There are plenty of activities to enjoy at Portage Lakes State Park near Akron, Ohio. It’s not the biggest of parks at just over 400 acres, but there are plenty of lakes and a good variety of recreational experiences such as swimming, fishing, and boating.
Hunting is allowed in designated areas. The wetlands in the park also attract some interesting shorebirds and waterfowl.
There’s camping available with six electric sites and 68 non-electric sites to choose from. The camping area also features a basketball court and horseshoe pits with game and sports equipment available.
There are two tepees for rent between May and October. The tepees are 10 feet by 10 feet and sit on a wooden platform. They contain a cooking grill, fire ring, picnic table, two chairs and a patio table.
Anglers shouldn’t have any trouble fishing for their suppers as there are plenty of largemouth bass, muskellunge, walleye, pickerel, channel catfish, pan fish, carp, and bullhead in the waters.
You’ll find a 900-foot beach for swimming at Turkeyfoot Lake along with volleyballs and Rex Lake also has a swimming area.
There are four trails for hiking with the shortest being a mile long and the longest stretching for five miles. Picnickers will find seven areas in the park for enjoying their meals.
During the winter the most popular activities at Portage Lakes State Park are ice skating, snowmobiling, hiking, and cross country skiing. There’s also a small observatory within the park.
There are plenty of interesting things to see if you’d like to explore Akron and the surrounding area.
Some of the most popular attractions are the Perkins Mansion, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Goodyear World of Rubber, Quail Hollow State Park, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Wingfoot Lake State Park, the National Recreation Area, Jackson Bog, Kent Bog, and Triangle Lake.
The Portage Lakes were created by huge chunks of ice that broke off of glaciers and then melted in depressions in the land. There are many unique plants in the park and animals such as raccoons, skunks, white-tailed deer, geese, wood ducks, herons, owls, hawks, beaver, muskrat and red fox.
Some of the water from the park’s lakes flows into Lake Erie and the Ohio River. The area used to be an important trading post years ago for natives and settlers and was a rendezvous point for American soldiers during the War of 1812.
