BEAVER CREEK STATE PARK New lot to open access to canoeists

Money is being sought to install a parking lot at the site.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
ELKTON -- Beaver Creek State Park is broadening boating opportunities on scenic Little Beaver Creek through a deal with Elkrun Township.
The state recently entered into a lease with the township for a nearly one-acre piece of property along the Middle Fork of Little Beaver Creek, a state and federal scenic waterway.
Park officials plan in the next year to install a parking lot at the site to make it easier for canoeists and kayakers to park their vehicles and put their watercraft into the creek from the spot, explained Jim Tillman, park manager.
The site is along County Road 419, also known as Middle Beaver Road, about a quarter-mile east of state Route 154.
The branch bordering the launching site joins the main waterway several miles downstream near Beaver Creek State Park, which lies mostly in Middleton and St. Clair townships.
Paying for lease
The park is leasing the launching site for $1 for 25 years from the township, Tillman said. The lease is renewable for another 25 years, he added.
Paddlers interested in accessing the creek from the site may do so now, although the parking lot has not been installed, Tillman said. They should make certain, however, that their vehicle is not blocking the road.
Tillman plans to seek nearly $5,000 to install the parking lot. He said he hopes the lot can be completed by next summer.
Little Beaver Creek is popular with canoeists and kayakers. In 2001, nearly 3,000 paddlers launched their watercraft on the creek in the park.
Some boaters float downstream to Beaver Creek's confluence with the Ohio River. During the nearly 3.5-hour trip, the creek passes through some of the county's most scenic terrain.
One of the most challenging aspects of canoeing on Little Beaver Creek is getting access.
With the exception of the state park, much of the land bordering the stream is privately owned, making it hard to find a spot from to launch.
The Elkrun Township access point will help solve that problem and provide nearly 10 more miles of stream.
leigh@vindy.com