A number of Ohio state parks have already hosted Halloween-related events. In case you missed them, the good news is that there are still additional events scheduled. Activities offered at specific parks vary, but typically the campouts involve such things as costume contests, costume parties, pumpkin carving, campsite decorating, trick or treating, and games. Some of the parks offer hayrides, haunted trails, and movies.
These October events can be found in the not-so-very-friendly calendar of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) under their October listing. If you switch to viewing their calendar in week mode, it is more informative. Here’s a link for the week of Oct. 21st through 27th. Once at the ODNR calendar, you can advance backward or forward by using the arrows in the upper left corner of their calendar.
To make things even easier for you, I’ve summarized the remaining Halloween events below. In these lists, “C” stands for “Central Ohio”, “NW” stands for “Northwest Ohio”, etc. I’ve included park phone numbers, so you can call the park for details about the event that interests you.
October 19th Weekend: Campouts
- (C) Deer Creek, (740) 869-3124
- (NW) Indian Lake (937) 843-2717
- (NW) Maumee Bay (419) 836-8828
- (NE) Beaver Creek, (330) 385-3091
- (NE) Mohican (419) 994-4290
- (NE) West Branch (330) 296-3239
- (SE) Jackson Lake (740) 682-6197
- (SE) Forked Run (740) 378-6206
- (SW) Cowan Lake, (937) 382-1096
- (SW) East Fork, (513) 734-4323
- (SW) Rocky Fork (937) 393-3210
- (SW) Stonelick, starts on the 20th and includes a “haunted dance” (513) 734-4323
October 19th Weekend: Haunted Trails
- (NW) Maumee Bay; Oct. 20th and 21st; 12 to 4 PM; $5 per child (419) 836-9117
- (NE) Lake Milton; Oct. 19th and 20th; 7 to 10:30 PM; 1979 Grandview Rd., (330) 654-4989
October 20th One Day Events
- (NE) Cleveland Lakefront from 1 to 4 PM at Euclid Beach; activities to include a hay ride, kid’s activities, games, crafts
- (NE) Quail Hollow from 4 to 8 PM; $2 fee; (330) 877-6652
October 26th Weekend: Campouts
- (C) Deer Creek (740) 869-3124
- (NE) Beaver Creek, starts on the 27th; meet at the horseman’s camp off Sprucevale Rd.; includes a haunted campout, a bridle trail scavenger hunt, and a horse and rider costume contest; (I’m not listing the phone number for this one because it seems to be an individual’s number, and not the number of the park)
- (SE) Dillon (740) 453-4377
- (SE) Hocking Hills at the Old Man’s Cave campground (740) 385-6841
- (SE) Lake Alma (740) 384-4474
- (SW) East Fork (513) 734-4323
October 26th Weekend: Haunted Trails
- (NE) Lake Milton (330) 654-4989
October 27th One Day Events
- (SE) Salt Fork – Decorate pumpkins and cookies; hike a haunted trail; trick or treat; costume contest; (740) 439-3521
- (SW) Shawnee – Trout or Treat Kiddie Derby – fishing for kids age 12 and under; (740) 858-6652
- (SW) Sycamore – Games and seasonal activities, (937) 854-4452
Bob Platt
Deb Platt
