Shawnee State Park

About Shawnee State Park

Shawnee State Park is located in Shawnee County, Kansas, about 30 miles north of Kansas City, Missouri. This region is one of the most picturesque in the state, with a valley shaped by erosion and a series of lakes, rivers and streams.

The area's rugged beauty has earned the nickname "The Little Smokers" because of its proximity to the Missouri River and the Kansas River Valley, a popular tourist attraction.

Several hundred million years ago, a general uprising in eastern North America changed the terrain that is visible in Ohio today. The wooded hills of Shawnee used to belong to the Appalachian Plateau, but a few thousand years later the rock layers buckled and formed the Appalachian Mountains south and east of Ohio.

Here the rock layers were lifted, and Shawnee therefore never had real mountains, so no real distortions occurred. In fact, this entire Ohio hill is what is often referred to as the "Appalachian foothills," but in fact the hills of Shawnees are also referred to as Ohio's Little Smokies. Looking across the Ohio River, it's safe to see how this region got that nickname.

This deciduous forest is home to a variety of flora and fauna, and at the highest point of the forest the ridge itself seems to roll over the horizon in a soft blue haze. This characteristic color is due to the thousands of acres of forest that have been created by the high altitude and high water level of Shawnee State Park and the dense vegetation.

Historians point out that the name "Shawnee" means "to have silver," as the tribe traded the precious metal in considerable quantities. Wildflowers abound in Shawnee State Park, including many species of pine, cedar and many ferns. Forest animals include white-tailed deer, black bears, coyotes, foxes, elks, wolves, cougars, bears and other wildlife.

The largest village of Shawnee, known as Lower Town, is located at the confluence of Ohio and Scioto. The Ohio River is the primary source of drinking water in the city of Columbus, Ohio, and the Sciota River provides water to many businesses and homes in the area, as well as a number of other businesses.

The Shawnees monitored the influx of white settlers from a ridge over the mighty Ohio River.

When the settlers built their huts on the new fertile land, the Shawnee Indians were driven out of their homes and into the vast waterways beyond the Spaylawitheepi Indian Reserve.

In the 1930s, the region had six camps for the Civil Protection Corps, but the face of the region changed dramatically in the years that followed. The Shawnee State Forest was reclaimed and the land taken over into the park, which was initially operated as the Theodore Roosevelt State Game Preserve. Likewise, resources from conservation programs, coupled with the creation of a new recreation area and state-of-the-art recreation center, ensure that the 1,168-acre recreational facilities continue to preserve the natural beauty of Shawnees State Park.

During this time, many roads and lakes were built in the area, and it became a state park and forest. In the early 1970s the name was changed to Portsmouth State Park, but later changed again to Shawnee State Park in the 1990s as the Shawnees State Forest expanded.

There are 25 detached houses in the Shawnees in Shawnee, each with an umbrella - on a veranda overlooking the lake, a pool or picnic area and an outdoor dining area.

The family campsites in Shawnee have 107 pitches for tents and trailers, and some cabins are available for guests. Each campsite has a toilet that flushes, a shower, air conditioning, toilets, showers and showers, as well as a fireplace.

The Resort Lodge in Shawnee offers breathtaking views of the surrounding hills, and pet tents are available at a limited number of locations. One trip - in the camp with 20 latrine places in the Bear Lake State Forest and one trip in the latrine with 20 places in the camp.

The lodge has been behaving well for several years, there are no reports of problems with guests or staff at the lodge.

Roosevelt and Turkey Creek Lakes offer only electric boat rides, but canoes can be rented and launch pads provide access to both lakes. Two public beach exchange offices are located on Roosevelt and Turkey Creek Lake, one on Roosevelt Lake and the other on Turkey Creek Lake.

Boaters can spend the day on the Ohio River, which is accessible from the park's marina, or on Turkey Creek Lake or Roosevelt Lake.

Turkey Creek Lake hosts an annual trout derby, and both well-stocked lakes offer a variety of fishing options, including trout fishing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, fishing and kayaking.

Picnic areas with tables and barbecues are located in many remote and scenic areas of the park.

Two picnic huts are available on the basis of the first - come, come - served, and two more are open to the public on weekends and holidays.

The park and surrounding state forests invite hikers to discover the flora and fauna of the wooded hills of Shawnee. The Division of Forestry's Shawnee Backpacking Trail takes hikers into the best wilderness in Ohio. This forest also offers a 75 km horse riding trail, as well as a 1.5 km hiking trail and a 2 km cycle path.

Many historic attractions are located in the Shawnee area, including the Ohio State Museum, the National Museum of Natural History and the State Historic Park. The Bonyfiddle area of nearby Portsmouth houses the largest collection of historic buildings in Ohio, as well as a number of other historic sites.

Shawnee State Forest is the largest of Ohio's twenty state forests and covers more than 1.5 million acres of forest. Other forest features include a large network of forest paths, horse riding trails and a number of hiking and cycling trails, as well as a variety of waterfalls.