Salt Fork Lake vacation rentals

Salt Fork is Ohio’s largest state park, located in the east-central part of the state. The park consists of more than 17,000 acres of rolling hills and waterways, with its highlight being the lake itself. The 3,000-acre dam-created freshwater lake is a magnet for boaters throughout the year, with traffic peaking in the summer months. There are no horsepower limits on the water, which means you can camp on your vessel if you follow the guidelines. Two marinas within the park provide services for boaters. If you don’t own a boat, there’s still plenty to do at Salt Fork State Park, including more than a dozen trails for hiking and biking, 20 miles of equestrian trails and horseback riding opportunities, and an 18-hole championship golf course revered for its natural beauty.

It’s no surprise that summer is peak season to book one of the cabins or vacation rentals in Salt Fork Lake, with temperatures averaging 85 degrees Fahrenheit by day and falling comfortably into the 60s many evenings. If you’re seeking to explore nature but would just as soon do so with fewer crowds, visit in the shoulder seasons of spring and fall, when cooler temperatures prevail. Spring brings a persistent chance of storms, and if you arrive on the perfect fall weekend, you’ll be rewarded with bursts of fall colors as the foliage turns. Winter brings occasional dumps of snow, when the park offers sledding, skating, and cross-country skiing to the well equipped.

Hosak’s Cave

Salt Fork has a network of forest trails designed for walkers and horseback riders, ranging from very short to more than eight miles. Near the northern edge of the park lies one of the shorter trails, but one that offers a prize at the end. Hosak’s Cave is more of a deeply set overhang than a spelunker’s cave, jutting out to where a low ridge forms an elbow. In the spring, and after rains, a pair of streams flow off the edge, creating a lovely 50-foot waterfall.

Kennedy Stone House

In 1837, an Irishman named Benjamin Kennedy took it upon himself to construct a stout and enduring home on 80 acres using locally quarried stone. In its simplicity, the Kennedy Stone House is a monument to endurance, and members of the family lived here until 1966. It’s now owned and maintained by the state and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it’s a museum dedicated to early hill life in Ohio, and is open most weekends in summer.

Salt Fork State Park Beach

The Salt Fork Reservoir was constructed in the 1960s, when a dam impounded the Salt Fork creek and created a long, sinuous 3,000-acre lake. Among the most popular and appealing destinations is the beach that runs nearly a half-mile, making it one of the longest in inland Ohio. It’s a regional magnet, and on sunny summer days it attracts hundreds of families and friends who post up for the day for swimming and al fresco dining. The beach features a bathing house with showers, lockers, and a snack bar.