Chickagami Park

Chickagami Park

17957 Tavern Road (OH-168) Parkman, Ohio 44021

Official Website

About this Location

Chickagami Park is 139 acres located within the headwaters of the Grand River watershed. The parcel is primarily wooded and includes wetlands, streams, and uplands.

Chickagami is a Native American word meaning “camp by the lake.” In 1941, the Western Reserve Council of the Boy Scouts of America dedicated Camp Chickagami as a year-round camping facility for the scouts. The property consisted of cabins and camp lean-tos along Lake Estabrook, which was created by damming the branch of the Grand River that ran through the property. Over the decades, additional lodges, a dining hall, and restroom/shower facilities were added to accommodate the scout groups who came for week-long camping in the summer and weekend use in the winter.

In order to reduce operating costs in 2003, the Western Reserve Council (WRC) entered into a purchase agreement with Geauga Park District to take over the camp property. After the dam inspection and evaluation of Lake Estabrook by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), it was recommended that the badly deteriorated dam that created Lake Estabrook be removed and the river corridor be returned to its original flow. The WRC agreed to remove most of the buildings and the dam as part of the purchase agreement.

Boy Scouts continue to have priority access to the property for camping. It is Geauga Park District’s intent to protect this natural area in perpetuity.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

  • Roadside viewing

Content from Official Website