Tucked into the rolling hills of Clermont County, Stonelick State Park offers 1,258 acres of wooded terrain centered around its 200-acre lake — a quiet retreat just 30 miles east of Cincinnati. The park draws anglers year-round with reliable catches of largemouth bass, bluegill, and channel catfish, while the lake’s no-wake zones keep the water calm enough for kayaking and canoeing without the noise of speedboats.

Hiking trails wind through second-growth hardwood forests where white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and red-tailed hawks are common sights. The Lakeview Trail follows the northern shoreline and is an easy, family-friendly loop with views across the water. For something more rugged, the Woodland Nature Trail climbs through ravines thick with wildflowers in spring — trillium, bloodroot, and Virginia bluebells carpet the forest floor by mid-April.

The park’s swimming beach opens Memorial Day through Labor Day and is one of the better-maintained lake beaches in southern Ohio, with a gradual sandy entry that works well for young kids. Picnic shelters dot the lakeshore, and several can be reserved for groups.

Spring and fall are the best times to visit. April brings the wildflower bloom and excellent crappie fishing, while October transforms the hardwood canopy into a showcase of orange and gold with far fewer crowds than summer weekends.

Stonelick doesn’t try to compete with Ohio’s bigger parks. That’s exactly what makes it worth the trip — it’s unhurried, uncrowded, and genuinely peaceful.

Explore Nearby

• Riverboat Row — Scenic Byway in Kentucky
• Walcott Covered Bridge — Covered Bridge in Kentucky
• Lee’s Creek Covered Bridge — Covered Bridge in Kentucky
• Big Bone Lick Scenic Highway — Scenic Byway in Kentucky
• Grand Lake St. Marys Lighthouse(aka: Northwood Light) — Lighthouse in Ohio