Places to go and things to see by Gypsy Bev

Posts tagged ‘cabins’

Relax at Rocky Fork Ranch Resort

Adventure Awaits!

Stop at their Ranch House for registration and General Store.

Enjoy the outdoors when camping at Rocky Fork Ranch Resort near Kimbolton while still enjoying the conveniences for a relaxing and comfortable vacation. You’ll have a great time regardless of the weather with their many indoor and outdoor events.

Sharrie Yarber, manager, and Aaron Johnson, asst. manager, enjoy greeting campers.

This member based campground at 74978 Broadhead Road, Kimbolton has been part of the Travel Resorts of America Family since 1982. It’s the kind of place where neighbors become friends, and friends become like family. Many might remember camping there in the past when it was called Grand Haven or even before that Bucket Hill.

Their new General Store has just about everything a camper might need…and then some.

When you enter the campground, first stop will be the Ranch House which is headquarters for registration and also their General Store. The store has been moved and reorganized this year and includes just about everything you would need for your camping experience. They also have an ice cream, pizza, and sandwich sh

Cabins in the woods are the perfect place for relaxation.

Camping can take several forms at Rocky Fork as they have over 200 campsites and 101 lodging facilities. There’s rustic camping, RV sites, and cabins on 850 acres of wooded and rolling hills. Explore the territory by taking a hike as you enjoy the view through beautiful woods with streams scattered throughout if you like going on foot. Or perhaps you would rather explore the area on horseback as they have a dozen horses that enjoy following the trails through the area.

Indoor and outdoor swimming pools are available for guests.

On a rainy day, you can enjoy their clubhouse with indoor pool, gym, hot tub, adult lounge, pool tables, and game room. A laundromat has been added with all new machines for campers’ convenience.

Miniature golf is a fun family activity.

Guests can find entertainment and excitement in a wide variety of outdoor activities. There’s a golf driving range, paint ball at the Gun Slinging Corral, miniature golf, tennis courts, Native American Pow-wows, and guided nature walks. Let the children enjoy several play areas scattered throughout the campgrounds.

Their five acre lake is a great place for boating, fishing, and relaxing.

Their catch and release 5-acre lake paints a serene scene with a lighthouse built from an old stone house on the property on one side. Across the way is a friendly gazebo with a relaxing swing. Here people can use kayaks, canoes, or pedal boats to enjoy the calm waters.

A Nature Center has many cool animals like Rex their bearded dragon. He loves fresh greens and likes to stretch his legs in the planetarium. Other animals the children enjoy are Curly – a curly tailed lizard, rabbits, turtles, and fish.

Rocky Fork Rodeo gives youngsters a great chance to experience rodeo events at an early age.

Rocky Fork Rodeo, the oldest competitive youth rodeo in Ohio, is organized by the Rocky Fork Rodeo Company and takes place ten times a year in the Rocky Fork Ranch arena. It has been a source of fun, learning, competition, and a stepping stone to larger rodeo competitions since the 1990s. The rodeo season runs May – September rain or shine.

They wish to preserve the sport of rodeo while teaching sportsmanship, honest competition, and safety measures. There are over twenty events including bull, steer, and calf riding, team roping, goat tying, barrels, and flags. A small membership fee is required to participate and receive prizes. Youth ages two to nineteen by January 1st are welcome to take part. Public is welcome to watch this event.

Salt Fork Shooting Club held a Hot Shots Youth Team Trap Shoot.

Salt Fork Shooting Club is a private club organized in 1992 and has a clubhouse at Rocky Fork Ranch with target, trap, and archery ranges available for all Salt Fork Shooting Club members. Anyone interested can join their group for a reasonable fee.

The group is NRA affiliated and encourages organized rifle, shotgun, and pistol shooting among members of the community. They stress the important of knowledge of gun safety, proper care of guns, and improved marksmanship. They offer planned shooting events May through October.

Rocky Fork Resort’s mascot, Rocky the Raccoon, appeared at a recent Home Schow.

By cooperating with other organizations such as those listed above, Rocky Fork Ranch hopes to give back to the community. They also participate in many local events to promote their resort.

Aloha! Hula Dancers entertained campers at a recent Luau Weekend.

While visiting, I had the opportunity to witness one of their many exciting evening affairs with Hula Dancers from the big island of Hawaii. Volcano Choy and his family take you on a journey to the tropics. Volcano provides the vocal and instrumental music while their six daughters dance various hulas, which were taught to them by their mother, a former hula dancer. A young son demonstrates the fire dance. It’s a real family affair.

Campers enjoyed participating in hula lessons and became part of Rocky Fork Hula Troop.

Campers joined in the fun by participating in hula lessons for young and old on what their leader Volcano called Rocky Fork Hula Troop. Special events like this happen nearly every weekend like Christmas in July, Water Wars, Watermelon Crawl, or Dog Daze of Summer.

The beautiful old trees at Rocky Fork Ranch make being surrounded by nature a real pleasure. Many come from the city for a breath of fresh air. In the evening, the smell of the campfires relaxes the mind.

To learn more about Rocky Fork Ranch Resort visit their Facebook page. Call 888-829-6341 for more information or to make reservations.

