Lake Hope State Park is a public recreation area encompassing 2,983 acres (1,207Â ha) within Zaleski State Forest, located five miles (8.0Â km) northeast of Zaleski in Vinton County, Ohio. The state park is centered on Lake Hope, a 120-acre (0.49Â km2) lake on Big Sandy Run.
HistoryEdit
Lake Hope State Park -
The park and lake are named after the former mining village of Hope, Ohio. The original town of Hope still stands under the waters of Lake Hope. The town was flooded up to the side of a cliff, which is now used as the swimming area. There is still one original building standing, The old one-room Hope School still stands nearby, in the state forest, and has been renovated for use as a community meeting place. The Moonville Rail-Trail passes close by. Within the park is the old Hope Furnace, which once smelted iron ore mined out of the area's hills.
Established as Lake Hope Forest Park in 1937, it earned its state park appellation with the creation of the Division of Parks and Recreation in 1949. A new park lodge opened in 2013, seven years after the destruction of the original lodge by fire in 2006.
Activities and amenitiesEdit
The park features trails for hiking and mountain biking plus boating, fishing and swimming on Lake Hope. The lodge serves locals and tourists with area information, a gift shop, and full service restaurant. Visitors can stay in the large campground or in a number of rentable cottages. There is also a rentable lodge that can sleep up to 22 people.
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Lake Hope State Park Ohio Department of Natural Resources
- Lake Hope State Park Map Ohio Department of Natural Resources
- Friends of Lake Hope
