A new paintball park made its grand opening in Glouster, between Hocking Hills and Athens near Burr Oak State Park. Featuring a multitude of different paintball attractions, Bigfoot Hollow Paintball Park, 11950 Black Road, is a place made for having fun and enjoying a competitive game of paintball.
Jon Rose, owner of Bigfoot Hollow, said there are different paintball courses depending on what level of paintball one wants to play. There’s a speedball course, a fortress course, a huge section of woods and a range with a bunch of different targets to hit.
The variety of courses allow for large groups of people of different ages and skill levels to play.
“We're for everybody – people who've never played before, people who were avid paintballers, anybody and everybody,” Rose said.
People are able to rent paintball guns and masks to play, or they can bring their own equipment. In order to play paintball competitively, one has to be at least eight years of age. All participants on the property have to sign a waiver vowing to follow safety precautions.
In the thought process of creating the park, Rose realized there weren’t any places nearby to play a game of paintball. So he decided to create a place of his own. Working with a few friends of his, they were able to piece together a paintball course on Rose’s property.
There will be a playground, a badminton net and a volleyball net in the near future to add further activities for people to enjoy while at Bigfoot Hollow. There’s also a creek running across the property that’s open for wading. With these installations, Rose hopes to have activities for all ages to indulge in.
Chris Miller, a friend of Rose and helping hand at Bigfoot Hollow, is excited for the new addition of a paintball park. Miller said it’ll be a positive outlet for people, especially the younger generation.
The park opened on May 29, and, with the opening, the weekend was full of firsts and excitement. Miller said the paintball field has room for improvement but it was an overall good time. The beginning of the new business leaves many opportunities for growth.
“It's a good opportunity to get out, get some exercise,” Miller said. “You meet a lot of new people. Most of my friends come from paintball. I know a lot of people from paintball. I've played for over 20 years. Most of the people in the sport are awesome.”
Miller said Bigfoot Hollow is also a great place to meet new people and practice building communication and team building skills.
Pam Six, a customer of Bigfoot Hollow, recently had her son’s birthday party at Bigfoot Hollow and said her experience was great.
“That was my first time doing that, and Jon made it absolutely simple,” Six said. “He was with us throughout the whole process, showed us how to use everything – made sure everything ran smooth. It was a great experience. We had an absolute blast.”
Six is excited for the open atmosphere the park brings to the outdoor area and encourages anyone who is looking for something fun and different to do to check out Bigfoot Hollow.
Pricing varies for the number of people and equipment needed. Bigfoot Hollow welcomes private events, parties and more throughout the week. More information on how to sign-up, the venue’s hours and rules and regulations can be found on Bigfoot Hollow’s website.
“The summer’s just now starting,” Rose said. “We're going to be open every weekend. Come on out, have some fun.”
