Shawnee State Park
Steep forested hills, Roosevelt and Turkey Creek lakes, backpacking connections, lodge overlooks, and Civilian Conservation Corps landscapes form Ohio’s “Little Smokies” along the Ohio River escarpment.
Artwork inspired by Clarence Holbrook Carter
Shawnee’s narrow ridges and deep hollows belong to the Appalachian Plateau, not the flatter Ohio many travelers expect. Park roads and short trails circle two small lakes, while the adjoining state forest carries long backpacking and bridle routes over repeated climbs. CCC-era development and later resort facilities make the landscape simultaneously recreational and working forest.
Choose between an overlook-and-lake day and a serious ridge hike. The long Shawnee backpack trail has steep grades, limited water certainty, hunting-season considerations, and far more commitment than the park’s resort image suggests. For a lower-effort visit, combine the lodge view, Roosevelt Lake, and a short nature trail. Download maps before entering the hollows, where cell service is unreliable.
- Landscape
- Appalachian Plateau
- Park lakes
- Two
- Nickname
- Little Smokies
Quick guide
- Read the contours
- Close ridges explain why short mileage can require sustained climbing.
- Separate park and forest
- Facilities cluster in the park; long remote routes enter state forest.
How to choose the right Shawnee scale
- Read the contours
- Close ridges explain why short mileage can require sustained climbing.
- Separate park and forest
- Facilities cluster in the park; long remote routes enter state forest.
- Carry water and map
- Sources and cell service cannot be assumed on ridge trails.
- Check hunting seasons
- Bright clothing and current forest rules matter beyond developed areas.
Good to know
The long backpack loop is not a casual extension of the lodge trails. It crosses remote, steep state-forest terrain where water, navigation, hunting seasons and emergency response require planning.
Notice these
- Forest ridge overlooks
- Roosevelt Lake
- Shawnee backpack country