Jesse Owens State Park and the Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area are shown in the map above. (Source: Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources)

Jesse Owens State Park and the Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area in Morgan, Muskingum, Noble and Guernsey counties have some of the richest outdoor opportunities in the entire state of Ohio.

These areas were once owned by American Electric Power, which surface mined the land or designated the lands for mining but in recent years sold the acreage to the State of Ohio.

The Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area is the largest such area owned by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, composed of 54,525 acres of land. Dozens of ponds and small lakes within the wildlife area are well known for catches of bass, bluegill, sunfish and channel catfish. Hunting and trapping are also permitted in season.

Jesse Owens State Park offers several picnic areas and four primitive campsites available at no charge to the public. Other features of the area are a portion of the Buckeye Trail, horseback riding trails and boat ramps.

The Big Muskie Bucket is the highlight of Miners’ Memorial Park.

Also located within the area is the Miners’ Memorial Park, where the huge bucket of Big Muskie — the largest dragline ever built — is on permanent display and the history of the men and women who worked at Central Ohio Coal Company is detailed.

Adjacent to these areas is The Wilds, a nearly 10,000 acre wildlife preserve of reclaimed mining land that is home to rhinos, giraffes, cheetahs and other rare or endangered animals. Bus tours, overnight stays and other opportunities are available at The Wilds.

Ken Drenten is creator and manager of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

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