A nearly 1,200-acre lake with three boat launches and a marina with boat rentals is the focal point of 5,652-acre Paint Creek State Park. The park does not restrict the horsepower of boats used on the lake, but anglers must have an Ohio fishing license. An unguarded, sandy beach has a bathhouse with changing rooms, and the park has both miniature golf and disc golf courses. A trail system includes hiking trails, 18 miles of bridle trails and 12 miles of shared hiking and mountain biking trails. Two of the trails lead to rock climbing areas.
Open year round, but with limited services in the winter, Paint Creek State Park’s campground has 183 electric sites and 14 premium electric sites with decks, but none of the sites have sewer or water hookups. The park office provides equipment for use on the campground’s horseshoe, basketball and volleyball courts. Modern bathhouses have hot showers, laundry facilities and flush toilets, and the campground has a dump station for RVs. Some sites are pet-friendly, and the park also has a primitive equestrian campground. Reservations are available online from May through mid-October. During the off-season, sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Paint Creek State Park has two, single-room deluxe camping cabins with a full-size bed and a set of bunk beds, microwave oven, refrigerator and gas fireplace. A porch overlooks a private area with a picnic table, gas grill and fire ring. The park’s yurt, available from mid-May through October, sleeps four on two futons and has amenities similar to those of the cabins. Pets are not allowed in the cabins or yurt, and the park doesn’t provide housekeeping, linens or cooking utensils. Guests at the cabins and yurt use the nearby campground restroom facilities.
Pike Lake State Park, 15 miles southeast of Paint Creek, has a sandy swimming beach, hiking trails and a disc golf course. The campground has 80 electric sites with picnic tables and fire rings, sports courts and a camp store. A group campground accommodates up to 60 people. The park also has 24 camping cabins. Rocky Fork State Park, 17 miles southwest of Paint Creek, has a 2,080-acre lake with six boat launches, a marina, two swimming beaches and a boat-swim area. The large campground has primitive sites, electric sites and sites with full hookups.
