Stone House at Salt Fork State Park

Yesterday we ventured out and drove 6 miles over to Salt Fork State Park.  Wanted to visit the lodge, the last time we were here was 1997.  Wow.  In 1997 we drove the 2 hours down here from Cleveland to attend a Christmas dinner, then drove all the way back that night. All I remember of the drive was dark, windy roads, lots of deer, long long ride.  And it was bitter cold.  Yesterday the scenery was different, leaves just changing color, temp was 78, smell of the dank forest.

Rustic Salt Fork Lodge

Walk along the lake

Beautiful scenery

Well mark trail to Stone House

Hardly anyone as a guest, parking lot empty at the lodge.  But still a pretty setting.  Salt Fork was developed in 1956 when the Corp of Engineers dammed up the Sugar Creek to make a water source for the town of Cambridge and in doing so, created a mecca for boating, fishing, horse back riding, hiking, camping.  This lake is part of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District and helps control flooding.  After visiting the lodge we drove to the Stone House hiking trail that winds along the lake for 1.9 miles to a stone house built in 1840 by one of the pioneers of the time,  Benjamin Kennedy.  For $600 he commissioned the building of the house and root cellar, a bargain even in those days. Kennedy and his descendants lived in this house until 1966 when they donated it to the park.  It stood abandoned and neglected for many years and then was renovated in 1999, restored back to its original splendor.

Stone House built 1840

A peek inside

Hard wood floors, period furniture

Stone root cellar

Lovely restored home

Beautiful setting, serene.  The walk was not hard although it was a tidge rocky in spots.  We followed a different trail back which climbed up a ridge and meandered along, we could see the lake as we looked down to our left.  Saw a number of caterpillars, birds were chirping, hawk yelling at us, sounds of chipmunks and squirrels running for cover, fish jumping in the lake, a stray pontoon boat floating in the lake, leaves falling.   Just a perfect autumn day.

Ahh -  the colors!