Ohio / Delaware County

Alum Creek Below Dam Area

Open — Open for day-use reservations. Park is closed dusk to dawn except for fishing. Shelter reservations operate from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with electric automatically shutting off at 8:00 p.m.

About

Alum Creek Below Dam Area is a day-use recreation facility managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, situated in Delaware County just north of Columbus, Ohio. The area features three reservable group picnic shelters - Maple, Oak, and Buckeye - each capable of accommodating up to 100 guests and equipped with electric hookups. Drinking water, picnic tables, and grills are provided at each shelter, with flush toilets and playgrounds available on-site. The Below Dam Area sits along Alum Creek Lake, one of Ohio's premier fishing destinations known for white bass, rock bass, smallmouth and largemouth bass, bluegill, white and black crappie, sunfish, channel catfish, muskie, and saugeye. Individual picnic sites with tables and grills are scattered around the shelters and available first-come, first-served. A nearby Visitor Center offers interactive exhibits, educational programs, and a 48-seat theater. The lake is nestled among gently rolling hills with open meadows and wooded shoreline, attracting a variety of songbirds and waterfowl. Adjacent Alum Creek State Park offers additional amenities including a 3,000-foot swimming beach, marina with boat rentals, and extensive trail systems for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The park is closed dusk to dawn except for fishing.

Directions

From Columbus, take I-71 north to exit 121 for Polaris. Turn right on Polaris Parkway, left on Worthington Road, left on Africa Road, then left on Lewis Center Road. Shelters are in the Below Dam Area.

Nearby Campgrounds