Findley State Park Offers Breath of Fresh Air 
BY ALYSON DAME

Sometimes it gets hard to breathe in the bubble. Fresh air, I’ve found, is the perfect remedy for too much college. If Wilder Bowl isn’t wild enough, and the campus’s concrete trails are getting monotonous, then perhaps Findley State Park in Wellington can help a distressed student put their life in perspective amongst trees, water and locals who don’t care whether you got into a co-op. 
Findley is a people’s park. The campsites are situated in a way that foster community rather than solitude and reflection, but they do come with a picnic table. If the family camping three feet to your left does not turn out to be friendly, there is further opportunity to socialize in the recreation area. A volleyball court, swingset and game room can be reassuring to anyone not ready to make the leap into low-impact camping. “Movies are shown on weekends,” Assistant Park Manager Dana Campbell said. 
With 272 available sites, however, I am sure one could escape a vending machine nightlight and shrieking kickballers for a more secluded getaway. While it is no Walden Pond, Findley does make some efforts to maintain the peace. “One thing we don’t allow which makes it kind of unique is that we don’t allow gas-powered motors,” Campbell said. Canoes and rowboats are more common according to Campbell. “There’s a lot of serenity out there.”

(photo by Livingston Dolan)

Other things out there include a healthy population of wild turkeys as well as some alleged coyotes, and beavers. “We have a good, healthy flock of wild turkey which was reintroduced about 20 years ago,” Campbell said, adding, “We have beavers on the lake now. They reappeared eight years ago and coyote is starting in the area now.”
The 93-acre lake in the middle of the park is home to, “Primarily large mouth bass, blue gill, crappie and catfish,” according to Campbell. The corner of the lake I visited was a quiet bog with a swampy feel. 
I interrupted Strongville resident Susan Lewis, who was fishing unsuccessfully, to ask her a few questions. Lewis strongly said she believed that land should be set aside to remain undeveloped. “I love [the park],” Lewis said, “Even though I didn’t catch anything, it’s still beautiful.”
Apparently not even the fish thought that particular region of the lake was acceptable for swimming, but there is a rumored 435-foot swimming beach where park-goers can rent canoes, rowboats and electric motorboats. 
For anyone who enjoys anticlimactic hiking, Findley offers ten miles of flat circular trails, including a portion of the statewide Buckeye Trail. Highlights include a dam and creekbank judging from the trail names. Mountain biking is also allowed. 
Findley State Park was made possible by the generosity of Judge Guy Findley who donated the land in 1950. For $14.00 a night you can be a part of his vision.