State park trips are the cheapest way we know to get a whole family outside, off screens and talking again, and November is a sneaky-good month to take them.
The crowds thin, the leaves crunch, and the gorges and lakes look nothing like July. Below are eight state park trips our family keeps taking, a quick way to match them to your crew, and the lock-up routine we run on the house before we leave.
Read time · 9 minutes
Your State Park Trips Passport
The 30-second version
Plan state park trips by what your crew likes: gorges and waterfalls, lake beaches, easy trails, or fossils and history. Check the park’s Ohio Department of Natural Resources page for hours and closures, dress for slick late-fall trails, set the thermostat back before you leave, and stamp the passport when you get home.
Stamp the Passport, One Park at a Time
Choose what your crew is into and the matching state park trips light up. Been to one? Tap its stamp and watch the count climb. Park facts come from each Ohio Department of Natural Resources listing.
Full passport! Eight parks, one crew. Time to start a second book.
Sycamore State Park
Our home-county pick sits in the Wolf Creek Valley, named for the big sycamores lining the creek. The 0.6-mile Storybook Trail suits little legs, and connecting trails add up to about 8 miles of hiking. Kids can fish an accessible youth-only pond, and an Adena ceremonial mound sits inside the park. It is the easiest of our state park trips to fit into a Saturday morning.
- Easy trails
- History
John Bryan State Park
The Little Miami State and National Scenic River carved a limestone gorge here that is now a National Natural Landmark, and the river drops about 130 feet through the area, per the John Bryan State Park page. Kids get the Storybook Trail; older climbers can top-rope on the North Rim Trail. Dogs are welcome, but not in the neighboring Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve. Some shelters are closed for renovations.
- Gorge
- Easy trails
Buck Creek State Park
C.J. Brown Reservoir covers 2,120 acres, and the 2,400-foot sand beach waits for warm weather. Thirteen hiking trails run from 0.3 to 5 miles, and the nature center lets kids try a kayak-paddling activity beside a mural of life-size lake fish. ODNR also notes Adena and Hopewell earthworks and Shawnee use in the area.
- Lake & beach
- History
Caesar Creek State Park
ODNR calls the 2,830-acre lake the deepest in Ohio, about 150 feet behind the dam. Families come for the 1,300-foot beach, the 0.7-mile Horseshoe Falls Trail and a Pioneer Village of 15 historic buildings from the early 1800s. The headliner is fossil hunting: per the ODNR fossil collecting guide, collectors must first get a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers Visitor Center.
- Lake & beach
- Fossils
- Pioneer history
Hueston Woods State Park
The 625-acre Acton Lake has a 1,500-foot beach, and more than 12 miles of hiking trails wind through the park. Its state nature preserve protects old-growth beech and sugar maple and is a National Natural Landmark. ODNR says Ordovician fossils can be found in the creeks; check with a naturalist before you collect. The nature center’s live birds of prey win over our kids every time.
- Lake & beach
- Fossils
- Old-growth woods
Indian Lake State Park
Indian Lake began as a shallow feeder lake for the Miami & Erie Canal and became a resort park after the canal days. Today it holds 5,100 acres of water dotted with islands. Walk the causeway to Pew Island for a 0.82-mile loop, or bike the 3.5-mile paved West Bank bikeway. Two public beaches add up to 1,400 feet of lake access.
- Lake & beach
- Easy trails
Grand Lake St. Marys State Park
This 13,500-acre lake was dug by hand for the Miami & Erie Canal and was once the largest man-made lake in the world, says the Grand Lake St. Marys page. It was also the site of the first offshore oil drilling in the world. Expect 52 miles of shoreline, four public beaches and short paved, accessible trails. Bring binoculars: bald eagles have started nesting in the wildlife refuge at the southwest corner.
