Lake Hope State Park

Lake Hope State Park covers a total area of 2,983 acres with the 120-acre Lake Hope as the main center of attraction. The park is located within the Zaleski State Forest which is found five miles Northeast of Zaleski town in Vinton County, Ohio.

The park was established in 1937 and was named after a former mining village called Hope in Ohio. The old village was mostly flooded and now stands under the lake. Part of the town that was not flooded is comprised of the one-room Hope School that was later renovated and is now used as a community meeting place. Another historical area in the old village is the old Hope Furnace that once smelted iron ore mined out of the nearby hills. In 2006, the original lodge was destroyed by a fire and this led to a new park lodge being constructed in 2013.

Besides the historical significance and attractions at the Lake Hope State Park, there are plenty of activities that can be enjoyed at the park. Generally, the terrain at the park is rugged with a large, heavily forested area that includes narrow ridges and deep gorges with traces of iron producing industries and abandoned mines. The scenery at the park is spectacular and is great for hikers, photographers, and historians to relish.

The park also features seven hiking trails and eight mountain biking trails, cross-country skiing facilities, a 600-foot swimming beach, boating facilities for rent, nine picnicking areas with grills and tables, a shelter house for rent, fishing, and hunting facilities. The park also includes a tourist and information center with a gift shop and a full-service restaurant for you to enjoy and a lot more.

You can take your dog with you to the camping grounds and on the hiking trails, but you are not allowed to bring your dog to park buildings and to the designated swimming beach area. You can, however, bring your dog to the water outside the designated swim beach area if your dog is on a leash. Dogs must always be leashed and cleaned up after so bring with you some poop bags.