| A. W. Marion State Park | |
|---|---|
 Entrance sign | |
  A. W. Marion State Park Location in Ohio Show map of Ohio A. W. Marion State Park A. W. Marion State Park (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Pickaway County, Ohio,United States |
| Coordinates | 39°37′50″N82°52′47″W / 39.63056°N 82.87972°W /39.63056; -82.87972[1] |
| Area | 310 acres (130 ha) |
| Elevation | 869 ft (265 m)[1] |
| Established | 1950 |
| Administered by | Ohio Department of Natural Resources |
| Designation | Ohio state park |
| Website | A. W. Marion State Park |
A. W. Marion State Park is a 310-acre (130 ha) public recreation area located four miles (6.4 km) northeast ofCircleville,Ohio. Thestate park encircles 145-acre (59 ha) Hargus Lake and offers hiking, fishing, and boating.[2]
A. W. Marion State Park is in the till plain of easternOhio. The till plain is flat or rolling hills that has very fertile soil. It comes from the glaciers that covered America over 10,000 years ago. TheAdena settled here 2,000 years ago because of the fertile soil.[2]
The Division of Parks and Recreation dammed Hargus Creek with an earthen dam in 1948. The property became a state park under the administration of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in 1950. It was renamed A. W. Marion State Park in honor of the first director of the Department of Natural Resources, who was aPickaway County native, in 1962.[2]
The 5-mile-long (8.0 km) Hargus Lake Trail encircles the lake. Mountain biking is allowed on a 7.3-mile-long (11.7 km) multi-use trail.[2][3]
Wildlife indigenous to the area includesfox squirrel,ring-neck pheasant, a variety ofsongbird, a variety of waterfowl includingmallard and the occasionalloon,great blue heron,black racer snake,red fox, andwhite-tailed deer.[2]
Boats with electric motors and rowing boats are allowed on the 145-acre (59 ha) lake. The lake is stocked withlargemouth bass,muskellunge,bluegill andchannel catfish.[2]
