Tar Hollow State Park


Tar Hollow State Park is a state park located in Laurelville, Ohio. Surrounded by the foothills of the Appalachian Plateau, it is part of a larger protected complex with Tar Hollow State Forest. The park offers hiking trails that extend into the state forest in addition to boating, fishing and swimming on Pine Lake.

History

Tar Hollow earned its moniker as a source of pine tar for pioneers. The region was among non-productive agricultural acreage purchased by the federal government in the 1930s. Recreational facilities were developed under various New Deal programs. The Ohio Division of Forestry took over management of the site, then known as Tar Hollow Forest-Park, in 1939. The state park was created with the advent of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Recreation in 1949. The park was carved out of Tar Hollow State Forest, third largest state forest in Ohio.