New campground sites mean tighter security at local state park –
By Patricia Beech –
Photo by Mark Carpenter –
Officials at the Parks & Watercraft Division of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) say security measures at Adams Lake Park will be equal to those applied to all of Ohio’s state parks.
“We will be doing our due diligence regarding security at Adams Lake,” said Carey Santiana, Chief of Communications for the ODNR.
“Our park staff and law enforcement will be watching the area, which will be added to their normal park surveillance so there will be security, as there is at campgrounds in every state park.”
Adams Lake’s ten new campsites are both free and primitive.
Each site includes a concrete slab, a picnic table, a garbage receptacle, a fire ring, potable drinking water, and a grill.
While all of the primitive campsites share common latrine facilities – designated Men and Women – Gary Obermiller, Chief of Ohio State Parks, says ODNR plans to upgrade the park’s infrastructure at a later date to provide sewage and electrical service for campers.
But, for now, campers who like to rough it can pitch a tent at five of the new sites. Campers who prefer the comfort of an RV or pull-along trailer can park on wider and longer concrete slabs during their stay at the lake park.
Just how long are campers welcomed to stay in the park?
Santiana says it all depends.
“There are other parks and campgrounds that operate on a first come/first serve basis – fill out and post the reservation card at the site,” she said, adding that campers at the lake are not subject to a technical time limit.
“That doesn’t mean camping there forever is okay,” she says. “We won’t allow the park to become a homesteader’s camp.”
She said a law enforcement presence not only discourages homesteading, but also the potential for other forms of criminal activity.
“We will take care of this park as we do all others to ensure that it is safe for every visitor,” said Santiana.
That’s welcome news to Tom Cross, Director of Adams County’s Travel and Visitors Bureau, who says his office gets calls regularly from people looking for places to camp in Adams County.
“All the local campgrounds are private or seasonal,” he says. “Now, turkey hunters and deer hunters will have a safe place to pitch a tent or pull up a camper, and so will nature lovers who come out for the bird and butterfly migrations, or just to walk the trails.”
