This is a very lovely park. There is a Victorian Water Fountain near the entrance. Not sure if it…read moreis the original one, since it was hit by a major storm and damaged. Hoping it is and was just repaired. The art work is amazing and very detailed on the fountain. There is a nice duck pond, several shelters for picnics, tennis courts and swimming pool. Very nice and Very well maintained park

There is a new fountain at the entrance of the park, there is a children's playground, many…read moreshelters to have get togethers, a pool and a Waterpark, basketball, tennis, and a pickleball court. Also a pond with birds. Plenty to do, beautiful views.

The Muskingum River system of locks and dams is the oldest of its kind in the USA. No wonder. At…read morethe business end of the river is the town of Marietta, the oldest settlement in the Northwest Territory. But during the 1800s and early 1900s, the river flooded terribly in the spring and dried up in the summer. Starting in 1836, Ohio built 11 hand-operated locks and dams that made the Muskingum navigable from Marietta to the Ohio and Erie Canal. But the locks and dams deteriorated to useless until about 1960 when the state took ownership again. Today it's managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Thankfully! Today the 11 locks are: #11 Ellis, #10 Zanesville, #9 Duncan Falls/Philo, #8 Eagleport, #7 McConnelsville, #6. Stockport, #5 Luke Chute, #4. Beverly, #3. Lowell, #2. Devol's, and #1 Marietta. You can see the engineering of #2 in this video of the Valley Gem in lock #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F764XLNZaI I have been on the Valley Gem in the lock. The engineering is stunning in its simplicity in controlling the better part of a million gallons of water. On my visit to #2 way back in the fall of 2018, I got to meet the manager of the lock, who showed us around. Free tour. It's one those places where you can sense the awesome power even when it's quiet.

Confusing to navigate. We tried to use gps and the spots marked on it do not take you to the fire…read moretower. We eventually found a paper map and found our way to the lake. It is a pretty area. The roads can be gravel in some places.

best part about blue rock state park? we went during the week and there was nobody there, the fire…read moretower was deserted so easy to get up to (beware your car if it doesn't have done oomph, there IS loose gravel on the steep roads!!!) you can tell it's foothills and get the general feel of a small mountain area without having the severe altitude you do just a few miles to the east! already working on planning another trip back next year!!!

The park sits along the Ohio River at a bend known as the Great Bend, a landmark noted on maps as…read morefar back as the 1700s. - George Washington himself claimed two land tracts in this area, one at Ravenswood and another at Millwood, which inspired the park's original name. The park is home to a 1918 lock house, which now houses the Great Bend Museum. Unfortunately, that was closed when we were here late on a Saturday but we were able to explore the park and enjoy being near the Ohio River. The park includes a refreshed Civil War Trails marker commemorating Confederate Gen. Albert Jenkins' crossing of the Ohio River at Ravenswood to capture Racine, Ohio. There is plenty of parking, some picnic and playground facilities and a boat launch. All have a view of the beautiful William S. Ritchie Jr. Bridge. [Review 586 of 2025 - 170 in West Virginia - 24147 overall]

Tonight went to Ravenswood Riverfront Park to see the Christmas Lights with Kayla Beth Fields and…read moregrandbabies Saige & Deacon Hunt. We had a really nice time seeing all the lights. The day was long but full of so much love and fun!!!

Found this cemetery on Google Maps. We read the sign that gives the names of the Revolutionary War…read moreheroes buried here. This cemetery has the largest number of burials for these veterans. Included is a mound by the earthwork mound builders. I took the stairs to the top for a nice view of the area. This was a nice stop to stretch our legs and learn some history.

