The Unique Day Trip To Salt Fork State Park In Ohio Is A Must-Do
Salt Fork State Park, which stretches across 17,229 acres of Guernsey County, is the largest state park in Ohio. Named for its salt well that was once used by local Native Americans, the park is home to breathtaking natural features and diverse species of plants and animals. While exploring the fascinating geological features, such as shelter caves or weathered blocks of sandstone, that are scattered throughout the park, visitors are likely to encounter a number of different animals, including wild turkeys, red foxes, and white-tailed deer. While it is well worth taking a day trip to encounter the sights, there is almost too much natural beauty to take in on a single day, which makes Salt Fork State Park a place worth returning to again and again.
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Visitors can spend the day enjoying the many outdoor recreation activities Salt Fork State Park offers. The park features 14 scenic hiking trails ranging in difficulty from the 6.86-mile Buckeye Trail to the easy Forest Crest Nature Trail, which is a leisurely stroll that is less than half a mile long.
Visitors can also enjoy numerous other winter recreation activities, including ice-fishing, cross-country skiing, and sledding.
Salt Fork State Park is also the site of many reported Bigfoot sightings. As recently as 2020, visitors to the park have claimed to have seen the huge, ape-like creature walking around the woods. Bigfoot sightings are so common in the park that an episode of the television series “Finding Bigfoot” was even filmed within the grounds.
Visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the cryptid for themselves will likely have their best chance at three specific locations that are said to have the most frequent sightings: at Morgan’s Knob, along the Buckeye Trail, and near the aptly-named Bigfoot Ridge.
For the visitors who aren’t too scared off by Bigfoot to stay the night, the park has a beautiful and spacious campground where they can pitch their tent or park their RVs.
The RV sites come equipped with full electric hook-ups and the campground boasts many amenities, including heated shower houses, a boat launch, and even a playground for younger visitors.
If you want to extend your stay, but sleeping outside isn’t your thing, you can’t go wrong booking an overnight at the Salt Fork Lodge.
