Columnist Leah Keiter encourages Bobcats to explore all Lake Snowden has to offer: hiking, fishing, boating and more.
In preparation for the upcoming warm weather, I, like many other Bobcats, have already began planning all the outdoorsy things I want to do before the semester ends. Not surprisingly, spots on my must-do list include Strouds Run, Radar Hill and Old Man’s Cave — the classics. My goal of today’s column is to add another beautiful spot to that go-to list in your head: Lake Snowden.
When I lived in Athens, I went to Alexander, which is directly across from the lake, so I was around it all the time as a kid. I’ve had family reunions there, I’ve fished with my dad there, I’ve picnicked there on warm summer days, and I’ve even camped there, and it is an absolutely wonderful natural spot.
Lake Snowden boasts itself as a “full-featured recreation park,” and it lives up to that expectation. The park offers both boat and bank fishing, and the lake includes a wide variety of fish, including catfish, walleye and largemouth bass. In 1998, Hocking College, Ohio’s largest technical college, purchased Lake Snowden from Le-Ax Water in an effort to bolster national resource programs and improve the fish management and aquaculture programs. The college still owns and operates the fish hatchery at Lake Snowden, in addition to many other attractions in the Hocking Hills area.
If fishing isn’t your thing, Lake Snowden also has plenty of area to picnic, walk, hike and even swim in the summer months. Many picnic tables are sprinkled through the park for patrons to enjoy, and the park also features two reservation-only shelter houses that seat upward of 75 guests — it's perfect for meetings or other events. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, visitors are free to swim in Lake Snowden at their grass and sand swimming areas. The lake is the largest of four which comprise the Margaret Creek Conservancy District.
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Boating at Lake Snowden is a perfect activity for anyone looking to enjoy the lake’s wildlife or get an up close and personal experience of the lake’s serenity. The “no wake, idle only” lake offers boat rentals for $7 an hour and $30 a day, including canoes, rowboats, paddle boats and kayaks. Any boater on the lake may see whitetail deer, fox, mink, beaver and an assortment of other wildlife, including some of the lake’s many fish.
I’ve written about many spots this year, all of which I have some personal connection to, but Lake Snowden is one of the ones that makes me feel the most nostalgic for my Athens childhood. It’s close enough to be accessible for OU students but far enough into the Athens/Albany area to be truly local (at least to me). Park admission to walk around and just explore is free, with a $4 parking fee, and the scenery is definitely worth making the trip.
Leah Keiter is a junior studying journalism. Have you been to Lake Snowden? Email her at lk969912@ohio.edu.
