Situated on foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Columbiana County has plenty of natural beauty. Flat farmland, rolling hills, and lush forests all combine to make the county an excellent place for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. One of the best spots in the county to enjoy the wonders of nature is Beaver Creek State Park.
Beaver Creek State Park features over 2,700 acres of forested land and is the perfect location for a plethora of outdoor activities like hiking, camping, fishing, and horseback riding. There are also a few key points of interest located onsite including a pioneer village that has a working grist mill and a wildlife education center where you can learn more about the various plants and animals that call Ohio home.
One of the best resources for familiarizing yourself with the park and its amenities is the official map of Beaver Creek State Park. On the map, you’ll find a layout of the key trails, parking spots, and camping locations to help plan your trip.
Key Points of Interest in beaver creek state park
Beaver Creek Pioneer Village
Location: 12013 Echo Dell Rd, East Liverpool, OH
Email: fobcsp@gmail.com
Friends of Beaver Creek State Park on Facebook
Hours: Trading Post Store is open 12pm-4pm Saturdays and Sundays from the first weekend of May to the third weekend in October. Open earlier during special events. Check Facebook for special events to see when other buildings will be open.
Take yourself back to an earlier time at Beaver Creek State Park’s Pioneer Village. This collection of historic buildings will make you feel like you’re visiting the 1800s. Operated by the Friends of Beaver Creek State Park, the village includes a trading post gift shop, blacksmith shop, chapel, covered bridge, working grist mill, and restored canal-era lock.
One of the major highlights of the Pioneer Village is its working grist mill, Gaston’s Mill. Gaston’s Mill was originally built in 1830 and was operational until the late 1920s. In 1973, Gaston’s Mill was given new life with a restoration that tried to match its original structure and machinery. Today, the mill can be seen operating on certain weekends during the summer. You can even buy grain that was ground at the mill at the trading post gift store!
Another authentic piece of history at the Pioneer Village is the Thomas J. Malone Covered Bridge. While a novelty today, at one point in time Ohio was home to approximately 3,500 of these covered bridges. The Thomas J. Malone Bridge originally spanned the Middle Run River on State Route 154. It has since been moved to its current location at the Pioneer Village and was restored in 1971. Columbiana County is actually home to five restored covered bridges including the Church Hill Road Bridge which is notable for its incredibly short length!
Pioneer Days and Events
While you can visit the Pioneer Village at any time, many of the buildings such as Gaston’s Mill will only be open during certain events throughout the year, so be sure to plan your trip accordingly to have the best experience. Some great events include pancake breakfasts, “Village Comes Alive” weekends, and the popular annual “Pioneer Days” event. “Pioneer Days” is the Pioneer Village’s biggest event and features various demonstrations of arts and crafts, apple butter making, and the grist mill in action. It also features a large number of vendors. In general, these special events take place on Saturdays and Sundays during the warmer parts of the year but the best place to stay up to date on specific days and times is the Friends of Beaver Creek State Park Facebook page.
Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center
Location: 12884 Echo Dell Rd, East Liverpool, OH 43920
Phone: 330.932.0908
Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center on Facebook
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm-5pm the first weekend in May through the first weekend of October
Admission: Free
The Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center is a museum of natural history and learning center. It’s operated entirely by volunteers with a goal of connecting the community with nature. The education center is the perfect hands-on venue for learning about wildlife and nature in Columbiana County, Ohio and North America in general.
Highlights include over 300 mounted specimens, a live animal display, and a Kids Discovery Room that is both educational and fun for the whole family.
Animal Displays
Displays of both mounted and live animals make the Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center an exceptionally engaging experience. The live animal display features snakes, box turtles, and a working honeybee hive. Visitors are even given the opportunity to hold some of these animals (with the help of education center volunteers of course).
Mounted displays of over 300 animal specimens are available for viewing in two rooms. The Ohio Room features animals native to Ohio like bears, deer, and various bird species. The North America Room shows off the vast diversity of wildlife across the continent such as moose and mountain goats. Other sections of the center include mounted insects (including a beautiful display of butterflies) as well as fossils and minerals.
The mounted displays are view-only, but the Kids Discovery Room is a truly hands-on experience that allows young nature enthusiasts the chance to have a memorable and engaging experience. Some of the activities kids can participate in include learning to identify trees by their leaves, matching animals to their furs, and putting pictures in order to learn the life cycle of a caterpillar. Kids can even crawl inside a replica bear’s den!
Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center Events
Besides their normal operating hours, the Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center hosts a variety of events and workshops throughout the year, ranging from social events to practical workshops all related to the outdoors. Past events include learning how to plant a garden that will attract butterflies and pollinators, a bird walk, and an always well-attended wine and wildlife fundraiser event.
The Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center is perfect for field trips as well. The staff will design a customized program based on your class’s needs. For more information about school visits and other events, go to the Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center’s Facebook page.
“Pretty Boy” Floyd Marker
“True Crime” TV shows and podcasts are all the rage nowadays, but Beaver Creek State Park has had a fascinating “true crime” connection for nearly a century.
Charles Arthur Floyd, better known as “Pretty Boy” Floyd, was shot and killed by FBI agents in 1934 in fields that are now part of Beaver Creek State Park. Floyd was known for robbing several banks around the Midwest and ended up with the notorious “Public Enemy No. 1” designation by the FBI.
