Lake Acton, College Corner, Ohio

Hueston Woods became a state park in 1956, but it first caught the eye of a man serving under General Mad Anthony Wayne in 1797. Matthew Hueston began purchasing land here and his descendants remained until the 1930’s. Lake Acton was named for Ohio legislator Clyde Acton.

The Hueston Woods Lodge was erected in 1967 and was last renovated in 2012. A dining room, a lounge, gift shop, arcade, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis, TV room, and rooms with a view, are all here. Staff can help with information about the many outdoor activities this state park offers.

This is the non-electric Group camp site at Hueston Woods State Park on Saturday, April 18th, 2015. There is a spigot here that the reservable sites share, plus men’s and women’s outhouses. As the campers’ fires burn down in the provided fire rings, coyotes and bats come out for the evening.

This is the Little Four Mile Creek as seen from the Group camp site. Crayfish are abundant but the hill is steep, so be careful. The crayfish caught here are delicious with a lemony cajun boil.

The Hueston Woods Bridge was built in 2012, and is designed for both automotive and pedestrian traffic. This bridge spans 108 feet of the Camden College Corner Road overlooking Four Mile Creek. The Preble County (Ohio) Engineer states that this bridge has a life expectancy of 100 years.

The new Hueston Woods Bridge, which replaced a defunct structure, is an example of Burr Arch Truss construction and pedestrians using the walkways on either side can see the fabrication of the bridge from the inside. Pedestrians can also marvel at the wildlife on either side of Four Mile Creek.

Looking north from the pedestrian walkway on the Hueston Woods Bridge is East Fork Four Mile Creek. Today is a beautiful day at 10:20 am under sunny skies in College Corner, Ohio. Four Mile Creek is a tributary of the Great Miami River, which in turn branches off from the Ohio River.

This view of Four Mile Creek looks south, where fossils from the Ordovician geological era can be found. Horned coral, crinoids, and brachiopods are plentiful and may be taken home. There are picnic tables nearby on Hedge Row Road in the Quarry area (Lake Acton Dam has a collection area also).

Lake Acton has 625 acres and a 1500-foot swimming beach, plus a marina. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, in June 2014, has instituted a no-wake pilot program so watercraft with 10 hp motors can be out on the water. The pilot program may be fully implemented after Summer 2015.

There are many picnic tables near the swimming beach. The buoy out on the water marks the end of the swimmers’ area of the lake.

Hueston Woods State Park has a marina with 132 docks, open in-season for rent, from dawn to dusk. Rental craft of all types are available as is fuel and bait. The marina has one boat launch.

Even though it’s after 5 pm, the temperature is still over 70 degrees and people are still enjoying Lake Acton.

This is one of the many fishing spots at Lake Acton. Kids 15 and under don’t need a fishing license; folks 16 and up need to have one.

Looking southeast at Acton Lake, the late afternoon weather is still accommodating to beach-goers. The red building on the right-hand side is the snack shack/shower facility, which is open seasonally. This beach is free of charge and is crowded in the summer.

This is the new children's playground at Acton Lake; picnic tables are nearby. Another fun destination is the Hueston Woods Nature Center, which is open all year round. Sometimes visitors can watch Eli the Bobcat survey his outdoor surroundings, and there are indoor exhibits of snakes and turtles.

This is the one picnic shelter at the Acton Lake beach, which sees a lot of use. This is a great place to have dinner before heading out at the end of the day. After dark, the Lodge has bonfire pit tables for guests with seating and s’more kits can be purchased at the front desk.