Beaver Creek State Park Beauty: 4; Privacy: 3; Spaciousness: 3; Quiet: 3; Security: 3; Cleanliness: 3 Key Information Contact: 12021 Echo Dell Road, East Liverpool, Ohio 43920; (330) 385-3091; ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft Operated by: ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft Reservations: (866) 644-6727; www.ohiostateparks.reserveamerica.com Open: Year-round; limited facilities winter months Sites: 44 nonelectric; 6 with electric Each site: Picnic table, fire ring Assignment: Reservable sites; walk-in sites first come, first served Registration: Self-registration station at campground Facilities: Latrines, sun shower, playground, nature center, pioneer village, horseshoe pits, archery range Parking: At each site Fee: $24; deduct $1 Sunday-Thursday; deduct $3 from fee during winter season Elevation: 1,102 feet Restrictions: Pets: Allowed, but must be kept on a leash Fires: In fire rings, fire rings are not to be moved Alcohol: Alcohol is prohibited in public areas in every state park. Alcohol may be consumed within the confines and privacy afforded in a cabin, cabin site, lodge room, or a rented campsite Vehicles: Two cars per site Other: Quiet hours 10 p.m. - 7 a.m.
; gathering firewood prohibited; maximum 6 persons per site Wheelchair Access: No specific sites ADA The home of a National Wild and Scenic River for exploring Arriving from the north, it''s soon apparent to visitors that they have arrived at the doorstep to the Appalachian Mountains. Beaver Creek State Park covers 2,722 land acres and only four miles of river, but the river is the main attraction. The river has been designated a National Wild and Scenic River and rightly so. Slip a kayak into the clear waters of Little Beaver Creek and shoot over a few short rapids for some whitewater fun, or simply lean back and admire the cliffs that contain the river. At the center of the park is a pioneer village that relied on the river to turn mill stones during the early 1800s. An iron bridge crosses the river at the village, which is also where the park office is. South of the village, 0.87 miles on Echo Dell Road, is the park''s Wildlife Education Center that features live animals and 300 mounted specimens.
Center is open May through October, on the weekends from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The family campground of Beaver Creek State Park offers campers the picture-perfect place to pitch a tent. As soon as you pull into the campground, your mind will instantly transition to relax mode. Site 42 is the first site on the left. This site is only a dozen yards beyond the entrance, but its appearance and layout will resemble a campsite in a western forest: big pines spaced enough to give a non-confined sensation and a plush carpet of pine needles under foot.
After passing site 42, a road to the left leads to the best sites of the campground: sites 43 through 55. All sites are reservable. This shorter road of the campground has campsites on the upper side only. Site 44 is several feet wider and deeper than the others, with white pines towering like giant soldiers. Site 46 lies in a slight swale that dips through the pine-covered ridge. Avoid this site if rain is in the weather forecast. This specific campground road goes for one-tenth of a mile before ending at a cul de sac. Near the turnaround, site 50 invites tent campers to spread out on its wide layout.
At the rear of these sites, the forest closes in and song birds entertain with sight and song, while flittering about the open and dense woodland. There is a latrine across from site 48, but no water source is available in this section. Across from site 46 is the trailhead for the Dogwood Trail, which leads trekkers down to the star of this state park: Little Beaver Creek. Back to the main campground road and near site 2 is a pit latrine and self-registration station with details posted regarding the park, campground, and any planned activities. Across the road from the registration station are the sun shower and the amphitheater. Sites 32 and 33 are situated off the road''s edge farther than their neighboring sites. Next to the parking spaces for these two sites is a playground--the perfect scenario for a couple of tent-camping families with small children. Site 23 sits at the end of this second campground road, and offers campers an overlook of the valley cut in by the Little Beaver Creek centuries ago.
The North Country Trail (NCT), a 4,600-mile hiking trail that stretches from North Dakota to New York, meanders through Beaver Creek State Park for 6.3 miles. The NCT includes various hiking challenges from creek crossings to roadside walks. Hiking at Beaver Creek is not to be hurried, as to not simply walk through, but pause and absorb the diverse sights and sounds. Remnants of historic river locks are seen while maneuvering along the trail near the river. Before hikers reach the valley floor and Little Beaver Creek, the trail winds around the sides of forested ridges that warrant enough pauses to enjoy the place. Hikers should allow an extra hour or two for the daily hike plan. GETTING THERE From East Liverpool, travel north on OH 11 for 5.
45 miles to OH 7 north exit. Follow OH 7 north for 2.98 miles to Leslie Road on the right. Go 0.81 miles to campground entrance on the right. GPS COORDINATES N40°43.857'' W80°37.374''.