Quail Hollow State Park
| Quail Hollow State Park | |
|---|---|
| Ohio State Park | |
| Natural Monument (IUCN III) | |
|
The Stewart house and associated buildings
|
|
| Named for: Quail Hollow | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Stark |
| Location | [1] |
| - coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| - elevation | 1,158 ft (353 m) [1] |
| Area | 703 acres (284 ha) |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Managed by | Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Recreation |
  Location of Quail Hollow State Park in Ohio
|
|
| Website : Quail Hollow State Park | |
Quail Hollow State Park is a 703-acre (284 ha) Ohio state park in Stark County, Ohio, in the United States. The park was opened to the public in 1975. It was previously a privately owned family farm and later a hunting camp. Quail Hollow State Park is open for year-round recreation and features trail that are open to hiking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing, a small pond for fishing and ice skating as well as camping and picnic facilities.[2]
History
The land in and around Quail Hollow State Park was inhabited by various Indian tribes. The last tribe to call the area home before being forced out by the encroachment of Anglo-American settlers in the Ohio Country were the Lenape, also known as the Delaware.[2]
The first permanent settler in the area was Conrad Brumbaugh. He cleared some land and began farming in the area in 1820. The homestead remained in the Brumbaugh family until 1914, when it was purchased by Harry Bartlett Stewart. Stewart was the chairman of the board of the Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad. Initially the Stewarts used homestead for a hunting camp before eventually expanding the home and making their permanent residence on what they called the Minnie Taylor Farm, named for Mr. Stewart's wife, Minnie.[2]
Harry Stewart passed the land onto his son, Harry Bartlett Stewart, Jr. The Stewart's continued to improve the buildings on the Minnie Taylor farm. The original house was expanded into what they called a manor with Greek Revival and Federal architecture influences.[2]
The Stewart's remained at Minnie Taylor farm until 1975 when the sold it to the state of Ohio for half the appraised value. The land was purchased from the Stewarts with financial help from the United States Department of the Interior. Quail Hollow State Park was established on May 15, 1975.[2]
Ecology
Quail Hollow State Park is in a rich agricultural area. Northeast Ohio is part of the Interior Plains region of North America. The land is largely flat with a few hills that are a remnant of the last ice age. Small glacial lakes, known as kettle lakes are spread throughout the region. These lakes formed when the glaciers gouged out a depression in the land and large clumps of ice broke off the receding glaciers filling the holes and creating lakes.[2]
One of these kettle lakes has shrunk into what is best classified as a bog at Quail Hollow State Park. This bog provides a habitat for and abundance of plants and wildlife. Poison sumac grows in the sphagnum bog. There is a remnant tall grass prairie in the park that supports sneezeweed, blazing star and various other prairie plants. The mixed tree forests of the park provide habitat for white-tailed deer, spring peepers, wild turkey, chorus and green frogs, raccoons, garter snakes, blue gill and red foxes.[2]
Recreation
Quail Hollow State Park is open for year-round recreation. There is a primitive campground that is open to large groups such as the Scouts and church youth groups. The campground is remote and it without running water or trash facilities. All water and trash must be carried in and out. The park has 19 miles of trails open to hiking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing. Careful observers will see some wildlife along the trail along with a variety of plant species. There are eight nature trails in the park. Quail Hollow State Park has a five mile horse trail. Shady Lane Pond is open to fishing with a valid Ohio fishing license. The picnic area and playground are near Shady Lane Pond.[2]
External links
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources site: Ohio State Parks: Quail Hollow