Marietta is a charming river town. So why go to a cemetery? Best I can say is it's like a piece of…read morehistory really. And in Marietta, the entire town is rich with history from the Indians and America during the pre- and post-Revolutionary War. You can't throw a stick without hitting a street named after one of Washington's generals, and many soldiers settled here with free land in lieu of pay from General Washington's army. The mound is a big hill built by the Indians. After driving down bumpy cobblestone roads lined with homes that look like Martha Washington might come out onto the porch at any minute, you come upon the Mound Cemetery, nestled among the homes looking quite like it belongs there is the Mound Cemetery, bordered with an ancient looking wrought iron gate that at once says both KEEP OUT and "welcome." Odd that. Climbing the stairs to summit the Mound is part of your initiation to the Marietta culture. The stairs are steep, which adds to the allure. Once atop, the scene is one of history, art, tranquility, and ... Marietta. Other than lounging in the Gun Room at The Lafayette downtown, it doesn't get much more Marietta than this.

Cool experience! I highly recommend visiting Blennerhassett Island. It's has amazing history about…read moreHerman and Margaret Blennerhassett and Aaron Burr. You ride a ferry to the island Once you arrive you can ride a horse drawn carriage, rent bikes, have a picnic and tour a beautiful mansion. Everything is a reasonable price actually cheap .

What a great experience!…read more Ferry tickets have to be purchased at the Museum, which is a short walk from where you board the ferry. You can also purchase a package for the ferry, mansion tour, wagon ride, and museum ($39 as of May 2024). The mansion tour is really excellent. The docents are very knowledgeable. The wagon ride is a must - fun and informative. This is a great day trip!

My wife and I have been aware the The Wilds from watching Secrets of the Zoo for years. So in…read moreloving zoo and aquariums and all of the wonderful animals. We had our opportunity and went for it in visiting The Wilds and others in the area. We visited on a Saturday for a Sunset tour. Dinner is cooked up in the kitchen there and provided buffet style on the deck overlooking the fields. The food was good. Shortly after dinner a thunder storm blew in quick with some strong winds. Being from the west coast we rarely see these strong storms. We sheltered in place for a while. Whe the storm had passed through those of us who stayed for the tours were treated a wonderful upclose tour and stunning colorful sunset. We returned on Monday to stay in one of the hurts for a few nights. There are about 12 yurts yurts overlooking the fields of some animals with a wonderful view. A very good Dinner and breakfast and an open air tour are included with the stay. After visit time around the fire pit. I woke up early one morning to find the takin along the water and some taking a swim. Everyone staying in the yurts enjoyed sharing the stories of their tours and checking out the views from the various yurts. There are the 2 tours for the visitors. The wildside tour is an upclose ride in the back of a truck which can leave the road to be up close to the animals. The open air tour is an open air bus which stays on the road while still getting to see the beautiful exotic animals. There are bison, Asian and white rhinos, giraffes, takin, camels, and so many other animals with all of the babies. The tour guides and whole staff is so knowledgeable about the animals. Ready to answer all of the visitors questions about the animals. Everyone has their favorite animals that enjoy seeing around. We are talking about a return visit to check out the new lodge.

Second time visiting. We will be back again. Staff is super knowledgeable and friendly . We saw so…read moremany animals up close. I would absolutely recommend the wild side tour Our tour leader Faith was absolutely amazing.

This is a pretty area that offers a lake for water-based recreation (boating, fishing, a swimming…read morebeach, plus ice fishing when conditions allow during the winter) and woodlands to enjoy. There are three trails, varying in length from the 0.5 mile Cherry Tree Trail to the 3.5 mile Buckeye Trail. There's a nice looking camping area with both electric and nonelectric sites, some of which have great views of the lake and easy boat access for kayaks/canoes/etc., and a fun playground fro the kids. There are some nice picnic areas with tables and benches available in scenic areas. The one we used also had a great shelterhouse with several tables available and was reservable, though there were no events at the time of our visit. Very nice park!

Disappointing. My family has been coming here for 40+years and it was always a great place as a…read morekid. Now it's just run down. So much potential going to waste. There use to be activities for the kids like nature center with animals, hikes and a theater. Now nothing. No rangers at the office all day if you need them. The lights wouldn't work in the shower house but couldn't tell anyone. Also the beach is disgusting with geese poop everywhere and no life guard.

Amazing spot to swim, fish, and explore. With the new trail biking is now better than before and…read morewould recommend on a good weather day!

Love this place! Long trails with lots to see. The bike path is spacious and has amazing views.read more