It’s not too early to plan your next family reunion at one of Ohio’s state parks. In fact, the timing is just right! And families who book a reunion with at least 15 rooms or cabins can participate in Ohio State Park Lodges‘ “Family Tree” program.
Early birds get the accommodations required for the right time frame for everyone to gather. There are group arrangements available at lodges in Deer Creek, Maumee Bay, Salt Fork, Mohican, and Punderson Manor state parks.
Each of the five parks reflects the distinctive offerings of their locations throughout Ohio, and visitors can find the one that suits them best by going online.
State park lodges offer an affordable and accessible option for family reunions. The lodges include cottages or cabins with full kitchens and living rooms, a perfect gathering space for intimate family cookouts and late-night card games.
Family Tree Program
Families who plan a minimum two-night reunion with at least 15 rooms or cabins qualify for the “FamilyTree” program. They will receive a free tree to plant in the park during their stay. Then they can chart the tree’s growth over the coming years. They will also receive a family bonfire with complimentary s’mores (May-October) or a family movie-and-popcorn night (November April). The Family Tree program at Ohio State Park Lodges is a great way to commemorate a visit, especially if it includes multiple generations of family members.
There is so much to do at Ohio State Parks. All family members, regardless of age, will find something fun to entertain them. Here are some examples:
The lodges offer swimming, horseback riding, tennis, basketball, volleyball, archery, disc golf, shuffleboard, horseshoes, playgrounds, fishing, hiking, biking, and even game rooms for the electronically addicted.
Children’s activities include supervised crafts and water games in summer. Families also can try geocaching adventures – even set up their own golf tournament. Or they might simply pack a lunch (or buy one) and plan a picnic.
Guests also can arrange for a naturalist to take them mushroom-hunting, bird-watching, fishing or butterfly-hunting in season. The lodges offer wide-ranging water adventures such as rowboats, canoes, kayaks and pontoon boats. Many of the parks offer bike and equestrian trails in addition to hiking trails.
Also, shutterbugs will find plenty to photograph at any of these parks. They’ll take away images of the reunion to share.
“Our lodges are not cookie-cutter, and we don’t think family reunions should be cookie-cutter either,” says Dianna Rom, regional director of sales for Ohio State Park Lodges. “The lodges provide the perfect home base for multi-family reunions that include activities on and off-site for visitors of all ages, and our sales staff loves to help guests plan events and activities that will create lasting memories.”
Because available activities vary from park to park, if something is especially important to a group, reunion planners should ask members of the lodge’s sales staff to provide ideas they know have worked with past groups. All five lodges are open-year round and feature wide-ranging seasonal activities, from leaf-peeping to snow shoeing.
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