A.W. Marion State Park — Attraction in Washington Township

Wow the work done to fix the leak at the dam is amazing. Bravo! Ok, so I have a bunch of confirmed info. The park office at the beach is open 5 days per week between Memorial Day and Labor Day. After LD they are open F, Sat and Sun only. They sell bait (see my photos) and lures plus snacks. Yes, dogs are welcome everywhere including inside the office on trails and at the campground. ATV are not permitted on the hiking or bike trails. The park closes at 11 pm BUT you can FISH all night, including ON the lake if you want to. If you get caught NOT fishing after park hours, you may get a hefty fine by the park ranger. They have kayaks, canoes and paddleboards to rent by the hour or by the day. $7 per hour or $28 per day and rental includes a life vest. Or you can bring your own. You can fish all the way around the 4-5 mile trail loop. The hiking trail has blue blazes and the bike trail has orange. These trails run parallel to each other and join at times. The trails are VERY well marked and some nice bridges have been added over the past 5+ years. There are picnic tables all over the place and there are also several bbq pits. There are pit restrooms, are wheelchair accessible and therefore large enough to take your kids or dog inside with you for safety. The park is pretty clean! Most ppl clean up after themselves. The guy who works at the office has worked there for 20 years, is very knowlegeable and helpful. They sell snacks inside. *The campground beside the boat ramp is NOT part of AW Marion State Park. That one is privately owned. The state park camping is best gotten to by taking US Rt. 22 rather...

The most amazing campground ever there are 2 fishing lakes, swimming beach or pool, a camp store shop, safety security gates, cabins, tents , RVs, MHS, come one come all, the sites are huge they don't pile you on top of each other, it's newly renovated, ping pong, pool, beautiful, spacious, clean I have severe PTSD & I have never felt so relaxed it's so quiet, homey, welcoming, laundry facilities, game rooms the staff is 2nd to none especially Oliver he knows something about everything and he has such a gentle soul he will welcome you with open arms and he's all about the natural life you can find campgrounds at a dime a dozen but to find one that crosses over to home where you know you and your kids are safe is priceless they even do background checks as an extra layer of protection and there is more to come because they are still upgrading all I know is I found my paradise here and you can stay year round so I found the home that I've been looking for no more night terrors, peace of mind help if I need it an wonderfully neighbors grab a spot while you can there aren't many and this is a hidden gem that I would stop looking elsewhere because they set the bar real high and trust me we shopped bands down best of the best I can't wait till it gets warm so I can fish then swim or fish an swim together the rental cabins are incredible too there are tons of trails to explore and it's definitely pet friendly we're at lot 102 and we hope to see you here we're always up for dinner, new friends, new memories and lots of fun I swear this is a piece of...

So I'm sure this place is just fine by itself, but the staff here on the boat rental side just ran myself and my family out or their establishment while we were lost looking for what they claim is an "activity barn" and "playground" to which we could find no such thing. Instead of helping us, a rude man on a golf cart told us to slow down and leave...we gladly obliged, seeing as how the place really wasn't what we were looking for. He proceeded to follow us out, even though we slowed down to 5 mph and call ahead to the front to stop us on our way out and start berating us. I will admit I lost my cool a little at that point, but all they cared about was escorting us off their "private property" instead of assisting us at all. Rude, and unwelcoming staff ruined our experience and we will not be returning...if you decide to go, just avoid this area all-together and go to the campsite side.

If you're looking for a playground, opt for Mary Virginia Crites Hannon park down the road...