Van Buren State Park (Ohio)
| Van Buren State Park | |
| Ohio State Park | |
 Van Buren Lake
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| Named for: Martin Van Buren | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Ohio |
| County | Hancock |
| Location | |
| - elevation | 751 ft (229 m) |
| - coordinates | 41°08′00″N 83°38′42″W / 41.13333°N 83.64500°WCoordinates: 41°08′00″N 83°38′42″W / 41.13333°N 83.64500°W |
| Area | 296 acres (120 ha) |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Management | Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Division of Parks and Recreation |
| IUCN category | III - Natural Monument |
 Location of Van Buren State Park in Ohio
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| Website: Van Buren State Park | |
Division of Parks and Recreation
Van Buren State Park is a 296-acre (120 ha) Ohio state park in Van Buren, Hancock County, Ohio in the United States. The park, named for the 8th U.S. President, Martin Van Buren, was opened to the public in 1950. It is in a small patch of woods in Northwestern Ohio and is surrounded by thousands of acres of fields of corn, wheat and soybeans. Van Buren State Park is open for year-round recreation.
Van Buren State Park is in a region of Ohio that was once populated by members of the Shawnee nation. The Shawnee migrated to the area from south central Ohio. The area in and around the park represented the last stronghold for the Shawnee in Ohio before they were forced to move west of the Mississippi River by the encroachment of Anglo-American pioneers.
The process of creating Van Buren State Park began in 1939 when a dam was built over Rocky Ford Creek creating what is now Van Buren Lake. This lake was part of a private wildlife preserve. The lake and preserve were transferred to the state of Ohio in 1950.
Van Buren State Park is in a rich agricultural area. Northwest Ohio is part of the Interior Plains region of North America. The land is largely flat with a few hills that are a remnant of the last ice age. Beneath the topsoil lies a layer of dolomitic limestone.
The land was largely forested before it was cleared by farmers. A small patch of woodland, made mostly of beech and sugar maple trees, remains at Van Buren State Park. Typical woodland mammals found in the park include white-tailed deer, red fox, red squirrel, skunk, and opossum. Bird species include the cowbird, woodcock, eastern bluebird, short-eared owl and eastern meadowlark. The park is also home to garter snakes and spring peepers. Wildflowers in the area include chicory, spring beauty, Dutchman's breeches, daisy fleabane and thimbleweed.
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Wikipedia