Kayaking at Ohio's Findley State Park

Since we got to Ohio, our kayaks have been sitting on my Mom's driveway next to the rig.  They (and we) haven't been in the water since late March when we kayaked on Lake Pleasant just north of Phoenix.

So yesterday we decided to take a spin on the lake at Findley State Park near my Mom's in Wellington, Ohio.

Findley isn't a challenging paddle, but it has enough inlets, overhanging trees, and wildlife to make it interesting. Since it was a Saturday, we had company -- probably two dozen other kayaks, canoes and paddle boarders were on the water, plus a lot of folks were fishing along the shore. The lake is big enough that it didn't seem crowded.  

To get in the water we used a boat launch that put us in the lake with dry feet -- the first time that's ever happened.  With all the kayaking we do, we've only seen this particular launch (called an EZ Launch and which also allow folks in wheel chairs to get in/out of kayaks or canoes) twice; both are just a few miles from my Mom's.

Jim using the EZ Launch, which is like a pontoon boat with a ramp.  If you are in a wheel chair, there's a bench you can use to slide into your canoe or kayak.  Sans wheel chair, first you put your boat on the rollers then (photo 1) stand over the boat; (photo 2) get in the boat; and (photo 3) and grab the handrails and push yourself into the water.

An earthen dam completed in 1956 created the lake at Findley State Park.  Per the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the lake has 4.2 miles of shoreline and 83 acres of fishing water.

A Great Blue Heron sat on top of a tree long enough for Bev to get some good photos.  We also saw lots of little fish, the usual Canada Geese, an egret,and  a kingfisher. Plus we heard lots of cicadas.