Strouds+Run+State+Park

Also, see Athens County Birding Drive
 * =Birding in Ohio=

Athens County
=Strouds Run State Park= 11661 State Park Road Athens, Ohio 45701 Strouds Run State Park website Strouds Run State Park (Athens Area Outdoor Recreation Guide) webpage Strouds Run State Park map

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Strouds Run SP
Coordinates: 39.3442547, -82.0311356 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Strouds Run SP--Dow Lake Dam
Coordinates: 39.3358243, -82.0183468 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Strouds Run State Park
Strouds Run State Park is located in the scenic forested hills of Athens County, in the midst of the unglaciated Appalachian Plateau. Although untouched by the vast ice sheets that moved across portions of the state over 12,000 years ago, the effects of the glaciers can be seen today in the deep ravines and high hills of Strouds Run. Stream valleys served as outlets for torrents of glacial meltwaters. The erosion power of these waters began carving valleys and hillsides into the familiar topography Ohioans know today. Large deposits of glacial outwash, primarily sand and gravel, were deposited along these streams and strongly affected the type of biological communities present today at the park. From Strouds Run State Park website

Strouds Run started out as the Athens State Forest in 1948. Its conversion to a state park, some six decades ago, was coincident with the building of a dam to create Dow Lake, with 160 acres of water surface. This park is heavily wooded and includes several areas stands of old forest as well as scenic rock formations. It is a great spot for nature study – and it is often used for that purpose by nearby Ohio University.

Strouds Run has the interesting feature that it is literally on the outskirts of the City of Athens. The city owns the 284-acre Strouds Ridge preserve system that connects with the park, and a network of hiking/mountain-biking trails connects the two. Residents of Athens’ Far Eastside Neighborhood can walk up the street to Sells Park and then walk for miles on forest trails. This system includes 22-acre Sells Park and the 106-acre Riddle State Nature Preserve (owned by the City of Athens).

The park also is contiguous with the 75-acre Blair Preserve, owned by the Athens Conservancy, and is close to two outlying tracts of the Wayne National Forest and to the 264-acre Baker Easement, held by the Athens Conservancy, which provides a system of hiking and horse trails.

Strouds Run State Park has an excellent trail system.

To get to Strouds Run from Athens, take Carpenter Street west (turn left from Court Street or East State Street, going from downtown). Carpenter becomes Lancaster Street. Take this to the stoplight at the very top of the hill and turn right. This is at first Lancaster Street, then becomes Columbia Avenue and then Strouds Run Road. Continue to a stop sign just after crossing goes over US-33 on an overpass. Turn right at the stop sign (it is still called Strouds Run Road after turning) and drive 2.1 miles to enter the park. Continue about another mile before turning right to reach the swimming beach or left to reach the campground. Total driving distance from downtown Athens to the swimming beach: 5.4 miles. From Strouds Run State Park (Athens Area Outdoor Recreation Guide) webpage

Kentucky Warbler Photo by Stefan "Mozu" Gleissberg

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media type="custom" key="25959892" || L1283962 US US-OH US-OH-009 39.3442547 -82.0311356 Strouds Run SP L443284 US US-OH US-OH-009 39.3358243 -82.0183468 Strouds Run SP--Dow Lake Dam