Beaver Creek State Park

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Coordinates: 40°43′37″N 80°36′45″W / 40.72694°N 80.61250°W / 40.72694; -80.61250
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with
Beaver Creek State Natural Area in Oregon; Beaver Creek Wilderness in Kentucky; or Beaver Creek Valley State Park
in Minnesota.

Beaver Creek State Park
Ohio state park
WebsiteBeaver Creek State Park

Beaver Creek State Park is a 2,722-acre (1,102 ha) public recreation area in Columbiana County, Ohio in the United States. The park is near East Liverpool on the banks of Little Beaver Creek. Remnants of the historic Sandy and Beaver Canal can be found throughout the park. It is open for year-round recreation including, camping, boating, hunting, fishing and hiking.[2]

The

North Country National Scenic Trail passes through the park.[3]

History

The history of human habitation in the Beaver Creek area dates back to the

prehistoric Paleoindian people.[2]

The land in and around Beaver Creek State Park was inhabited by various

Dunmore's War.[2]

The first permanent white settler in the area was John Quinn, a

trapper who moved into the Little Beaver Creek valley in 1790. He was soon followed by Anglo-American pioneers who cleared the forests and established frontier farms throughout eastern Ohio.[2]

The

locks, was chartered in 1828 and completed in 1848. However, the middle section of the canal had many problems from the beginning and fell into disrepair.[4] The canal ceased to operate in 1852, when the Cold Run Reservoir Dam outside of Lisbon, Ohio broke, ruining a large portion of the canal.[5] Remnants of the canal can be found at Beaver Creek State Park.[2]

During the American Civil War, Confederate general and cavalry officer John Hunt Morgan led 2,460 troops past Union lines into Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio in July 1863 as part of a military campaign called Morgan's Raid. This raid would be the farthest north any uniformed Confederate troops penetrated during the war.[6] The raid ended when Morgan and his men were forced to surrender near what is now Beaver Creek State Park.[2]

Beaver Creek State Park was established in 1949 with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.[2]

Attractions

Gaston's Mill is a historic mill that was built in 1837 on Little Beaver Creek. It is now restored and is open to the public. The mill is in working condition with various displays of antique milling equipment located within the mill building.[7] The mill works seasonally and grinds whole wheat flour, cornmeal and buckwheat
flour.

The historic recreation Pioneer Village features a log home, church, schoolhouse, general store and blacksmith shop, and is next to the mill.[2] The village is open on weekends during the summer season.

The Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center features small live animals, natural history dioramas, displays of insects, arrowheads and nature photographs, and also houses a gift shop. The center's volunteers offer programs about nature and environmental conservation.

Ecology

Beaver Creek State Park is in the Appalachian Highlands region of Ohio. The hilly sandstone region is home to diverse plant and animal populations. The region contains nearly 70% of the woodlands in Ohio. At one time this same region was a barren wasteland that had been stripped of its old growth forests to provide fuel for the iron furnaces. The forests have since regrown with a diversity of hardwoods including hickory, oak, and maple.[2]

birds and 46 species of reptiles and amphibians, including the rare and protected salamander known as the hellbender
.

A variety of animals are found in Beaver Creek State Park. These animals are protected from hunting in the park. They include most common Eastern Woodland creatures such as the white-tailed deer, skunks, wild turkeys, opossums, raccoons, eastern gray squirrels, great horned owls and numerous songbirds, reptiles and amphibians. Plant life at the park includes Dame's violet, goldenrod, spring beauties and asters.[2]

Recreation

Beaver Creek State Park is open for year-round recreation. The park is bisected by Little Beaver Creek which is a cold water fishery. Common game fish include smallmouth and rock bass. Anglers and hunters are required to have a license issued by the state. The creek is open to canoes and rubber rafts. There are 16 miles of trails open to hiking in the park.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "Gastons Mill". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Beaver Creek State Park". Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  3. ^ "Eastern Ohio". North Country Trail Association. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  4. ^ "Sandy and Beaver Canal". Ohio Historical Society. Retrieved January 22, 2009.
  5. ISBN 0-933788-37-1
    .
  6. ISBN 0-7858-0437-4
    .
  7. ^ "Gaston's Mill". Ohio Historical Markers on Waymarking. Groundspeak, Inc. Retrieved January 22, 2009.
  8. ^ "Ohio Scenic Rivers Program". Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved October 20, 2020.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beaver Creek State Park.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Ohio State Parks
which includes
Beaver Creek State Park.
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