Lake Alma
State Park
Lake Alma State Park at a Glance
Date established:Lake and park opened in 1903, created as a private recreation area
Sold to City of Wellston in 1926 for water reservoir
Leased to the state in 1931, dedicated as a state park in 1950
Acreage (total):292 acres (118 hectares)
Water acreage (Lake Alma):60 acres (24 hectares)
Boat ramps:One
Miles of trails:2 miles (3 kilometers)
RV-friendly campsites:72 electric
Regular campsites:9 non-electric
Shelterhouses:3
Hunting:All hunting is at Lake Alma State Park west of the old railroad grade, and bow hunting is also allowed in a limited area in the southeast corner of the park
Official park website:http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/lakealma
Lake alma State Park is mostly in Vinton County, with a small area in Jackson County. It is centered around a sixty-acre lake, and includes 292 total acres of area. It has a boat ramp, boat dock, and two swimming beaches, as well as camping and picnicking. The lake is quite shallow.

All hunting and trapping is allowed in the western part of the park, west of the old railroad grade, from October 15 to March 1. Bow hunting is allowed in the southeast corner of the park during bow-hunting season.

The trails are mostly very clear, but not well-graded and some have extremely steep sections. The park road was made one-way southbound, and the northbound lane was changed into a two-way bikeway, continuous with the bikeway south of the park that goes to Wellston. Bicycles are not allowed on park trails off-road.

The park was originally built as a private amusement park, and opened in 1903. It was a project of C.K. Davis, who named the lake after his wife, Alma, and the island was named Davis Island. The lake was originally just a bend on Little Raccoon Creek; the creek was straightened and two dams were built to hold back the water. Most of the development was on the island, which featured a casino, theater, bowling alley, boathouse and beach. The Hocking Valley Railroad was extended to deliver people to the park. The park only had a brief heyday, however, and was closed in seven years. It was eventually purchased by the City of Wellston as a city water reservoir in 1926. Wellston leased the property to the state beginning in 1931, on a 99-year lease, and it officially became a state park in 1950. Today, the lake has not one, but two, beaches.

Lake Alma Trails

Old Pine Trail
Length: 0.4 mile
Sassafras Trail
Length: 0.6 mile
Acorn Trail
Length: 1.0 mile
To reach Lake Alma State Park from Athens, take OH-32 west 19.8 miles from US-33 to OH-160. Turn right on OH-160 and go 9.4 miles, then turn left on OH-349 at Hamden. You will enter Lake Alma on OH-349 after less than a mile.

Total driving distance from downtown Athens: 32 miles.