 Muskingum River
State Park
LOCATION:
1390 Ellis Dam Road, Zanesville, OH, 43701
CONTACT:
Dillon State Park, 5265 Dillon Hills Dr.,
Nashport, OH 43830
740-453-4377
1-866-644-6727 for camping reservations
|
Activity |
Facilities |
Quantity |
| Resource |
Land, acres |
120 |
|
|
Water, acres |
River |
| Activities |
Fishing |
yes |
|
|
Hiking Trails, miles
(Zanesville) |
1 |
|
|
Picnicking |
yes |
|
|
Summer Nature Programs |
yes |
| Boating |
Boating limits |
UNL |
|
|
Launch Ramps |
yes |
|
|
Non-Electric Campsites # |
20 |
|
|
Pets Permitted |
yes |
|
Muskingum River Parkway
LOCKS OPERATING HOURS |
|
FALL 2006 |
Sept 23
to Oct 15 |
Saturdays
and Sundays
|
9:30 a.m. -
6:00 p.m.
Closed 2:00-2:30 |
|
SPECIAL NOTICE |
|
Lock #11-Ellis will remain closed during the
entire 2006 boating season |
The office is now located at 5265 Dillon Hills Drive, Nashport,
Ohio 43830
Phone 740-453-4377 or Fax 740-453-3872 |
|
Arrangements to turn the railroad
bridge at Zanesville Lock #10 can be made by calling
740-622-7390, or 740-622-0090.
|
Special arrangements (with additional
fee) can be made for times outside normal operational hours.
Call the park office with at least a 48 hour notice. |
 |
|
Camping
A camping area is provided at Lock 11. There are 20 campsites off State Route 60
and County Road 49 in Muskingum County. Water, picnic tables, fire rings and
latrines are provided. Pets are permitted in the camping area at Ellis. There
are eight boaters-only, primitive campsites at Lock #5, Luke Chute.
Boating
It is suggested that prior to departing for a boat trip on the Muskingum River,
boaters contact the park office to check on river and lock conditions. Boats
with unlimited horsepower motors, house boats, pontoon boats, canoes and
rowboats travel the river. Public launch ramps are provided at Locks 4, 5, 6 and
11. Private ramps are located near Locks 2, 7 and 10.
The Muskingum River is navigable from Dresden to Marietta. However, the river
channel from Dresden to Ellis is unmarked and difficult to follow. Information
on navigation charts can be obtained at the parkway office.
Some of the tributaries which empty into the Muskingum River are also navigable
for short distances and provide excellent fishing. The Licking River which joins
the Muskingum River in Zanesville, is navigable only by canoe or rowboat.
Fishing
All three species of black bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted), saugeye
and various species of catfish are taken from the river. Bass are also found in
several tributaries. Fishing is permitted from boats and at each of the lock
sites; however, fishing is prohibited from the lock walls. A valid Ohio fishing
license is required.
Picnicking
Picnic tables, grills, latrines, and drinking water are available at all
locks except Lock 9 at Philo in Muskingum County. Visitors are requested to
build fires only in the grills provided and to dispose of all litter properly.
 Lock Operation
A trip on the Muskingum River Parkway is not complete without going through one
of the ten locks. These manually-operated locks are similar to those built
throughout the United States before the turn of the century. Contact the park
office for current fee rates when planning your trip.
When approaching the locks, boats must stay between the red and green buoys
which mark the river's navigable channel. Boats approaching the lock must give a
signal of one long whistle blast followed by one short blast at least 800 feet
away from the lock. Boats must stay at least 300 to 400 feet clear of the lock
until signaled by the lockmaster that they may enter. When entering or departing
a lock, speed should be reduced to produce no wake and possible damage to other
boats.
After entering the lock, boaters must secure their craft to mooring cables on
the lock walls. The lockmaster will assist this procedure. Boaters must stand by
to take in or let out the mooring line in relation to the water level. Each
boater must provide their own mooring line of at least 75 feet.
 The lowering
or raising of the pool level will begin only after all lines are secure. By
opening the upriver valves, water is allowed to flow slowly into the lock
chamber bringing the water and boats up to the required height. When opened, the
downriver valves allow the pool level to drop slowly.
After the lock pool has reached the desired level, the lock gate is opened. The
lockmaster will signal that all is clear and the pilot may move his boat from
the lock. The lockmaster is in complete charge of the operation and control of
the locks and may determine the number of watercraft to lock through.
Arrangements to turn the railroad bridge at Zanesville Lock #10 can be made
by calling 740-622-7390, or 740-662-0090 if there is no answer.
Nature of the Area
The Muskingum River is formed by the confluence of the Walhonding and Tuscarawas
rivers in Coshocton, Ohio. From there, it flows south through Zanesville where
it is joined by the Licking River until it eventually drains into the Ohio River
at Marietta. This mighty river travels 112 miles in all, traversing the scenic
hill country.
The rich floodplains of the Muskingum provide suitable conditions for walnut,
elm, cottonwood and sycamore. Dense paw-paw thickets line the banks of the
river. A rich diversity of bird life and mammals share the wooded shores. The
Muskingum provides a remarkable fishery including catches of huge shovelhead
catfish. The mighty Ohio muskellunge was once abundant in the Muskingum and its
tributaries, but its population has declined in recent years. A number of rare
fish share the waters such as sanddarters, northern madtoms, mooneyes and
channel darters. The Muskingum and its tributaries have long supported large and
diverse populations of freshwater mussels. Dissolved limestone in the river is
used by the mussels in constructing their shells. The Muskingum River system
supports the last remaining Ohio populations of mussels such as monkeyface
shell, fan shell, Ohio pigtoe and the butterfly shell.
History of the Area
The Muskingum River, because of its size and location, has
played an important role in Ohio's history. Its watershed drains 8,036 square
miles, an area equal to one-fifth of the entire state. It remains the longest
continually navigable river traversing Ohio, due to the series of locks and dams
that date back to 1841.
Missionaries settled along the headwaters of this
picturesque river in 1761. The first permanent
settlement in Ohio was established in 1788 at
Marietta. One of the city's founders, General Rufus
Putnam, recognized the economic potential of the
Muskingum River for transporting raw materials to
eastern markets and brought in New England
shipbuilders. In 1824, steam-powered paddle wheelers
joined the flatboat and keelboat traders, generating
public support for river navigation.
West Point graduate Major Samuel Curtis designed a
system of 10 dams and 11 locks to connect the
Muskingum River to the Ohio and Erie Canal at
Dresden. Opened in 1841, the system provided
navigable waterways from Marietta to Lake Erie.
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