Great Seal State Park

Great Seal State Park is a 1682 acre park located in Southern Ohio. It is filled with beautiful scenery, hiking trails, a campground and more!

Visit Great Seal State Park

Great Seal State Park is known for its hills. The hills there are the actual ones depicted on the Great Seal of Ohio! That is how the park got its name! There is literally something for everyone to do at Great Seal State Park. You can hike, bike, horseback ride, play disc golf, camp and lots more!

Camping at Great Seal State Park

The Great Seal State Park Campground offers only primitive camping sites. This means there is no electricity at the sites. The campground at Great Seal State Park has 15 sites. They also have horse picket lines (or tie lines) located behind 10 of the 15 sites. The campground does have drinking water and vault latrines available.  There is a playground and a shelter house at Great Seal State Park campground. Pets are permitted with campers. Reservations are able to be made up to six month in advance by calling the Great Seal State Park Campground office at 866-644-6727.

Disc Golf at Great Seal State Park

If you love disc golf aka frisbee golf you can enjoy a day on their 18 hole course located near the Ireland picnic area at Great Seal State Park. Be sure to bring your own equipment because there are no rental options there. There is no fee to play a round of disc golf. You can print out a  Great Seal State Park Disc Golf Course map, here.

Picnicking at Great Seal State Park

There are three main picnic areas at Great Seal State Park. All areas have tables and grills. The areas are all in separate areas of the park. Be sure to pack a cooler of snacks and water and enjoy some time at the picnic area. 

Reservable Shelter Houses at Great Seal State Park

There are two reservable shelters at Great Seal State Park. Ireland Shelter has a non-electric fireplace, charcoal grill and twelve picnic tables. The maximum number of people that can fit in the Ireland Shelter is 50. This shelter is close to all the fun: trails, playgrounds and disc golf. There are vault restrooms nearby. 

The second reservable shelter house at Great Seal State Park is called Vista Shelter. It also has a maximum occupancy of 50. It has a charcoal grill and twelve picnic tables. It is located near trails and vault restrooms.

If you would like to reserve a shelter house at Great Seal State Park you can reserve them online or call 866-644-6727

Storybrook Trail at Great Seal State Park

We are huge fans of the storybrook trails located throughout Ohio. Storybrook trails are a great way for families to enjoy learning outdoors together!  Storybrook trails have  signs to read as you walk about the easy hike. The signs tell the story!

At Great Seal State Park, the storybrook trail is located near the Ireland Picnic shelter parking lot. The storybrook presented along the trail changes throughout the year. So be sure to come back and visit often!

If you would like to learn more about storybrook trails you can see an example in the video below. It is not at Great Seal State Park, but it is very similar to the storybrook trail at Great Seal State Park. 

Trails at Great Seal State Park

There are more than 23 miles of trails available to hikers and walkers. You will get a variety of terrain at Great Seal State Park. It varies from rolling hills to steep hills. Some of the trails are strenuous so you are advised to condition for these trails. 

If you have a mountain bike or horse, be sure to check which of the 17 miles of trails you are allowed to use. They are multiple purpose trails. 

Please note that the trail lengths may not be accurate. We have taken information from the official Great Seal State Park site as well as the hiking apps we use and the lengths on almost all the trails at Great Seal State Park varied greatly. Please keep that in mind when picking your trail. It may not be fully accurate. 

Multi-Use Trails at Great Seal State Park (Mountain Biking, Horseback Riding and Hiking)

Annie’s Mountain Bike Trail is a 0.7 mile loop.

Baul Hill  is a 1 mile trail.

Bunker Hill is a 2.8 mile trail that is a lightly trafficked trail rated as moderate. Other hikers report that the trail has some good elevation and the summit is worth the hike. Also reported that the trail isn’t well marked, so a compass is helpful. 

Grouse Rock is a 1.2 mile trail.

Lick Run is a 3.1 mile trail that is lightly trafficked.  It is an out and back trail. It is rated as moderate, with a mix of ascents, descents and flat sections.  Lick Run trail at Great Seal State Park is reported to be a great one for biking! Hikers on outside apps are reporting this out/back trail was actually 5 miles. 

Mt Ives Trail is a 1.6 mile trail. (hiking apps report it to be 2.5 miles) This is an out and back trail.  This trail has strenuous trail winds but provides several scenic vistas. Hikers reported that it's a great workout with nice hills. 

Rock Garden is a 0.5 mile trail.

Rocky Knob is a 1.4 mile trail.

Sand Hill is a 0.4 mile trail.

Shawnee Ridge is a 6.3 mile trail one way, so a total of just around 12 miles of an out and back type of trail. The Shawnee Ridge Loop Trail at Great Seal State Park is rated as difficult. It is best used from April through October. Otherwise, if you hike in other months you may face bitter cold conditions at the elevations as well as muddy conditions. Many hikers report that there is quite a bit of shade on the trails. It is marked as difficult because of the continuous and strenuous up/down of the hills on the trail. 

Sugarloaf Mountain Trail is a 1.8 mile trail loop that climbs through a dense maple forest to the crest of Sugarloaf. The trail rises almost 500 feet in less than a quarter of a mile. The trail is a moderate trafficked trail and is rated as a moderate level. Sugarloaf Mountain Trail is accessible year round. Hikers report there are many steep parts to the trail. 

Hiking only trials at Great Seal State Park

Disc Golf isn’t necessarily a trail but is a walk of 1.3 miles through the 18 holes or baskets. 

Spring Run is a 1.9 mile trail that includes 10 fitness training stations with instructions. (Hiking app reports this as a 2.9 mile loop). This is a moderately trafficked trail and is great for all skill levels. The fitness loop is reported to be well taken care of. A portion of this trail intertwines with the disc golf course. 

What others are saying about Great Seal State Park

We have checked out reviews on TripAdvisor and TheDyrt when it comes to visiting Great Seal State Park. The reviews range from the experiences being “okay” to “disappointed” to “LOVED it”  Below are a few quotes.

“This was a stop on our way across the country camping at many state parks. Totally unsatisfactory ( in regards to camping)” - C

“...this park is dog friendly. Uphill, a lot of trees and deer.” - LD

“Beautiful park” - DM

Quick facts about Great Seal State Park

• Camping
• Disc Golf - 18 holes
• Hunting
• Picnic Area
• Reservable Shelterhouses
• Trails
• Located In Chillicothe, Ohio
• Open year round

Where is Great Seal State Park?

Great Seal State Park is located at 4908 Marietta Road Chillicothe, Ohio 45601 - (740)887-4818 

Have you been to Great Seal State Park?

If you have been to Great Seal State Park? We want to know what you thought! What was your favorite activity when you were there? If you love to visit Ohio State Parks, Ohio Metro Parks or Ohio State Nature preserves be sure to check out those categories on this website!!