Pymatuning State Park - Ohio

Pymatuning State Park encompasses a total area of 3,512 acres of land near Andover, a village located in the south-east area of Ashtabula County, Ohio. Within the park is the 1,407-acre Pymatuning Lake, of which about 25% is in Ohio and 75% is in Pennsylvania. To get to the park, just travel one hour east of Cleveland, which is in the northeast part of the state.

The Pymatuning Lake was created after a dam was constructed in 1933 on the Shenango and Beaver Rivers to regulate the flow of the rivers. The land where the park sits was acquired in 1935 and the Division of Parks and Recreation started developing the state park in 1950.

The Pymatuning State Park mainly consists of rich wetland habitat that is the natural home for a wide variety of wildlife including bears and wolves. The land where the park sits was also the place where Native American tribes settled due to the abundance of natural resources in the area. In fact, the word Pymatuning comes from a Native American language and loosely means ‘the crooked-mouthed man's dwelling place.’

Today, the section of the Pymatuning Lake that is in the Pymatuning State Park offers plenty of activities including year-round boating and fishing of the finest muskellunge and walleye, which are freshwater fish. Some of the other activities that you can enjoy at the park include camping, swimming, hiking, cross-country skiing, hunting, ice skating, ice fishing, iceboating, and nature programs.

Amenities at the park include over 300 campsites (most of which have electricity), swimming beach, picnic areas and picnic shelters, rent-a-yurt units, food concession, playgrounds, game courts, cottages, boat ramps and boat rentals, nature center, and hiking trails.

Unlike most other Ohio State parks, the Pymatuning State Park also offers pet/dog-friendly facilities including yurts, cabins, or lodge rentals. That said, standard Ohio state park rules with regards to pets/dogs apply. Some of these rules include the following. You are only allowed a maximum of two pets/dogs per campsite. You are not allowed to bring your pets/dogs into areas that are not designated as pet/dog-friendly areas. Also, you must always make sure that your dog is on a leash no longer than six feet long.