Hueston Woods State Park Explained

Hueston Woods State Park
Photo Width:280
Photo Alt:Covered bridge
Map:Ohio#USA
Relief:1
Label:Hueston Woods State Park
Location:Butler and Preble counties, Ohio, United States
Coords:39.5725°N -84.7414°W
Elevation:938feet
Established:1957
Designation:Ohio state park
Administrator:Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Website:Hueston Woods State Park
Acton Lake
Location:Southwestern Ohio
Coords:39.5719°N -84.7481°W
Lake Type:Reservoir
Pushpin Map:Ohio
Basin Countries:United States
Length:2.3miles
Width:0.5miles
Area:625acres
Elevation:860feet

Hueston Woods State Park is a state park located in Butler and Preble counties of the U.S. state of Ohio, about five miles (8 km) northeast of Oxford in the southwestern part of the state. The park lies in Oxford Township, Butler County, and Israel Township, Preble County. It has nearly, including a man-made lake of . The park's beech-maple climax forest has been designated a National Natural Landmark.

History

The state bought the land in 1941, but the park did not open until 1957. The state used the land initially as a prison camp. In 1956, Four Mile Creek was dammed to form Acton Lake, named for Clyde Acton, the member of the Ohio General Assembly who persuaded the legislature to buy the property. Hueston Woods was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1967.

The park was temporarily named after former Cincinnati Bengals player Ickey Woods prior to Super Bowl LVI.[1]

Features

"The limestone and shale bedrock of the Hueston Woods area provides evidence of the ancient shallow sea that once covered Ohio. Fossilized remains of ancient marine animals are so abundant that visitors from around the world are drawn to Hueston Woods to collect them." Fossils found at this State Park include:

The Hueston Woods Covered Bridge in Preble County was completed and opened for traffic in June 2012. The $2.0 million Burr arch truss structure spans 108 feet over Four Mile Creek north and west of the park. The structure supports 40 ton tractor trailer traffic and has a life expectancy of over 100 years.

The Doty Homestead is a mid 19th-century brick farmhouse that is operated by the Oxford Museum Association as a historic house museum. It is open on Sunday afternoons in the summer season.

Mammals that call the park home include beaver, mink, white-tail deer, foxes, eastern coyotes, bobcats, opossums, muskrats, cottontail rabbits, skunks, and more.[4]

Activities and amenities

The park offers boating, camping, fishing, swimming, of hiking trails, of bridle trails, of mountain biking trails, cabins, 96-room lodge, and golf course.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022-02-07. Ickey Woods State Park: 3 Ohio parks renamed ahead of Bengals’ Super Bowl appearance. 2022-02-16. WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio. en.
  2. Web site: The Fossils of Hueston Woods. 1 January 2009. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20090101153255/http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/0/publications/pdfs/huestonwoodsfossils.pdf. 1 January 2009. 6 November 2019. Portions adapted from "Ohio Fossils," Bulletin 54, by permission of the Division of the Geological Survey, Ohio Department of natural Resources.
  3. Book: Ohio Fossils. La Rocque. Aurèle. Marple. Mildred Fisher. Ohio. Division of Geological Survey. 1955. Columbus : Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey. University of Connecticut Libraries.
  4. Web site: Division of Wildlife. Aug 26, 2020.