No matter the season, a trip to Alum Creek State Park is worth the drive.
The Alum Creek area has a long human history to go with the scenery. The Adena culture built at least seven mounds on land that’s now inside the park more than 2,000 years ago. The Delaware, also called the Lenape, kept villages along the creek in the 1700s, and American settlers arrived in 1804, when Moses Byxbe built a home for his family beside the creek.
Before and during the Civil War, the Sycamore Trail along the creek was a well-used route for people escaping slavery on their way north to Canada. The original path now sits at the bottom of the lake.
The natural history of the park is just as intriguing. The cliffs found throughout the park were carved out as Alum Creek and other streams cut through the bedrock. When the glaciers that covered the region retreated nearly 12,000 years ago, the rich soil gave birth to a massive, beech-maple forest. That original forest was cut long ago, but a second-growth beech-maple forest still covers much of the park, and in spring the trails are lined with trillium, wild geranium and bloodroot.
From wildflowers to wildlife, there’s so much to see while you’re exploring Alum Creek State Park.
| Alum Creek at a Glance | |
| Where | 3615 S Old State Road, Delaware (park office) |
| Hours | Sunrise to sunset, every day, no entrance fee |
| Lake | 3,387 acres, unlimited horsepower south of US 36/37, no-wake north of it |
| Beach | 3,000 feet of sand, the largest inland beach in Ohio’s state park system; no pets |
| Trails | Six hiking trails from a half mile to 4.1 miles, 20-plus miles of mountain bike trail, 38 miles of bridle trail |
| Camping | Full-hookup and electric sites, a camper cabin, four Sherman cabins; reserve online or at (866) 644-6727 |
| Park office | (740) 548-4631 |
Swimming
The beach at Alum Creek is 3,000 feet of sand, the largest inland beach in Ohio’s state park system, with room to spread out even on a hot Saturday. Facilities include a changing area, outdoor showers, restrooms, beach vendors and sand volleyball courts. The beach is open during daylight hours only, and swimming is at your own risk. Pets aren’t allowed on the sand. Check the Ohio Department of Health’s BeachGuard page for water-quality advisories before you go.
Paddling
If you bring your own kayak or board, the far end of the beach has a carry-in launch, and the no-wake water north of the US 36/37 bridge is the quiet stretch, with shale cliffs and sheltered inlets. Need a rental? Alum Creek Marina rents single and tandem kayaks, three-person canoes and stand-up paddleboards by the hour, and you can book online. The marina is open daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day, shorter hours in May and September, and weekends only in April and October.
Boating
The reservoir covers 3,387 acres, and the half south of the US 36/37 bridge has no horsepower limit, so that’s where the skiers and tubers go. North of the bridge is no-wake water. Four launch ramps offer public access to the lake, and one more is reserved for campers. If you don’t have a boat, Alum Creek Marina rents pontoons seating four to 14, a six-person ski boat and small fishing boats by the hour, with a two-hour minimum on weekdays and three hours on weekends. Reservations are online, and whoever drives takes a short boating exam first.
Fishing
The coves and inlets hold bass, bluegill, crappie, muskie and saugeye, and the marina’s list adds white bass and channel catfish. Anyone 16 and older needs an Ohio fishing license. ODNR publishes an interactive lake fishing map on the park page. There’s ice fishing when the lake freezes.
Hiking, Mountain Biking And Bridle Trails
There are six hiking trails, from the half-mile Storybook Trail at the north end of the beach to the 4.1-mile Rocks and Roots Trail, which the park rates moderate. The newest is the Heritage of Freedom Trail, a 0.7-mile loop near the New Galena boat ramp that opened in November 2024. Its signs follow the Underground Railroad through this valley and the free Black settlement of Africa, Ohio, which now sits below the dam. Mountain bikers get more than 20 miles of trail built with the Central Ohio Mountain Bike Organization, from the easy Gnomewood beginner loop to the 5.5-mile Phase Two, plus a skills course and a four-mile adaptive trail. Riders on horseback have 38 miles of bridle trail through the beech-maple woods on the north end of the lake. Trail maps are on the ODNR park page.
Birding
Birds are here all year, but spring through fall is the season for birding. In spring you might catch bald eagles or migrating waterfowl. In summer, look for cliff swallows under the causeway, ospreys on the nesting platforms off Hogback Road, cerulean warblers and even common loons. In fall the lake draws migrant waterfowl and shorebirds, including buff-breasted sandpipers and American avocets. The Ohio Ornithological Society’s site guide has the spots.
Camping
Alum Creek State Park Campground offers full-hookup and electric sites, all pet-friendly, in sunny and shady spots. Some premium sites overlook the lake, so book early if you want sunrise over the water. There’s also a camper cabin and four Sherman cabins for anyone who’d rather skip the tent, though pets aren’t allowed in the cabins. Campers get a camp store and a nature center, and the campground has its own boat ramp. Reservations are required, online or at (866) 644-6727.
Disc Golf
Near the New Galena boat ramp you’ll find the Players Course, 18 wooded holes with narrow fairways and a few water hazards. Bring your own discs. The course is free to play. There’s also a six-hole practice course at the campground if you’re staying overnight.
Dog Park
Dogs may not be able to swim at the beach, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a spot for them to enjoy. Friends of Alum Creek Dog Park is a 4-acre site along the lake near the marina, at 3992 Hollenback Road in Lewis Center. There are two fenced play areas, one for small dogs and one for large, both lit for after-dark visits, plus three fenced water areas for dogs that swim. It’s free, and it’s open every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Details are on the dog park’s website.
Winter
When the lake freezes and the snow holds, ice fishing and ice boating are allowed. The multi-purpose trail near the Galena ramp becomes the snowmobile and cross-country ski route. There’s sledding too. Under proper conditions is the operative phrase; call the park office at (740) 548-4631 before you load the car.
Butch Bando’s Fantasy of Lights
One of the biggest drive-thru light shows in Central Ohio sets up at the Alum Creek campground every winter. This season Butch Bando’s Fantasy of Lights runs November 20 through January 3, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are per vehicle, not per person: $20 Monday through Thursday, $30 Friday through Sunday and on holidays. Tickets and traffic updates are at butchbandosfantasyoflights.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is Alum Creek State Park?
The park office is at 3615 S Old State Road, Delaware, about 20 miles north of downtown Columbus. The beach, marina and dog park are on the west side of the lake off Hollenback and Lewis Center roads. - Does it cost anything to get in?
No. Ohio’s state parks are free to enter every day. You pay for camping, cabins and rentals, not for the park itself. - Is the park open year round?
Yes. The park is open from sunrise to sunset daily, and the beach is open during daylight hours in season. - Can dogs swim at Alum Creek?
Yes, but only at the dog park’s fenced water areas. Dogs aren’t permitted on the swimming beach. - Can you rent boats at Alum Creek?
Yes. Alum Creek Marina rents pontoons, a ski boat, fishing boats, kayaks, canoes and paddleboards by the hour from spring through October.
For more information about Alum Creek State Park, please visit the Ohio Department of Natural Resources website here.
