Welcome to Lake Life! A fun and informative blog focusing on Rocky Fork Lake community, growth and development. Check back often for new posts and interesting news!

Rocky Fork Lake Camping

Camping at Rocky Fork Lake

Rocky Fork Lake Camping

Camping spots at Rocky Fork Lake come equipped with showers, flush toilets, laundry facilities, dump station, camp store and campers’ and Rocky Fork State Park beach! Campsites at Rocky Fork Lake are available with electric and full-service hookups! When you camp at Rocky Fork Lake don’t forget we offer pet permitted sites, so you don’t have to leave ‘Spot’ at home when you go camping at Rocky Fork Lake!  When camping with a large group at Rocky Fork Lake you can call our office and rent our recreation barn. The barn contains a meeting space, restrooms, showers and a modified kitchen! Our recreation barn is often used for summer/day camps like Kamp Dovetail!

Hiking

For the outdoor enthusiasts our 4 miles of hiking and mountain bike trails are great to enjoy the outdoor scenery. The trails lead to our observation station where excellent bird watching can be pursued! After taking the trails top by our camp office when camping at Rocky Fork Lake to enjoy some ice cream and shop for all your camping necessities! Picnic areas are also located on both north and east shores in wooded areas overlooking the lake!

Boating

While camping at Rocky Fork Lake you get access to our launch ramp and tie-ups when you are camping with a boat!  If you are camping with us at Rocky Fork Lake don’t forget motors of unlimited horsepower are permitted at Rocky Fork! Our Lake has sixteen boat launching ramps located around the Lake! If you are camping with boats at Rocky Fork Lake a designated area is available for boat camping!

Camping Events

Rocky Fork Lake Campsite is also home to many events including ‘Rumble in the Hills’, ‘Smokin’ in the Hills’, ‘Open Bass Fishing Tournaments’, ‘Kids Trout Derby’, ‘Spring Market Day’s’, ‘Poppin’ & Rockin’ at The Lake’, ‘Halloween Camping Nights & Trick or Treat’, and ‘Christmas at the Lake’! Rocky Fork Lake Camping is an adventure waiting for YOU!

Breaking Ground for the Clinic

The Highland District Hospital Board of Directors moves the first spades full of dirt at a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday for the new Rocky Fork Medical Center.

Ground was broken Thursday at Rocky Fork Lake for the new Rocky Fork Medical Center, which is set to be constructed at the corner of North Shore Drive and North Beach Road at the lake.

The clinic will be owned by Highland District Hospital and staffed by Highland Health Providers, officials said.

Randy Lennartz, chief executive officer of Highland District Hospital, described the event as a “celebration.”

“This project took a lot of people,” he told a crowd of nearly 100 people at the construction site. “We’ve been talking about this project for over two years, with making the project come together and getting the providers out here, and now everything has come together as we go forward and provide these services to the people at Rocky Fork Lake.”

Lennartz recognized some of the people who had a large part in getting the medical center to the lake.

In attendance at the groundbreaking were county commissioners Gary Abernathy, Jeff Duncan and Terry Britton, Teresa Lewis from Congressman Brad Wenstrup’s office, Highland Health Providers staff, the Highland District Hospital board of directors and others. Lennartz also gave special mention to Larry and Terry Roberts, who donated the land for the facility. Continue reading…

Rocky Fork among duck, geese blind lottery lakes!

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is holding a lottery for more than 280 permits to hunters wishing to construct a blind to hunt ducks and geese on select Ohio State Park lakes, including Rocky Fork Lake, this waterfowl hunting season.

All but one of the drawings will be held the morning of Saturday, Aug. 18, at 18 state parks. Portage Lakes will hold its lottery on Thursday, Aug. 16. At all parks, applications will be taken locally with the lottery drawings following registration.

Interested applicants must appear in person at a participating state park office with proof of a 2018 Ohio hunting license, Ohio wetlands habitat stamp endorsement in the applicant’s name and a signed 2018 federal duck stamp. Applicants under the age of 18 are encouraged to have a parent or legal guardian present to sign the permit contract and provide the required license and stamps.

Each hunter can apply for only one duck blind permit, and no one can apply or draw for another person. There is a $50 non-refundable permit fee for the state park lottery winners. Most locations accept cash, check or credit card for payment, except Portage Lakes where payment is by cash (exact change) or check only. Lottery winners have Continue reading….

Boat Races Are Back at Rocky Fork Lake! Rumble in the Hills 7/21-22

Rocky Fork Lake Boat Races Rumble in the Hills

Organizers for Rumble in the Hills set for July 21-22 at Rocky Fork State Park include (front row, l-r) Keith Fickert, Joey McGuire, Mike McGuire and Ron Snyder; (back row, l-r) Chris Sexton, Greg Kneitzer, Kevin Kneitzer and Michael Glern.

Just two weeks before they are set to take place, officials have announced that power boats races and other activities will return to Rocky Fork State Park this year.

Now called Rumble in the Hills, this year’s races will be held July 21-22 with the races starting around 9 or 10 a.m. each day. The race course will be in the same location around two islands on the lake’s east side where more than 25 world records have been set in past years.

There will also be a fireworks display on Saturday, July 21 at dark, a Budweiser beer garden both days, along with food carts and flea market vendors.

After being held for 25 out of 30 years, the races were canceled in 2015 and have not been held since.

“With the race having over a 20-year history at Rocky Fork Lake, most people familiar with the area remember them. Doc Yinger created and organized the races for two decades, doing an outstanding job with it and making it a success,” said Mike McGuire, the driving force behind the return of the races with his father, Joey McGuire. Continue reading….