Camping at Ohio Power

May 2018
We went camping for two nights at Ohio Power in southeast Ohio.  The first night the temperature dipped to the low 30's.  That morning when I woke up I thought how sweet, Charlie is snuggling with me, only to find out the air mattress was losing air.  Getting out of bed was a challenge for both of us.  We went morel mushroom hunting both days and didn't find any.   On the second day we decided to tour the Wilds and go into Belle Valley for a late lunch.  We had a great time reminiscing about camping years ago.

ReCreation Land

One of AEP's best-known reclamation projects, ReCreation Land is a 34,500-acre area in Southeast Ohio that offers a wide assortment recreational activities to the public, including camping, fishing, hunting, bike trails, and horseback riding. AEP reclaimed this land, once strip-mined for its rich coal deposits, and turned it into a vibrant recreation area. Vigorous reclamation efforts involved planting 63 million trees, establishing over 350 lakes and ponds, and creating nearly 380 campsites. Use of the land requires obtaining a free ReCreation Land permit. You can also obtain a map of the area.

The Wilds

The Wilds is a 10,000-acre wildlife conservation center in Cumberland, Ohio. AEP reclaimed the area from coal-mining lands in southeast Ohio and turned it into one of the largest and most innovative wildlife conservation centers in the world. The Wilds is home to rare and endangered species from around the world as well as hundreds of indigenous species. In addition to unique and in-depth science and education programs, the Wilds offers guided to the public on selected days May through October.