Summer Fun at Salt Fork State Park

Salt Fork Picnic by boat ramp

Salt Fork Lake is a great place for a picnic along the water’s edge.

When summer rolls around, everyone has thoughts of outdoor activities. Whether you want to spend the day or a week, Salt Fork State Park, the largest state park in Ohio, holds a wide variety of activities that are sure to please the entire family.

Salt Fork Picnic Shelters

     Many people in the area over the age of fifty will remember when this was farmland with Salt Fork Creek and many small streams running through it. In 1967, the earthen dam was completed and filling of the lake began.

Salt Fork Bicycling

Bicycling is popular at the lake on trails or even on the roads as speed limit keeps traffic moving slowly.

     There are many choices for staying at the 3,000-acre lake for a few days. You can camp, rent a cabin, or stay at the beautiful Salt Fork Lodge. No matter what your choice, you will be surrounded by rolling hills and views of the lake.

Salt Fork Cabin

Cabins along the lake make for a relaxing get-away.

     The campground sites all have electrical hook-ups with a heated shower house close by. A few sites even have water and sewer hook-up as well. However, if you would prefer a cabin along the lake, all are completely furnished with a screened-in porch, and even have kitchen utensils.

Salt Fork Lodge

Salt Fork Lodge provides a great place for meetings or to spend the weekend.

     Some prefer the comfort and convenience of the exquisite, stone Salt Fork Lodge, which is perfect for meetings or vacations. Indoor and outdoor swimming pools provide entertainment no matter the weather. Outside you’ll find a fantastic playground for the youngsters as well as tennis, volleyball, basketball and shuffleboard courts.

Special activities are scheduled throughout the summer months to keep youngsters busy with nature lessons, face painting, crafts, archery and guided hikes. There’s no reason to be bored here!

Salt Fork Golf Course

Golfers enjoy the beautiful 18th hole in the rolling hills of Salt Fork Golf Course.

     Just a half mile down the road from the Lodge is the entrance to their 18 hole championship golf course, which is a challenge in these southeastern Ohio hills. A golf cart is highly recommended! Deer frequent the course and have little fear of golfers playing their game. Rates are very reasonable.

Salt Fork Beach

Their expansive beach has a concession stand, putt-putt golf and Nature Center.

     No lake would be complete without a beach. Here the 2500 foot beach is one of the longest inland beaches in Ohio. When you want to take a break from swimming or playing in the water, take time to head to the concession stand, play miniature golf, or visit their Nature Center in the main bathhouse building.

Salt Fork Sugartree Marina 2

Sugartree Marina is one of two marinas where boats can be left for the season.

     Two marinas, Salt Fork and Sugartree, provide a place to dock your boat for the season. If you prefer to bring your boat with you, there are ten easy access boat ramps. At Sugartree Marina, you can rent kayaks, canoes, wave runners or pontoons. There are so many ways to enjoy a day on the lake.

Salt Fork Fishing

Fishing can be a wonderful time for families to relax together.

     Fishing is a popular item at Salt Fork Lake. It’s a place you see families with their children as they teach them to enjoy being out in nature. Sitting on the bank or going out on a boat both give fishing enjoyment. Fresh fish over a campfire always become a great memory and a tasty meal.


Salt Fork Hosak's Cave

Walk carefully when exploring Hosak’s Cave. Bigfoot has been spotted here.

     Many people enjoy hiking one of their fourteen hiking trails from easy to moderate. One popular trail leads to Hosak’s Cave complete with waterfalls and wildflowers. Bigfoot is said to have been spotted in this area.

Salt Fork Horse Trailer

Many bring their horses to the park to ride the peaceful trails.

     Others actually bring their horses to the park and camp for the weekend so they can ride twenty miles of horse trails. It’s a quiet place to ride through the woods on well-marked trails. Many ride bicycles and motorcycles through the paved roads of the park. It’s quite safe with a maximum speed limit of 35 mph in most places.

Salt Fork Kennedy Stone House - Root Cellar

Explore the historic Kennedy Stone House and root cellar while at the State Park.

     Another longer trail leads to Kennedy Stone House built in 1837. Stones used were quarried from the hills nearby and crafted in a manner that has stood the test of time. Original cost of the home at that time was $600. Recently, a road has been constructed to the house so you can hike, drive, or even arrive by boat.

My Inspiration Point

This overlook near the dam is my Inspiration Point, where many stories are written.

     The view from the dam in Morning Glory Area provides a great place to relax also. This is my Inspiration Point as often stories nearly write themselves while watching the waves hit the shore and seeing the boats bounce over the water.

Salt Fork Sand Castles

Building sand castles at the beach entertains youngsters between swims.

     Salt Fork State Park provides a great place for family vacations as there are so many varied activities to keep all ages busy and happy. If you are lucky enough to live in the area, enjoy a day at the beach or a ride on the lake anytime. Pack a picnic and use one of their many shelters or picnic tables, or spread your blanket on the ground.

     It’s also the perfect place to relax and do absolutely nothing. Visit Salt Fork State Park to enjoy being surrounded by the beauties of nature.

Salt Fork State Park is located about five miles north of Cambridge off US-22. The main entrance is on the left-hand side. Wooden signs throughout will guide you to the place you want to explore.