Bicycling

Bicycle riding may be enjoyed on the Loop Trail at Riverbend Recreation Area. Riverside Park, and River Landings provide access to the Blanchard River Greenway Trail.

Birding

Discover the joys of birding in Northwest Ohio throughout the Hancock Park System. In addition to providing great exercise, birding is a relaxing, inexpensive way to spend time outdoors with family and friends.



The Hancock Park District has an ongoing Bird Monitoring project. All skill levels are welcome; first-time birders can learn about birds or veteran bird watchers can become better at identifying their feathered friends. This hands-on, in-the-field approach to monitoring environmental changes is one of the ways volunteers experience a wide range of physical and mental activities.

Blanchard River Water Trail

The 37.6-mile Blanchard River Water Trail is predominately a rural waterway that affords relative isolation and solitude. It is characterized by bends, riffles, and forested riverbanks. The urban section flows through Findlay, Ohio. Numerous access points along the way provide a wide range of boating opportunities from short trips lasting an hour or two to half-day and day trips to a two-day trip with primitive tent camping along the Blanchard River at Riverbend Recreation Area. The Blanchard River Water Trail begins at Blanchard River Nature Preserve and ends at Blanchard Landing.

Camping

A camping getaway is a great way to unwind and reconnect with friends and family. The Campground located at Riverbend Recreation Area offers four tent camping sites. Each camping site includes a picnic table and fire ring. Waste water drains, trash receptacles and a barrel containing non-potable water with a bucket for extinguishing campfires are located along the edge of the woods.

Waterless restrooms and a drinking fountain are available in the Big Oaks Activity Area. All potable and non-potable water is available on a seasonal basis only. Rental is $15 per site, per night, with eight people per campsite. The cost to reserve the entire campground for camping or special events is $60

Canoeing & Kayaking

The Blanchard River offers relative isolation and solitude, a wilderness-like experience, and outdoor adventure. To fully grasp the Blanchard River’s many moods and experiences, and to appreciate its beauty, wildness, and quality as both a natural resource and outdoor recreation resource, a person must venture out and explore the waterway by canoe or kayak. Canoeists and kayakers will have the opportunity to see wildlife, enjoy scenic beauty, and in some cases, test their strength, stamina, and perseverance. It is a wonderful way to spend quality time together in the great outdoors.

The Hancock Park District facilitates float trips on the Blanchard River from April through June when conditions are favorable and at other times when sufficient rainfall increases water level and improves navigability. A variety of services are offered: Self-Guided Float Trips with Shuttle Service, Canoe Instructional Courses, Self-Guided Fall Float Trips, Daily Boat Rentals, Group Boat Rentals, and Guided Float Trips upon request.

Cross-Country Ski & Snowshoe

Winter is a great time to explore the outdoors. Both snowshoeing and cross-country skiing provide great workouts and are far more affordable and accessible than their downhill cousin. You’ll enjoy another full season of outdoor recreation on a variety of Hancock Park District trails.

As part of our Leisure Education Initiative, the Hancock Park District conducts Beginner Cross-country Ski Workshops that cover the basic fundamentals, including proper use of equipment and how to glide, climb hills, stand up on skis, turn around, and get into the rhythm. Workshops are subject to proper snow and weather conditions.

Hancock Park District’s Leisure Education Initiative involves a series of outdoor recreation skills instructional courses that introduce outdoor recreation activities, teach fundamental skills and encourage participation in outdoor recreation over the course of a lifetime.

Raccoon Run Winter Sports Center, located at Riverbend Recreation Area in Shelter 3, rents cross-country skis and snowshoes during good weather and snow conditions, weekends and holidays. Group outings can be arranged, for times other than public openings, through the Hancock Park District Administrative Office.

Disc Golf

An 18-hole disc golf course is available at Riverbend Recreation Area, near Shelter #3 in the Big Oaks area. Public programs on instruction and tournaments are held throughout the year for all levels of experience.

Fishing

The Hancock Park District welcomes fishermen to the public fishing access areas of the Hancock Park System. These areas include Blanchard Landing, Eastpoint Area, Liberty Landing, Waterfalls Area, Great Karg Well Historical Site, Riverside Park Waterfront, Oakwoods Nature Preserve’s Shank Lake and Dold Lake, and Riverbend Recreation Area’s Giertz Lake. Anglers are reminded that an Ohio fishing license is required for persons, ages 16 – 65, who fish in public waters of the state.

Young anglers can try their luck as the Hancock Park District hosts an Annual Fish Festival in the spring. Trout are stocked prior to the festival courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division. Children must do the fishing, but limited adult assistance is permitted. All state fishing rules and regulations apply. The Fish Festival is held rain or shine, except in the event of extreme weather conditions.

Hiking & Walking

A walk through a stunning landscape not only calms your nerves but improves your spirits. Being in the majesty of nature works wonders for stress relief. And people who walk on a regular basis enjoy better overall health, markedly less stress and are more energetic in general.

The Hancock Park District has a variety of trails for walking and hiking located throughout the Hancock Park System.

Hunting

Residents and landowners of Hancock County have the opportunity to participate in the Hancock Park District’s Hunting-with-Permission Lottery program provided in cooperation with Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. Hunting at Litzenberg Memorial Woods occurs during a three-month period, from November through January.

Additional information about the Hunting-with-Permission Lottery program can be obtained by contacting the Hancock Park District at 419-425-7275.

Geocaching & Letterboxing

Park visitors are welcome to participate in “Geocaching” and “Letter Boxing” activities in the Hancock Park District. A permit/application form is now required to hide a cache in any HPD park area in order to limit the impact on native plants and animals in certain management areas. 

 

Apply for Permit Now

Old Mill Stream Scenic Byway

Sawmills, gristmills, and waterpower shaped a region for Native Americans and settlers and carved an area out of the Ohio wilderness bounded by rivers and the Great Black Swamp. As history tells it, the earliest known settler of Hancock County was a Frenchman by the name of Jean Jacques Blanchard who arrived in 1769. In 1908, William “Tell” Taylor wrote “Down by the Old Mill Stream” while sitting on the banks of the Blanchard River. Life prospered from the river, villages and cities grew, and transportation moved people and goods to build the economy. Today, the Old Mill Stream Scenic Byway extends 52 miles through Hancock and Putnam counties, while showcasing the Blanchard River, natural resources, and parks and recreation with a nice blend of cultural and historic attractions along the way.

Zonta Landing Boat Rentals

Zonta Landing Boat Rentals, located at the Riverside Park Waterfront, welcomes visitors to the Blanchard River. The boat livery rents canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats seasonally, Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day, on weekends and holidays from 1 to 7 PM.

The standard boat rental fee is $5 per ½ hour for canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats. The Special Float Trip Option is $20 per canoe, $20 per tandem kayak, or $10 per solo kayak for approximately two hours. Float trips begin and end at Zonta Landing. Boating is limited to an area upstream past the Country Club golf course, Eastpoint Area, and Vogelsong Conservation Area to the State Route 568/Sandusky Street Bridge and back.