The park’s 838 acres are mostly forested and support an excellent diversity of woodland breeding birds. Noteworthy nesters include the Red-shouldered Hawk, Barred Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, Veery, nine species of warblers, Scarlet Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. A nearly 100-acre lake in the center of the park often attracts loons and various diving ducks in migration. Mature pine plantations sometimes lure boreal irruptive species in winter, including Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pine Siskin, and both crossbills. The park’s woodlands can be fabulous in May and September for songbird migration.

Findley State Park is a stop on the Lake Erie Birding Trail.

There are several places to view Findley Lake, including the swimming beach, picnic area, and boat launch. Nearby Wellington Reservoir attracts more ducks and geese than this small lake, but it is worth checking. In the winter the campground often harbors Red-breasted Nuthatches.

The bedrock materials underlying Findley State Park, principally Bedford Shale and Berea Sandstone, were formed over 300 million years ago. In most places in Ohio, the Berea Sandstone is only 10 to 40 feet thick. In South Amherst, north of the park, this sandstone reaches its maximum thickness of more than 200 feet. The sandstone quarries at South Amherst are the largest and deepest in the world.

This part of the state is known as Ohio’s dairyland. Crops and cows are a common sight. In the midst of this rich agricultural area is the forested oasis found within Findley State Park. This forest is a regrowth secondary forest on abandoned farmland. It contains red maple, white ash, wild black cherry, oaks, white and red pine and beech.

The forest floor supports a variety of woodland wildflowers including spring beauties, Dutchman’s breeches, hepatica, bloodroot, marsh marigold, trillium and woodland asters. White-tailed deer, red fox, beaver, and raccoon are just a few of the animals that make this park their home. A variety of reptiles and amphibians can be found along the lakeshore. One area of the park is set aside as a sanctuary for the Duke’s skipper butterfly, an extremely rare insect.

Findley State Park Trails
Approximately 16 miles of hiking trails traverse the park.

Black Locust Trail – .4 miles – Easy
Creekbank Trail – .5 mile – Easy
Hickory Grove Trail – 1.1 miles – Easy
Lake Trail – .5 mile – Easy
Larch Trail – 1.1 miles – Easy
Spillway Trail – .8 mile – Easy
Wyandot Trail – 1 mile – Easy

The Thorn Mountain Bike Trail is an 11-mile loop that attracts both expert riders for its technical climbs and novice bikers for its relatively flat middle section between the dam and campground area.

The Buckeye Trail passes through the park; 1.6 miles, ranging from easy to difficult.

Descriptions with maps of hikes in Findley State Park are on the AllTrails website.