WINGFOOT LAKE STATE PARK
Wingfoot Lake State Park provides visitors with a delightful day spent outdoors. Groves of tall trees, expanses of grass, and a picturesque lake create a relaxing backdrop to paddling, fishing, picnicking, or disc golf. Originally owned by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, the park joined the state system in 2009. On a clear day, visitors can spot the Goodyear blimp parked in its hangar on the lake's south shore.
Six large picnic shelters, some featuring large fireplaces, combined with paved trails, ball courts, and a disc golf course make Wingfoot Lake a great gathering place.
The hilly, rolling terrain of southwest Portage County is underlain by thick deposits of sand and gravel, known as kames, that accumulated in ancient stream channels as the last glacier retreated more than 14,000 years ago.
Having been maintained as a park setting for generations, the grounds of Wingfoot Lake are graced by groves of majestic mature trees with large crowns and abundant foliage. The habitat is ideal for small mammals, such as rabbits, skunks, and opossum, as well as raptors including bald eagles, owls, and hawks. The lake attracts herons and migratory waterfowl.
After World War II, the Goodyear blimp fleet was pressed into service for advertising and promotional campaigns, including telecasts of college football games. The north shore of Wingfoot Lake was developed for employee outings and corporate retreats in the 1960s. A number of recreational facilities were built, including large picnic shelters with fireplaces, ball diamonds, volleyball and bocce ball courts, paved courts for basketball and tennis, playgrounds, and boating facilities. In the 1980s, attendance at Wingfoot Lake Park peaked with more than 100,000 Goodyear employees and their families visiting each year. In 2006, Goodyear closed Wingfoot Lake Park.
The ODNR Division of Wildlife purchased 690 acres of the Wingfoot Lake property in 2009, including Wingfoot Lake. Approximately 121 acres adjacent to the lake was transferred to the Division of Parks and Watercraft in 2009 and added to the state park system.
Ohio does not have an annual pass and does not charge entrance fees to state parks.
Hours of operation
Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 5pm
Closed Dec. 25th, Feb. 4th