| Cowan Lake State Park | |
|---|---|
 Sunset on Cowan Lake | |
  Cowan Lake State Park Location in Ohio Show map of Ohio Cowan Lake State Park Cowan Lake State Park (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Clinton County, Ohio,United States |
| Coordinates | 39°23′20″N83°54′18″W / 39.38889°N 83.90500°W /39.38889; -83.90500[1] |
| Area | Land: 1,075 acres (435 ha) Water: 700 acres (280 ha)[2] |
| Elevation | 958 ft (292 m)[1] |
| Established | 1968 |
| Administered by | Ohio Department of Natural Resources |
| Designation | Ohio state park |
| Website | Cowan Lake State Park |
Cowan Lake State Park is a 1,075-acre (435 ha) public recreation area inClinton County,Ohio, in the United States. It is operated by theOhio Department of Natural Resources. Thestate park is open for year-round recreation and is known for a variety of birds that attract birdwatching enthusiasts to the park in southwestern Ohio.[3]
What is now Cowan Lake State Park was once home to theMiami andShawnee Indians. TheBattle of Fallen Timbers in 1794 resulted in the opening of the land to American settlement. The first settler in the area wasWilliam Smalley. Smalley had previously been held captive by theLenape. His language skills and knowledge of the land left him ideally suited to be among the pioneers in settling what becameClinton County, Ohio.[3]
Cowan Creek, named for pioneer surveyor John Cowan, was dammed in 1950. The creation ofCowan Lake led to the establishment of Cowan Lake State Park in 1968.[3] Its surface area is 695 acres (281 ha).[4]
Cowan Lake State Park lies atoplimestone that is laden withfossils. The fossilized plants and animals attract attention from both professional and amateurpaleontologists. Much of what is now Ohio was covered by massive inland seas and lakes such asLake Maumee. As theAppalachian Mountains were formed, the limestone that was once the sea floor was pushed to the surface.[3]
Cowan Lake is surrounded by adeciduous forest ofbeech andmaple trees. The combination of lake and forest makes the park a destination for birders, who can observemallards,American wigeons,mergansers,great blue andgreen-backed herons,killdeer,eastern bluebirds,catbirds, and many other species of birds.[5] The most commonmammals at the park aregroundhogs,skunks,raccoons, andopossums.[3]
Other plant life found at the park includebloodroot,wild ginger, andAmerican lotus. The lotus is a water lily that thrives in the shallow waters of Cowan Lake. The leaves of the plant are quite large with yellow flowers.[3]
The park offers picnic areas, pavilions, four miles of hiking trails, cottages, campsites, boating, swimming, fishing, and marina. Common game fish in Cowan Lake aremuskellunge,crappie,largemouth bass, andbluegill.[3]
