Deer Creek State Park

This weekend we made the trip to Deer Creek State Park in Mount Sterling for some hiking and fall foilage.  On the way, we stopped for lunch at Ben and Joy's Restaurant; food was good and service was excellent.  With the boys re-energized, we headed to the park.

The lake level was below normal pool allowing more room around the shoreline for hiking, fishing, and exploring.  There were lots of birds out catching a meal as well as squirrels hiding their winter stash of nuts.  However, except for hardwoods, most trees have lost their leaves but we were not disappointed.

At the beach, we enjoyed swinging on the swings overlooking the lake, then we took a quick walk on the large beach.  The spillway offered a great place for children to play and plenty of space to wet a line.  Once the boys spotted the abundance of shad, they had to get a closer look.

Don't mistake Historic Harding Cabin as a place for visitors.  It's for rent, and you will be disturbing the tenants if you try to enter like we did.  lol.  One key feature of this cabin is the private dock.  We might have to give this a try sometime.

The main lodge is more modern than many other lodges at Ohio State Parks we visited in the past.  Our food at the lodge was mediocre, but views overlooking the lake were fantastic.  

Planning our visit during the day on Friday, we knew the park would not be crowded and we were not disappointed.