Today, there is a marker commemorating Pretty Boy Floyd’s death located on Sprucevale Road near the RC Aircraft field. If you’d like to learn more about “Pretty Boy Floyd,” check out his exhibit at the Upper Ohio Valley Museum and Learning Center located at the Lou Holtz Hall of Fame in nearby East Liverpool.
Sandy and Beaver Canal Remnants
Several pieces of the historic Sandy and Beaver Canal can be seen in Beaver Creek State Park. The Canal, which once spanned 73 miles, was originally constructed as part of a major canal-building period in the mid to early 1800s. At the time, canals were important to opening up Ohio’s economy as one of the most efficient ways to transport agricultural products to various markets around the country.
The Sandy and Beaver Canal was meant to connect the Ohio River and the Ohio and Erie Canal, but travel along the full length of the canal was never possible. In 1852, the Canal ceased operations partially due to a nearby dam break that caused property damage as well as the rise of railroad infrastructure in the area which was a more efficient means of transportation.
In order for the canal system to function, it required 90 locks, 30 dams, several reservoirs, and an aqueduct. In Beaver Creek State Park, several of these locks can still be seen today. One of the most convenient locks to view is Lock 36, which is located at the Pioneer Village. Several other locks are accessible via hiking trails such as Vondergreen’s Lock, Grey’s Lock, and Gretchen’s Lock. Columbiana County’s Guilford Lake also has a connection to the Sandy and Beaver Canal as it was originally built as a canal feeder reservoir.
If you’re visiting the Park near Halloween, be sure to make the trek to see Gretchen’s Lock as it is rumored to be haunted. The legend (which you can read about on the East Liverpool Carnegie Library’s website) is that Gretchen Gill, the daughter of Sandy and Beaver Canal Engineer E.H. Gill, tragically perished at a young age and can still be seen walking along her namesake lock today.
Outdoor recreational activities in beaver creek state park
Camping
Beaver Creek State Park has several options for campers. There is a family campground where you can reserve a basic electric site, non-electric site, or a cabin. There are also two group camping sites and a primitive-style equestrian campsite.
The family campground located in the northwest section of the park is easily accessible off of Leslie Rd which connects to State Route 7. The campground has six electric sites and 39 non-electric sites. Each site comes equipped with a picnic table and fire ring.
Another option at the family campground is their two rustic Sherman Cabins, one of which is ADA accessible. These cabins do not have running water but they do have electricity and several other amenities which include microwaves, mini fridges, and fire rings.
The group camp sites are located towards the southwest portion of the park off of Sprucevale Road. The two group sites have very limited amenities only consisting of grills and picnic tables, but no electric hookups.
Reservations for all of the Park’s camping sites require a reservation which you can make via reserveohio.com.
Hiking
Beaver Creek State Park features a variety of trails for hikers of different experience and fitness levels. Ranging from easy trails like the .2-mile Nature Center Trail and the .5-mile Fitness Trail, to more challenging routes like the Oak Hill 1-mile trail and the 3.25-mile Lower Vondergreen Trail.
The North Country Trail system, which spans across 4,800 miles and eight states, makes its way through the park. The Dogwood, Pine Ridge, and Vondergreen Trails are all part of the North Country Trail System.
The Friends of Beaver Creek State Park has posted a few helpful tips for hikers new to the park on their Facebook Page:
- Familiarize yourself with the trail marking system
- You will very likely not have cell phone access at the park
- Take a photo or bring a trail map before going on any trails
- The trails are well marked according to color and also have reference numbers
Horseback Riding
Beaver Creek State Park is an excellent place for horseback riding. It has an equestrian-specific primitive campsite area with 59 campsites that connects to miles of bridle trails. The trails range from easy terrain like gently sloping hills with groomed surfaces to challenging terrain with steeper hills and wider water crossings.
The primitive horseman’s camp is located off of Sprucevale Road and requires a reservation like the other campsites. Please note, the equestrian camp does not have any potable water on site.
Mountain Biking
Several mountain biking trails make their way through Beaver Creek State Park. There are three easy trails which are all ½ mile or shorter, but the Dogwood and Upper Vodnergreen Trails are noted to be “moderate/technical” trails. For more information about the mountain bike trails, The Cleveland Area Mountain Bike Association as well as MTBproject.com have additional details and trail descriptions.
Hunting and Fishing
During hunting season, several designated areas of the park permit public hunting as long as you obey Ohio hunting and trapping regulations and have a valid Ohio hunting license. There are also fishing opportunities available. With access to stream fishing, you’ll potentially be able to catch smallmouth bass and rock bass. Fishing also requires an Ohio fishing license.
Events at Beaver Creek State Park
You can enjoy the majestic beauty of Beaver Creek State Park any time of year, but various special events are also hosted on a regular basis. Both the Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center and the Pioneer Village hold events throughout the year. Other events outside of these organizations happen as well. Some of these include learning about orienteering, stargazing and other outdoor activities. For a list of upcoming events, check out the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Website.
Other Happenings at Beaver Creek State Park
Other notable features of Beaver Creek State Park include various recreational courts and fields. There is a soccer complex as well as several basketball courts. There are also plenty of places to picnic, amphitheaters, an archery range, and even an RC aircraft field. You’ll have to visit yourself to find out everything this wonderful state park has to offer.
Beaver Creek State Park is one of Columbiana County’s best resources for nature lovers or anyone that just wants to spend a little more time outside. Plan your trip to Beaver Creek State Park today and create your own adventure!