- Lake & beach
- Canal history
- Paved trails
Hocking Hills State Park
The longest drive of our state park trips, and worth every mile. Old Man’s Cave, Cedar Falls and Rock House are each about a 1-mile moderate trail, and Ash Cave is an easy, wheelchair-accessible quarter-mile. The Whispering Cave Trail leads to a 105-foot seasonal waterfall. The Hocking Hills State Park page asks visitors to stay on marked trails and keep young children close.
- Waterfalls
- Gorges
- Easy Ash Cave trail
Late-Fall Hikes Without the Grumbles
November trails are quiet, but they are not summer trails. Wet leaves hide roots and slick rock, and daylight runs out early. Hocking Hills trails are open from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset, so on late-fall state park trips we plan to be back at the car before dark.
Want a tradition? Hocking Hills holds an annual winter hike each January: six miles from Upper Falls at Old Man’s Cave to Ash Cave, past Lower Falls and Cedar Falls, with bean soup at Cedar Falls and hot chocolate at Ash Cave. The ODNR winter hike notes tell hikers to dress in layers, bring water and snacks, consider ice traction cleats and tell someone their plans. That advice fits all your winter state park trips.
- Check the park page the morning you go. Closures and event dates change.
- Layer up, don’t bulk up. Kids warm up fast on a climb and cool off at the overlook.
- Start with short loops. Ash Cave, the Storybook Trails and Pew Island make easy wins on state park trips with small hikers.
The Luggage-Tag Packing List
Two tags: one for the trail, one for the car. Clip them to the cooler before state park trips.
Lock the House Up Right Before You Go
The sweetest part of state park trips is coming home to a warm, dry house. Here is our five-step lock-up.
- Set the thermostat back. The U.S. Department of Energy says setting it 7–10 degrees lower for 8 hours a day while you’re away or asleep can cut heating bills by as much as 10% a year. A day trip is a ready-made setback.
- Put a lamp on a timer. A light at dusk makes the house look lived-in.
- Clear the gutters before the freeze. Leaf-packed gutters overflow, and cold nights can freeze that water along the eaves. Our gutter maintenance tips walk you through it.
- Notice how the house feels when you return. Chilly upstairs rooms can point to thin attic insulation. Our blown cellulose guide shows how to check.
- Lock, latch and look. Check doors and windows, close the garage and snap a photo of the thermostat.
If one of your state park trips turns into a full family weekend in December, our Christmas family gathering ideas can take it from there.
Back From the Trail? Let’s Look at the House
Thrush & Son®: family-owned exterior pros since 1960.
If your state park trips end with a sagging gutter or a drafty window, start with the Thrush & Son® Ohio state park day trip guide, then book an estimate.
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Further Reading
Official sources: the Ohio Department of Natural Resources pages for John Bryan, Grand Lake St. Marys and Hocking Hills, ODNR’s fossil collecting guide and winter hike notes, and the U.S. Department of Energy.
State Park Trips FAQ
Which state park trips work for toddlers?
Start with short, flat loops: the 0.6-mile Storybook Trail at Sycamore State Park, the Storybook Trail at John Bryan State Park, or the quarter-mile Ash Cave trail at Hocking Hills, which is wheelchair accessible.
Can kids collect fossils on state park trips?
At some of them. ODNR says Caesar Creek collectors must first get a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers Visitor Center, and Hueston Woods visitors should check with a naturalist before collecting fossils from the creeks.
Are trails open for state park trips in late fall and winter?
Many are, but check each park’s ODNR page first. Hocking Hills trails are open from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset, and ODNR suggests ice traction cleats when trails turn icy.
Can we bring the dog?
Dogs are welcome at John Bryan State Park but not in the neighboring Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve. Indian Lake, Grand Lake St. Marys and Hueston Woods don’t allow pets on their swimming beaches, so check the rules for each stop.
What should I do to the house before state park trips?
Set the thermostat back 7–10 degrees, put a lamp on a timer, clear the gutters before freezing weather and lock up. The Department of Energy says a setback for 8 hours a day can cut heating bills by as much as 10% a year.
Written by Corey Thrush, Vice President and third generation of Thrush & Son®.
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