Ohio Day Hikes: Strouds Run State Park

The beginning of the Lakeview Trail at Strouds Run State park.

Strouds Run State Park near Athens Ohio is a day hiker’s paradise in SE Ohio! Strouds Run features some of the best day hikes in the State of Ohio! Come explore the park with us.

This state park located right on the cusp of entering Appalachian country in the US has some of the best day hiking opportunities to be found anywhere in Ohio!

We are hoping to highlight in this Ohio Day Hikes series a few lesser known but equally beautiful and challenging hiking spots in the state of Ohio. Strouds Run is one of these areas.

Spots like John Bryan State Park, Hocking Hills, and Cuyahoga Valley NP get tons of exposure, and deservingly so.

But just beyond the Hocking Hills region if you continue to drive on 33 East, before entering West Virginia and the iconic New River Gorge National Park, lies a small hiking gem of a state park.

Located near Athens Ohio and Ohio University Strouds Run State Park boasts 15 miles of hiking trails and as you can see in some of the photos above outstanding fall foliage! (Hello Leaf Peepers!)

When I used to frequent the Athens Ohio area when I was in college I was not hip to this gorgeous spot. I mainly did hiking in Hocking Hills to break up the drive.

When Jill G had to be in Athens Ohio for a work event I figured I would head to Wayne National Forest (Ohio’s only National Forest and another relatively unknown hiking area.) Instead through a little searching I found Strouds Run. This park is located just minutes from Ohio University and the town of Athens.

What can you expect to find in Strouds Run State Park?

It boasts 15 miles of hiking trails including around the gorgeous Dow Lake. You can also swim in the summer months at the beach (dogs permitted to swim and hike as well) and boating/fishing is permitted as well. The trails are well maintained and have short but high ascents and quick descents that make you feel more like you are in one of the Virginia’s than the farmland of Ohio!

Add in the fact that there’s picnic tables at the trailhead and almost no crowds and I have to say that this 6 mile out and back we did around Dow Lake is now one of my favorite hikes in Ohio!

Finding public lands that are less used is one way we can avoid crowds but promote the well known fact that the Parks are for Everyone, but just now being promoted that way. There are so many state parks, land management, and forest areas that receive very little crowds but can give you all the soothing benefits an outdoor adventure and being in nature has to offer.

Strouds Run State Park near Athens Ohio should be on your list for finding a great Ohio Day Hike that is more off the beaten path in terms of popularity to other areas in the region and state!

Thanks for reading and share your other favorite Ohio Day Hikes in the comments below.

Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R