The swimming beach is located along the north shore of the lake. Drive in the Pleasant Hill Lake S.P. entrance and continue straight to the lake. There is a parking lot on a hill above the beach. Another option is to drive around the west side of the building at the end of the entrance road, continuing past boat docks until you are at the beach. The swimming beach is good for birdwatching early in the spring until mid-May and late August until the lake freezes.

Pleasant Hill Lake Park is located In Richland and Ashland counties, near Perrysville, Ohio, and is accessible by OH-39 or OH-603 to OH-95. The park includes 850 acres of water, 1,345 acres of surrounding land, and 13 miles of shoreline.

The public launch ramp is located on Covert Road, off OH-95. There are 385 campsites (class A with full hookups and electric hookups) available on a first-come, first-served basis. Seasonal camping is available at a discounted rate. The park has a swimming beach, special events, game courts, two-bedroom vacation cabins, a concession stand, a playground, picnic shelters, camper cabins, hot showers, and modern restrooms. The Pleasant Hill Marina provides docking, rental boats, fuel, and limited supplies. Open from April 15 to October 15, 9:00am to 9:00pm. Hunting is permitted in all nonrestricted areas and regulated by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Fish are stocked by the ODNR Division of Wildlife, District 2.

Several short hiking trails are located inside the park. Nearby Mohican State Forest offers many hiking trails. Camp Nuhop and the Wooster Outdoor Center are located on the shoreline of Pleasant Hill Lake.

The western section of Pleasant Hill Lake is in Richland County. The eastern section of Pleasant Hill Lake is in Ashland County. If you carefully keep your bird records by county, be aware of the location of the county line and use the appropriate eBird hotspots when you submit checklists. (See the map for the location of the county line.)

The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) owns Pleasant Hill Lake. The lake was constructed in 1938 by damming the Clear Fork Branch of the Mohican River. The lake was originally constructed primarily for flood control in the Muskingum River watershed. Today, recreation is one of the biggest public benefits. The ODNR Division of Wildlife manages the lake under an agreement to provide public fishing and hunting.

The Clear Fork River empties into the western end of the lake. This western end of the lake is shallow with most of the area under less than 10 feet of water. The middle section of the lake gradually slopes to a depth of 20 feet. At that point, the lake makes a sharp bend to the south, and the basin changes to a steep-sided, deep, gorge shape with a maximum depth of 35 feet.

The portion of the lake that runs from west to east is shallower and warmer. The bottom of that part of the lake is composed of mud (clay and silt), except along the shorelines where wave action has exposed sand and small gravel. The lower portion of the lake, running north to the south, is deeper, slightly cooler, and has larger boulders along the shoreline. Vegetation is confined to the shoreline of the western end of the impoundment and is controlled by water clarity. The transparency of the water varies from about 6 inches in the springtime to 4 feet later in the season, when the sediment has settled.

Pleasant Hill Lake Park is located In Richland and Ashland counties, near Perrysville, Ohio, and is accessible by OH-39 or OH-603 to OH-95. The park includes 850 acres of water, 1,345 acres of surrounding land, and 13 miles of shoreline.

The public launch ramp is located on Covert Road, off OH-95. There are 385 campsites (class A with full hookups and electric hookups) available on a first-come, first-served basis. Seasonal camping is available at a discounted rate. The park has a swimming beach, special events, game courts, two-bedroom vacation cabins, a concession stand, a playground, picnic shelters, camper cabins, hot showers, and modern restrooms. The Pleasant Hill Marina provides docking, rental boats, fuel, and limited supplies. Open from April 15 to October 15, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. Hunting is permitted in all nonrestricted areas and regulated by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Fish are stocked by the ODNR Division of Wildlife, District 2.

Several short hiking trails are located inside the park. Nearby Mohican State Forest offers many hiking trails. Camp Nuhop and the Wooster Outdoor Center are located on the shoreline of Pleasant Hill Lake.