum River basin. Tappan Lake Park is the district's big camping park on it, on the shore near Deersville in Harrison County. The lake has 2,350 acres of water and the park 5,410 acres of land, and a 399-horsepower limit that makes it a good lake for speedboating, water skiing and tubing.

The park was upgraded in 2017 with new sites and bath houses, and one camping guide notes that it benefits from money the district earns from oil and gas on its land. Its trails, more than ten miles of them, join the Buckeye Trail, which passes along the lake's western shoreline and links the park to the trail's Bowerston Section.

Things to do in the park

  • Camp, from full hook-up to primitive sites in the woods
  • Swim at the beach and rent boats or golf carts
  • Hike the park trails and the Buckeye Trail along the western shore
  • Fish, paddle and launch a boat (399 hp limit)
  • Rent a waterfront cabin or one of the RVs

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for Tappan Lake Park.

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

  • Piedmont Lake and Clendening Lake, the other Harrison County lakes
  • Deersville General Store, a historic village store with ice cream
  • Salt Fork State Park to the south
  • Cadiz and the Harrison County villages

Hiking trails

More than 10 miles of wooded trails, including a junction with the Buckeye Trail and a trail connection to Tappan Wetlands Wildlife Area.

Wildlife you might see

  • Canada geese on the beach and lawns
  • Waterfowl and songbirds around the wetlands
  • Bass, crappie and other lake fish

Fishing

  • Tappan Lake is a popular boating and fishing lake, with two public launch ramps, two kayak launches and two accessible fishing piers. Ohio fishing license required for ages 16 and up.

Hunting

Seasonal public hunting is available on district land under Ohio Division of Wildlife rules.

The Lake the Oil Money Keeps Up

Tappan Lake exists because the Muskingum River flooded. In the early 1900s the river valley kept drowning its towns, and in the 1930s the district was created to build a chain of dams and lakes that would hold the water back. Tappan is one of them: a flood-control reservoir that ended up as one of the best-loved camping lakes in eastern Ohio.

The odd part of the story is who pays. Because the district owns so much land, oil and gas drilling money helps keep the campground modern, which is part of why the sites and bath houses could be upgraded in 2017.

Behind the legend

The flood-control purpose and the district's role are documented on the MWCD's own pages. The oil-and-gas funding detail comes from a campground guide that cites the district, so treat it as a local telling. The Buckeye Trail connection is documented by the Buckeye Trail Association, which lists Tappan Lake on the Bowerston Section.

If you go

Camp in one of the wooded sections, then hike a short piece of the Buckeye Trail along the western shore. Stop at the Deersville General Store in the village for ice cream.

Historic sites near Tappan Lake Park

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

Gnadenhutten Historic Site

Gnadenhutten · Tuscarawas County · Eastern Ohio
The Moravian mission town where militia killed 96 peaceful Christian Delaware in 1782.
Massacre site and memorial
About 13 miles from this park · 1772–1782

Schoenbrunn Village

New Philadelphia · Tuscarawas County · Eastern Ohio
A reconstructed Moravian and Delaware mission village, the first Christian town in Ohio.
Ohio's first Christian settlement
About 17 miles from this park · 1772–1777

Warther Museum and Gardens

Dover · Tuscarawas County · East-central Ohio
A museum of a self-taught carver's masterworks, with a button collection and gardens in a Tuscarawas County town.
Self-taught master carver
About 25 miles from this park · 1885–1972; museum since 1936

Zoar Village

Zoar · Tuscarawas County · Eastern Ohio
A well-preserved communal village founded by German separatists in 1817, on the Ohio & Erie Canal.
National Historic Landmark
About 27 miles from this park · 1817–1898

Sugarcreek, the Little Switzerland of Ohio

Sugarcreek · Tuscarawas County · Eastern Ohio
An Amish and Swiss cheese town whose Alpine storefronts and giant cuckoo clock earn it a Swiss village nickname.
Little Switzerland of Ohio
About 27 miles from this park · 1814 to today

Historic Fort Steuben

Steubenville · Jefferson County · Eastern Ohio
The frontier fort that gave Steubenville its name, rebuilt on its original bluff above the Ohio River.
Reconstructed on the original site
About 30 miles from this park · 1786–1787; rebuilt in the 1980s

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 40 miles from this park · 1897–1901; memorial finished 1907

Road trips through Tappan Lake Park

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

Tappan-Moravian Trail Scenic Byway

Eastern Ohio (Harrison County)
500-plus campsites and cabins on the western shore.
Scenic byway55 miles
Half a day · Harrison County to Harrison County

The Buckeye Trail at Tappan Lake 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.

4 Bowerston Section

64 miles · Carroll, Harrison, Belmont
The trail runs along the western shoreline; 500+ campsites
4 parksTrail towns

Campsites

RV and tent sites
More than 500 sites in six camping areas: full hook-up, electric (30-amp) and primitive; picnic table and fire ring at each site; up to six people per site
See MWCD

Cabins

Waterfront vacation cabins
Rental cabins near the shoreline, plus two rental RVs with full hook-ups
See MWCD

On site

  • Beach with changing rooms and restrooms
  • Camp store and a grill
  • Playgrounds, basketball and pickleball courts
  • Marina, boat and golf cart rentals
  • Seasonal camping and 30-day discounted rates
Reserve at MWCD →
Field Notes Ohio isn't connected to Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, so it can't hold a site or take payment. Tapping through opens it in a new tab — search "Tappan Lake Park" there to finish reserving.
Prefer the phone?740-922-3649

Book well ahead for summer weekends. The park is busy, with golf carts and seasonal campers, and the park office is open until 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Restaurants nearby

Dockside Bar + Grill at Tappan Lake
Lakeside American food at the marina, open daily; the kitchen can be slow
Directions
Tappan Lakeside Bar
Wings, sandwiches and breakfast with lake views; closed Monday
Directions

Gas stations nearby

Deersville General Store
Historic store with a gas pump, hot food, camping supplies and homemade ice cream; open daily
Directions

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