Paint Creek Dam Site

Paint Creek Dam Site Area, located on Paint Creek Lake in the Scioto area of southwestern Ohio, offers two accessible day-use picnic shelters that each accommodate up to 100 people. A visitor center is located on-site. Little Pond Shelter (Shelter 1) sits next to Little Pond and contains 15-amp electric hookups and a water fountain. Corn hole courts are adjacent, but bean bags are not provided, and a fountain and playground are just across the parking lot. Overlook Shelter (Shelter 2) overlooks the lake and emergency spillway. It has an environmental restroom but no water or electric hookups, and it sits near the visitor center, which houses a water fountain, flush restrooms and visitor information. A small playground and corn hole courts are adjacent to the shelter, and an accessible fishing pier is within walking distance. Around the lake are a swimming beach, summer nature programs, three boat ramps, a marina and boat rentals. The campground is operated by the Ohio Department of State Parks and offers mini and disc golf, a nature center and an amphitheater; other activities on land include picnicking, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, hunting and rock climbing. In winter months, sledding and cross-country skiing are available. The Corps of Engineers downstream recreation area offers picnicking, a trail, a play area and rock climbing opportunities, and two access points to the stream provide kayaking and canoeing on the river. A 1.5-mile hiking trail meanders near Little Pond, and individual picnic sites with grills are scattered throughout the area, available on a first come, first served basis. Paint Creek has long been a popular fishing stream, where white and black crappie, blue gill, smallmouth and spotted bass, rock bass, suckers, darters, channel catfish and saugeye are commonly found. The lake is situated among gently rolling hills, where a mix of open meadows and wooded areas cover the shoreline, and a variety of songbirds and waterfowl can be found in the area. Several points of interest lie within a short drive, including the First Dental School Museum, Highlands Nature Sanctuary and the Sugarloaf Outdoor Drama Theater, along with sites of cultural significance such as Tecumseh, Serpent Mound, Seip Mound and the Hopewell Indian Culture National Park. Rocky Fork State Park, Paint Creek State Park and Pike Lake State Park are all in the area as well, and the nearby cities of Greenfield, Chillicothe, Hillsboro and Washington Courthouse host annual festivals in the spring, summer and fall.