Kiser Lake State Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
LocationChampaign County, Ohio, United States
NearesttownSt. Paris, Ohio
AreaLand: 531 acres (215 ha)
Water: 396 acres (160 ha)
Water: 396 acres (160 ha)
| Kiser Lake State Park | |
|---|---|
 Kiser Lake (and surrounding state park) viewed from the south | |
  Kiser Lake State Park Location in Ohio  Kiser Lake State Park Kiser Lake State Park (the United States) | |
| Location | Champaign County, Ohio, United States |
| Nearest town | St. Paris, Ohio |
| Coordinates | 40°11′28″N 83°58′00″W / 40.19111°N 83.96667°W[1] |
| Area | Land: 531 acres (215 ha) Water: 396 acres (160 ha) |
| Elevation | 1,093 feet (333 m)[1] |
| Established | 1940 |
| Administered by | Ohio Department of Natural Resources |
| Designation | Ohio state park |
| Website | Kiser Lake State Park |
Kiser Lake State Park is a public recreation area in Champaign County, Ohio, located four miles (6.4 km) northwest of St. Paris and 34 miles (55 km) north of Dayton.[2] The 531-acre (215 ha) state park includes 396-acre (160 ha) Kiser Lake, for which it was named, and the 51-acre (21 ha) Kiser Lake Wetlands State Nature Preserve.[3][4]
A dam was first built in this location in 1840 to power a mill, but it was later abandoned and the dam and lake fell into disrepair. In 1932, John W. Kiser donated the land to the State of Ohio to rebuild the lake for recreational purposes. In 1939, construction started on the new dam, and a year later the lake was filled.[5]