If you’re looking for a scenic spot to park your RV, look no further than Lake Alma State Park. Located at the southeastern tip of Vinton County, OH, you’ll find 292 acres of beautiful land, as well as a serene 60-acre lake that is perfect for fishing. You can also go hiking the three available trails, and enjoy well-shaded RV campsites.
But believe it or not, this park was not always what it is today. It was originally built in 1903 as an amusement park. It had a place for dancing and watching movies, and it even had a merry-go-round. All of this was put into place by a wealthy man by the name of C.K. Davis, but it didn’t last very long. By 1910, Wellston city bought the area for its easy water supply, and then it was later made into what it is today.
Although you will not find any more carnival rides at the park nowadays, visitors and RV campers at Lake Alma State Park will still have plenty of exciting activities to do. The park’s lake offers tranquil paddling and an early morning swim around its edges is a wonderful exercise to relieve stress. This usually ends with an amazing encounter with wildlife such as turtles, muskrats, and herons. Once you’ve parked your RV, you can also explore the three fun and easy hiking trails where you might turkeys and white-tailed deer along the way.
Lake Alma State Park offers a lot of fun and relaxing activities for the entire family. This includes fishing, boating, a playground, and a beach area. For nature lovers, the park is a perfect getaway. And with 72 RV-friendly campsites available, Lake Alma is the perfect place to stay.
While traveling in your RV, you will notice that the road surrounding the lake is one-way beyond the campground, with one lane for cars and another lane for pedestrians. Once you get to the park’s entrance, you will need to turn left towards the campsites where you can park your RV. The roads are paved and asphalt, but you may need to use extra caution when driving through some narrow campground loops. Depending on which side of the road your site is located, parking pads may also be sloped either from front-to-rear or from rear-to-front. Because Lake Alma State Park is not a very large park, finding a good spot to park your RV may be more challenging during peak season and weekends when the park is usually crowded.
This campground is located in the midst of a beautiful mixed forest. It has two beaches and a playground for kids nearby. While some are quite small, the sites are well shaded and somewhat close. There are parking pads and the roads are paved. The park has a total of 81 campsites, 72 of which are RV friendly. Six sites offer full hookups, 67 are electric-only, and 10 are primitive. Facilities include vault toilets, fire rings, bathrooms, a dump station, hot showers, and wi-fi.
Lake Alma State Park is open year-round, although facilities are limited during the months of November to March. Pets are also allowed in most areas, so long as they are leashed. Reservations can be made from one day to 11 months in advance.
There are two public beaches located at the side of Lake Alma, where the whole family can bask on the pristine waters of the lake. RV parking and latrines are provided, and swimming in these beaches are only allowed during the day. Dogs cannot swim on the beach, but they can have some fun in the lake's dog swim area. This offers a haven for your pups, where they can have fun and swim their hearts out without a leash.
After parking your RV, you might want to go for a walk and explore the wonder of nature. There are three main hiking trails at Lake Alma State Park and this totals to about three miles across the park with a mile-wide paved walkway/bicycle trail that begins at the park’s entrance and ends at its exit. These hikes are not at all difficult. It's actually fun. You get to bask in the beauty of nature and meet some wildlife friends along the way. The hike which starts at the main family campground going to Sassafras trail and to Acorn trail, then back towards the one-way camp road at dusk gives you the chance of meeting some white-tailed deer and turkeys.
Lake Alma is a relatively small yet beautiful lake that averages only eight to ten feet at it's deepest. Surrounded by lily pads, the lake is home to a number of aquatic species that includes bluegill, bass, channel catfish, redear sunfish, and trout. For those aware of its secrets, bass angling is quite good at the lake because the lily pads that abound during summer serves as the fish’s hiding ground. An Ohio fishing license is also a must.
If you feel like stacking food in your RV and picnicking in the park, there are seven picturesque areas with tables and grills are located all throughout the park which you can choose from. You can enjoy food and conversation while surrounded by pretty forested hills, and the mesmerizing view of the lake. And if you run out of stocks, there is no need to worry since Lake Alma State Park is conveniently right out of town.
For active people who like sweating it out through play, Lake Alma State Park offers basketball and volleyball courts that are available for use on specific areas within the park. Here, you may practice individual shooting or playing with others. These are popular activities amongst young RV campers who like keeping themselves fit while enjoying their RV camping adventure. In addition to that, the park also offers a playground where kids of all ages can play, run, explore, and have fun.
If you're visiting Lake Alma State Park in your rig during the colder months there is still plenty of outdoor recreation to enjoy. If you bring your cross-country skis you can explore all the untamed natural beauty of the park in the winter. For those that can't stay away from rod and reel you can go ice fishing right on the lake. Children will love ice skating in the great outdoors too.
