National and State Parks - Recreational Areas

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Cowan State Park
State Park Information

State Park Overview

Nature of the Area
It has been said that Ohios history can be found written in the rocks. By studying the bedrock layers in Ohio, we know that ancient seas, marshes or swamps covered all or portions of the state at times over the past 500 million years. Sediment deposited by those ancient waters solidified into rock and eventually uplifted forming dry land. Animals and plants were embedded in the sediment and today, these fossils reveal the different life forms that existed in Ohios past.

Cowan Lake lies - the Cincinnati Arch - uplifting of bedrock that occurred during the Appalachian Mountains building process. The erosion of this arch in the Cowan region exposes fossil-rich limestone. The limestone - Cowan and other parts of the exposed arch are some of the most famous fossil hunting fields in the world. (Collection of fossils requires a permit from the Chief)

A fine stand of beech-maple forest can be found around the lake at Cowan. These woodlands contain beautiful wildflowers including bloodroot, wild ginger, springbeauties and trillium. The woods, fields and lake provide habitat for a variety of animals. Ring-eck pheasant, ducks,geese and herons are found here. Songbirds such as eastern bluebirds, catbirds, house wrens and many others inhabit the fields and bushy areas of the park. Mammals include white-tailed deer, raccoon, opossum, woodchuck, skunk and others.

American Lotus - brilliant water lily, is abundant in the lakes shallow areas. It is unusual to find such a large colony of lotus on an inland lake. The plants leaves grow up to two feet in diameter supporting large yellow flowers.

Camping

Trails

Picnicking

Boating

Swimming

Fishing and Hunting

History of the Area
The Cowan Lake region was once a stronghold of the Miami and Shawnee Indians. After their defeat at the hands of General Anthony Wayne at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, the Indian threat subsided and settlement began here. In 1797, the first settler in the area, William Smalley, began clearing land for his home along the river which was later dammed to form Cowan Lake. Smalley had been captured by the Indians when he was a small child and was forced to live with them until he was twenty years old. He later fought in General Waynes army, was recaptured, but luckily escaped with his life.

Cowan Creek was named for the areas first surveyor,John Cowan. A dam was completed across Cowan Creek in 1950 and in 1968, Cowan Lake was dedicated as a state park.