Caesar Creek State Park

Park Office: 8570 E State Route 73
Waynesville, OH 45068-9719

Camp Office: 9000 Center Road
Wilmington, OH 45177

Caesar Creek State Park is highlighted by clear blue waters, scattered woodlands, meadows and steep ravines. The park offers some of the finest outdoor recreation in southwest Ohio including boating, hiking, camping and fishing.

Scenic View of Lake Photo by Kyle Jones

Camping

283 electric sites
Showers, flush toilets, and pet camping in designated areas
A horseman's camp with 30 sites is available for overnight trail rides

Getaway Rentals

Two camper cabins
Two cedar cabin
Click here for more information about these options .

Boating

Water recreation on the 2,830-acre lake is the park's largest attraction
Unlimited horsepower designation allows for an exciting day of boating and water skiing
Five launch ramps are situated around the lake for easy access
Seasonal dry moorage rentals are available for 64 boats

Trails

Forty-three miles of hiking trails lead hikers to the interesting areas of the park with many scenic views along the way
For horsemen, thirty-one miles of trail and a horsemen's camp are offered
A five-mile mountain bike trail is located between Harveysburg Road and Center Road; a 3.5 -mile novice trail circles the Fifty Springs picnic area

Fishing and Hunting

Anglers can enjoy fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass and some of the best crappie fishing in the state
Hunting is permitted in the adjacent wildlife area
Valid Ohio hunting and fishing license are required

Picnicking

Picnic areas with tables, grills and drinking water are offered
Two of the park's nine picnic shelters may be reserved in advance
A day lodge, offering a meeting room and kitchen with outdoor tables and grills, can be rented for family reunions and club meetings

Swimming

Caesar Creek's clear waters and 1,300-foot beach offer excellent swimming opportunities
Changing booths are available
Check for water quality advisories

Expanded Information

Caesar Creek State Park is leased from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District at Caesar Creek Lake provides plenty of information to make your visit more enjoyable

More To Do

The park's nature center houses interesting displays of the cultural and natural history of the area
Naturalist programs are offered year round
The pioneer village features 15 historic buildings depicting life in the early 1800s
Playground equipment is offered at both the campground and day-use areas of the park.
The campground also offers a basketball court and the camp office loans games and sports equipment to registered campers

Area Attractions

Blue Jacket outdoor drama
King's Island amusement park
Waynesville Sauerkraut Festival
Fort Ancient State Memorial
Little Miami Scenic State Park
Cowan Lake State Park
The Little Miami Scenic River offers many canoeing opportunities and spectacular scenery
A history of Ohio's pioneers is illustrated throughout the Caesar Creek region. Remnants of their lifestyles are reflected today at the Pioneer Village situated around the Levi Lukens cabin built in 1807. Other buildings dating from 1790 are reconstructed on the site
Caesar Creek Gorge , a state nature preserve operated by the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, features a 180 foot deep gorge displaying unique geologic formations. Visitation during daylight hours only.
For information on other local attractions, contact the Division of Travel and Tourism at 1-800-BUCKEYE.

Nature of the Area

The park area sits astride the crest of the Cincinnati Arch, a convex tilting of bedrock layers caused by an ancient upheaval. Younger rocks lie both east and west of this crest where some of the oldest rocks in Ohio are exposed. The sedimentary limestones and shales tell of a sea hundreds of millions of years in our past which once covered the state. The park's excellent fossil finds give testimony to the life of this long vanished body of water.

The forests of the area are comprised of over 65 species of plants. Several major communities thrive in the area. A northern flood plain forest is found in the valley, while mixed associations of oak-hickory and beech-maple woodlands clothe the ridges and hillsides. Red-tail hawk, white-tail deer, raccoon, red fox and box turtle make the park their home.

History of the Area

The wooded lands of the park were home to several early Ohio Indian cultures. While the Hopewells inhabited several sites in the state, their earthworks (known as Fort Ancient) on the nearby Little Miami River are among the largest and best known. This hilltop enclosure used for ceremonial gatherings is surrounded by three miles of earthen walls, constructed using animal shoulder-blade scoops and hides for transporting dirt. This Indian race lived in the region during a period from 300 B.C. to 600 A.D.

A later group, living on the site from 1200 A.D. to 1600 A.D., were known as the Fort Ancient Indians. These people lived in villages along several river systems in the region including Caesar Creek. Displays about the Hopewell mounds and the later cultures can be seen at the Army Corps of Engineers' Visitor Center.

Woodland Indian tribes such as the Wyandot, Miami and Shawnee also called southwestern Ohio home. Old Chillicothe where the famous warrior Tecumseh was said to have been born was located in Greene County, just north of the park. The Caesar Creek area was named for a black slave captured by the Shawnee on a raid along the Ohio River. The Shawnee adopted Caesar and gave him this valley as his hunting ground. Caesar lived in this area during the time Blue Jacket was war chief and was said to have gone on many raids with him.

Many of these Indian villages were located along an ancient Indian trail, part of which follows the ridgeline on the eastern side of the Caesar Creek valley. The trail was used by white settlers in the early 1800s, who named it Bullskin Trace. Later the trail became part of the Underground Railroad used by runaway slaves to reach safe houses run by area Quakers.

The Caesar Creek valley was impounded in 1978 by the Army Corps of Engineers to assist with flood control in the Little Miami River watershed. The 4,700-acre park and adjacent 2,500-acre wildlife area were dedicated that year.

Directions

From Cleveland, Ohio:
I-71 South to State Route 73. Turn right on State Route 73, park entrance is approximately 6 miles on the right. Campground: Left on State Route 73, left on State Route 380, left on Center Road.

From Columbus, Ohio:
I-71 South to State Route 73. Turn right on State Route 73, park entrance is approximately 6 miles on the right.
Campground: Left on State Route 73, left on State Route 380, left on Center Road.

From Cincinnati, Ohio:
I-71 North to State Route 73. Turn Left on State Route 73, park entrance is approximately 6 miles on the right. Campground: Right on State Route 73, left on State Route 380, left on Center Road.

From Toledo, Ohio:
I-75 South to State Route 73, turn left (East), follow through Waynesville, the main park entrance will be on the left.

From Lebanon, Ohio:
State route 42 North, turn right on State Route 73, follow State Route 73, the main park entrance will be on the left.