Burr Oak State Park

Burr Oak State Park at a Glance
Date established:	Lake created in 1950 Dedicated as a state park in 1952
Acreage (total):	2,593 acres (1050 hectares)
Water acreage (Burr Oak Lake):	664 acres (269 hectares)
Boat ramps:	Four
Miles of trails:	26 miles total (42 kilometers)
Trail miles open to horses:	11.5 miles (18 kilometers)
RV-friendly campsites:	17 electric
Regular campsites:	91 non-electric (in two locations), also two camper cabins
Primitive campsites:	8
Cottages:	30, in two groupings
Lodge:	60 guest rooms
Hunting:	Hunting allowed in the northeastern and western parts of the park, prohibited in the central area (see hunting zone map)
Official park website:	http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/burroak

Burr Oak State Park straddles three counties: Athens, Morgan and Perry. It has a 654-acre lake nestled in 2,593 acres of forested, hilly land. The lake was originally created for flood control, on the East Branch of Sunday Creek. The park has a good trail system, with the combined North Country National Scenic Trail / Buckeye Trail / American Discovery Trail passing through the park. There are several nice rockhouses with small waterfalls when it rains. There are four boat docks (one a full-fledged marina) and two boat ramps. There is a main park campground, but also a nearby National Forest campground, as well as two smaller campgrounds at boat docks 2 and 3. The park features a lodge and cabins, as well as two swimming beaches. There is also a system of horse trails. There will be a much better map coming soon than the one below. Unfortunately, once again we cannot give a general recommendation to Burr Oak. I was ready to give a great writeup in the upcoming new print edition of the guide, but I now cannot because of the park's current "maintenance" policies. The park is now mowing virtually every place that a mower can be forced over. Areas that haven't been mown for many years and which had become spectacular wildflower areas are now just (in the later summer as I'm writing) brown, dying grass, unbelievably ugly. Big areas of butterfly weed, especially, have been destroyed, which apparently means that the park is now declaring itself to be against the monarch butterfly.

Trails at Burr Oak State Park

For full information on Burr Oak trails, see the Athens Trails site.

The BENCAD Trail, which passes through Burr Oak, is maintained by the Buckeye Trail Association.

To reach Burr Oak State Park from Athens, take OH-13 north 12.6 miles from US-33 to OH-78 East. Then, to go to boat docks 1, 2, or 3 or to the park lodge, turn right on OH-78; it’s then 4.9 miles to the park lodge (4.2 miles to the turnoff). To go to the dam, the National Forest Service campground, the park’s main campground, the equestrian trails, or the swimming beach, continue straight on OH-13; it’s 3.1 miles to the dam turnoff. After the turnoff to the dam, turn right at the next opportunity on Burr Oak Road to get to the other areas. Total driving distance from downtown Athens to the Burr Oak lodge: 21.5 miles.