Barkcamp State Park


Barkcamp State Park is a public recreation area located in Belmont County, Ohio, United States, near the village of Belmont. The state park centers around Belmont Lake, which was once considerably smaller than its present-day predecessor. The Barkcamp Creek, the namesake for the park, once ran through the area until the dam was completed in 1963, thus reducing the outflow of water. The area once housed a logging camp where logs were stripped of bark in preparation for delivery to the mill. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources began land acquisition for the park in 1955 and developed the property into a fishing and game reserve. The park houses over 150 campsites, miles of hiking and horseback riding trails, basketball courts, boat ramps, beach, as well as other recreational sites. The park ranger once lived on the site and the house still stands inside the park.