 A.W.
Marion State Park
Location:
7317 Warner-Huffer Road
Circleville, OH
Contact:
Deer Creek State Park
20635 Waterloo Road
Mt. Sterling, OH 43143
| Activity |
Facilities |
Quantity |
| Resource |
Land, acres |
309 |
|
|
Water, acres |
145 |
| Activities |
Fishing |
yes |
|
|
Hunting |
yes |
|
|
Hiking Trail, miles |
6 |
|
|
Picnicking |
yes |
|
|
Picnic Shelter, # |
1 |
|
|
Summer Nature Program |
yes |
| Boating |
Boat Rental |
yes |
|
|
Boating Limits |
EMO |
|
|
Seasonal Dock Rental |
14 |
|
|
Launch Ramps |
1 |
| Winter |
Sledding |
yes |
|
|
Ice Skating |
yes |
|
|
Ice Fishing |
yes |
| Camping |
Campsites, non-electric |
29 |
|
|
Campsites with Elec., # |
29 |
|
|
Pets Permitted |
yes |
|
|
Dumpstation |
yes |
|
|
Youth Group Camp |
yes |
The rolling woodlands and quiet waters of A.W. Marion State Park offer visitors
a welcome escape from the rigors of everyday life. This small but unique park
offers a variety of recreational activities while maintaining a quiet atmosphere
of natural serenity.
Camping
A wooded camp area with 58 sites offers tent and trailer camping from late March
through early November. Twenty-nine sites have electricity.
A youth camp is also available by reservation for organized groups. Pit
latrines and drinking water are available.
Boating
Hargus Lake provides 145 acres of water, boat launching ramps and public docks.
Rentals are available from the concession on the northwest side of the lake.
Electric motors only are permitted.
Fishing and Hunting
In the late 1980s, Hargus Lake was drained, habitat improvements were made and
it was restocked with largemouth bass, muskellunge, bluegill and channel
catfish. Anglers can now enjoy some of central Ohio's finest fishing. A valid
Ohio fishing license is required.
In the fall, the mature woodlands offer excellent squirrel hunting in designated
areas. A valid Ohio hunting license is required.
 Trails
The Hargus Lake Trail offers five miles of scenic pleasure, providing access
to the entire shoreline of the lake. Beginning at the campground, the Squawroot
Nature Trail offers the hiking enthusiast one mile of scenic terrain. The trail
is self-guided with directional signs and takes visitors to fourteen points of
interest. These scenic trails are open for year-round use.
Picnicking
Picnic tables and grill sites are located in scenic areas throughout the park. A
shelterhouse is available on a first-come, first-served basis. A concession
stand offers limited picnic supplies. Fires are permitted only in the grills
provided.
Nature of the Area
 A. W. Marion
State Park, located in Pickaway County, can attribute its natural wonders to
glaciation that occurred more than 12,000 years ago. As glaciers advanced over
more than two-thirds of Ohio, vast amounts of rock and soil (or till) were
deposited over the landscape. This till had a direct effect on the natural
vegetation that occurs at A. W. Marion. The surface of the park is fairly level
and the soil very fertile.
The area is diverse with woodlands, plains and prairie. Ohio's prairies,
products of an ancient dry climate, are really small versions of the more
extensive grasslands in the western United States. This eastern portion extends
into Ohio and is part of the prairie-forest border or tension zone. Within this
zone, the grasslands increased in size during droughts, only to be reinvaded by
forests during wet periods. Before settlement began, scrub oak barrens, dense
thickets formed by this shrub, were common in the region but have since been
cleared for raising crops.
The nearby floodplains of the Scioto River are adorned with a variety of
wildflowers. Wildlife indigenous to the area includes fox squirrel, ring-necked
pheasant, a variety of songbirds, red fox and white-tailed deer.
History of the Area
Long before A.W. Marion became a state park, this area had developed an amazing
history. Due largely to the fertile soils of the Pickaway Plains, which are said
to contain the richest land in Ohio, early inhabitants were attracted here. The
Adena culture were among the first to settle the area 2,000 years ago.
An ancient circular earthworks on the site of what is now the city of
Circleville (hence the name) gave evidence to their presence. In more recent
times the villages of Chief Cornstalk of the Shawnee nation were located on
these plains. These same villages were the object of attention of Lord Dunmore,
Governor of Virginia, who in 1774 marched his army within striking distance of
the Indians. His intention was to destroy the villages and end the uprising that
had resulted in the Battle of Point Pleasant days earlier. At the request of the
Indians, a peace settlement was agreed upon before any more fighting occurred.
In 1948, construction began on the dam for Hargus Creek Lake. By 1950, the
area became part of the newly created Division of Parks and Recreation. In 1962,
the park was renamed the A.W. Marion State Park in honor of the first director
of the Department of Natural Resources, a Pickaway County native.
 More To Do
Playground equipment is available in the park and in the campground. Also
available for campers are volleyball and basketball courts and horseshoe pits.
Games and sporting equipment is available at the camp office for use by
registered campers.
|
