Archery range is coming to Findley State Park in Wellington – Morning Journal

Findley State Park is in the midst of a few projects to add to the wide variety of activities park goers can enjoy.

First this season will be the completion of a new archery range, which will be open to the public, according to Findley State Park Superintendent Rocky Carpenter.

The park covers a sprawling 838 acres which includes a large lake and is located at 25381 State Route 58 in Wellington.

Once a state forest, Findley State Park is managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

The new archery range will include five stations with target distances of 10 to 50 feet, Carpenter said.

The park asked the public via Facebook for suggestions on what activities they would like to see added to the park and took the suggestion from there, he said.

The range is expected to be completed within the next few weeks, Carpenter said.

“It’s technically open, however, we haven’t put the finishing touches yet,” he said. “It’s sort of a work in progress.”

The project is funded by a grant obtained through the Wildlife Division of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

“By June, we should have it all wrapped up,” Carpenter said.

In addition to state assistance, a local girl scout is making the wooden targets for the shooting range, he said.

A naturalist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources plans to hold archery lessons this summer at the new range, Carpenter said.

The beach is located near the park’s campground on a green space that was once a retention pond.

The campground has two camping areas that are advertised as “family friendly” and allow pets, according to the park’s website.

One of the camping areas offers a mix of full-service, electric and non-electric campsites and the other is primitive camping, the website says.

Between the two areas, the park offers 15 full-service sites (three are ADA-compliant); 91 electrical sites (two of which are ADA compliant) and 151 non-electric sites, the website says.

In addition to the new archery range, the park will soon announce a new activity at the Nature Center this summer, Carpenter said.

“We haven’t announced it yet, but we’re very excited about it,” he said, adding that it’s a kids’ activity that will be interactive.

Findley Lake is open to the public for fishing, camping, boating, paddling, picnicking and more.

The park is packed with activities for people of all ages, including playgrounds, kayak and canoe rentals, and a popular disc golf course.

Last year, the park added a Storytime Trail, which is a gravel path with a book displayed one page at a time along the trail, according to camp attendant Becky Scali.

“It went really well,” Scali said of the popular statewide program that has been integrated into area parks.

The park’s disc golf course, which was added a few years ago, was recently rated the third-best course in the state, she said.

A mountain bike trail has also been recently added and caters to more advanced cyclists as it covers a variety of terrains.

The heavily wooded park features pine trees as well as various hardwoods that can be seen firsthand on the park’s scenic hiking trails.