The 355 acres of swamps and marshlands of Tinker's Creek State Park harbor a variety of natural wonders • Herons, ducks, geese and beaver can be found in the spring-fed waters, while cattail, buttonbush and swamp white oak line the shores of this beautiful park

Fishing

• 15-acre spring-fed lake offers anglers catches of bass, bluegill, crappie, perch and catfish
• Bluegills and bass are also found in the two ponds located along Pond Run Trail

Picnicking

• Shaded by swamp white oak trees
• Provide a scenic setting for get-togethers
• A shelterhouse is equipped with electricity and is available for reservation by calling the park at 440- 564-2279 or if not reserved on a first-come, first-served basis

Trails

• 3 hiking trails
  • Pond Run Trail • 1.5 Miles • Easy
  • Lake-view Trail • 3/4 Mile • Easy
  • Whitetail Loop • 1 Mile • Easy
  • Gentian Trail • 1/2  Mile • Easy

Winter Recreation (conditions permitting)

• Cross country skiing
• Ice fishing

More To Do

• Volleyball and horseshoes 
• Playground for younger visitors

Area Attractions

• Tinker's Creek State Nature Preserve is located adjacent to the state park and features extensive marshes • A 1.5-mile trail, known as the Seven Ponds Trail, features a boardwalk through the wetlands • An observation deck has been constructed to allow visitors excellent views of waterfowl • The preserve is open during daylight hours and is accessible only on foot • Parking is available on Old Mill Road in Aurora
• West Branch State Park, located east of Ravenna, offers opportunities for camping, fishing, swimming, hunting and boating.
• The city of Aurora is home to the popular Geauga Lake Wildwater Kingdom
• For additional information on area attractions, visit the
  • Streetsboro Visitors & Convention Bureau website or call 888-558-5580
  • Ohio Tourism Division website or call 800-BUCKEYE

Nature of the Area

The majority of Tinker's Creek State Park is maintained in its original state as a swamp and marshland • These wetlands owe their existence to the glaciers that invaded Ohio during the Pleistocene Ice Age • Glacial features include moraines, kames and eskers • Moraines were formed when a glacier remained stationary for a long period of time leaving hills of boulders, sand and gravel. Kames are deposits of sand and gravel that fell through holes in the ice leaving circular hills • Eskers are deposits of sand and gravel that dropped through ice tunnels leaving long serpentine mounds • Many fine examples of these glacial features are found in the region

This part of Ohio is known for the number of naturally occurring lakes • Huge blocks of ice broke free from the glaciers creating depressions which filled as the ice blocks melted • These are known as kettle lakes • Over the ensuing 10,000 years, these lakes have partially filled with sediment leaving boggy wetlands with unique assemblages of plants • Buttonbush, alder and swamp white oak are predominate

During the spring and fall migration periods, the marsh provides food and shelter for thousands of waterfowl • Mallards, wood ducks and Canada geese nest in the marshlands each year • In addition, woodcock, rail, gallinule, snipe, heron and bittern are often sighted • Beaver and muskrat are common residents

History of the Area

The region of Tinker's Creek before European settlement was extremely valuable to Native Americans • This area is one of the highest points of the state and lies near the watershed divide in Ohio • The nearby Cuyahoga River flows north to Lake Erie, while the Tuscarawas (through the Muskingum) drains to the Ohio River • This proved advantageous as transportation by canoe from Lake Erie to the Ohio River was possible with only one 8-mile overland portage • The old Indian portage path traveled from the Cuyahoga to the Tuscarawas • This area became an important trade center for both pioneers and Indians • Cheesemaking was one of the early industries of the area (which was often referred to as Cheesedom • Nearly as soon as the first settlers arrived did cheesemaking commence • By 1834, northeast Ohio cheese controlled the southern markets • Eventually, canal and rail transportation increased the area's importance

In the years prior to the state's acquisition of the land, the area was a private park known as Colonial Spring Gardens • The park was situated around a 10-acre, man-made lake and offered recreational opportunities • The state of Ohio purchased the land in 1966, and in May 1973, Tinker's Creek was dedicated as a state park