In a setting that highlights the mystery of an old swamp forest and the excitement of a water recreation area, Pymatuning State Park invites outdoor lovers of all ages to enjoy a relaxing lakeside vacation experience.
In addition to being one of the finest walleye and muskellunge lakes in the country, Pymatuning offers excellent camping, swimming and boating opportunities as well.
Settlement of the area by white immigrants from the east was slow to occur. The vast Pymatuning swamp and nearly impenetrable forest made travel difficult. The earliest Europeans to reside here were trappers in search of valuable beaver pelts. Later, the lush forest attracted lumbermen who especially prized the strong, straight trunks of the white pines that were used to construct masts for sailing ships. As more and more settlers came into northern Ohio, much of the wilderness character of the Pymatuning region was lost. Remnants of the original swamp still remain today, coaxing the modern day naturalist to explore this unique habitat.
In 1933, the dam which impounded Pymatuning Reservoir was constructed to regulate the flow of the Shenango and Beaver rivers. Land on the western shore of the reservoir was acquired by the state of Ohio in 1935, and in 1950 the Division of Parks and Recreation began developing Pymatuning State Park.