Governor DeWine’s 2022 State of the State Address Highlights Support of Ohio State Parks

Investing in Our Ohio State Parks

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine delivered his 2022 State of the State Address to the Ohio General Assembly on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. The speech highlighted mental health, Ohio’s Appalachian region, as well as our Ohio State Parks. Below are a few of the topics Governor DeWine addressed about our State Parks:

We want our Ohio State Parks to be the best state parks in the country. The promise of grand views, exciting exploration, and the opportunity to discover your next adventure has drawn people to Ohio State Parks in record numbers over the last few years. Last year, alone, the Parks were visited millions of times, with our 9,000 campsites and 500 cabins booked for most of the entire year.

• We are working to make our wondrous state parks even better. Improvements are being made at parks in every corner of the state:
  
  • We are working on a masterplan that will connect The Wilds, the Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area, Jesse Owens State Park, and Burr Oak State Park to create an unparalleled outdoor experience, within reach of all Ohioans.
    
  • At Shawnee State Park, guests will soon be able to mountain bike, paddle, travel along one of the Imagination Library’s Storybook Trails, and stay at a full-service campsite at this fully reimagined property.
    
  • Ohio’s first new State Park lodge in more than 30 years will soon be open in Hocking Hills.

State Parks Vision: Accessible and Improved Parks

• We will invest in our state parks to give Ohioans and visitors the best state parks system in the country. By continuing to invest in our parks, when visitors come, they will know they are in Ohio. They will feel like family, and they will say “This is Ohio!”
  
• We will make our state parks more accessible, so that more people can enjoy them, because Ohioans need affordable, close-to-home places where they can get fresh air and exercise, spend quality time with their families, and relax.
  
• We will invest in trails and trail signage.
  
• We will invest to ensure our cabins and lodges are clean and maintained so that when people stay there, they are comfortable.
  
• We will invest to repair boat ramps, pave roads and parking lots, and fix bathrooms.

Read the full news release here.