Otsego Park and Canoe Livery

History

Located on the beautiful Maumee River, Otsego Park is Wood County Park District's oldest park with a long and interesting history that can be traced back to the Native Americans.  Several tribes could be found in the area, including Ottawa, Miami, Ojibwa, Potawatomi, and Erie.  These tribes used the surrounding area for temporary camps as they moved through the river valley for hunting and trade.  The word Otsego can be translated to mean "meeting place" or "place of the rocks."  A more likely reason for the name Otsego may be credited to a small town that was established in 1834 on this location.  Surveyed in 1936, the surveyor represented a group of investors from New York;  more specifically, the Cherry Valley area in Otsego County.  The surveyors probably used the familiar name of 'Otsego' in order to sell land to the people from the Cherry Valley.  Unfortunately, the town died off and became a ghost town with the development of the Miami-Erie Canal, which ran parallel to the north bank of the Maumee River.  A dam was constructed upriver in Grand Rapids to control canal water levels.  As a result, river travel and trade to and from Otsego was forever altered.  During the early 1900s, new life was breathed into Otsego in the form of an amusement park, complete with a dance hall, camping, a ball park and more.  A small road, located to the west of the park, was used to transport whiskey to and from Wood County during Prohibition via a ford in the river.  During the Great Depression the amusement park went bankrupt and was remanded to the state.

The Stone Hall

Between 1936 and 1939, the Work Projects

Administration built a shelter house (now known as the

Otsego Stone Hall) on the site of the old amusement park.  In 1937, the state sold the shelter and the surrounding eight acres, including the islands, to the Wood County Park Commission and it has been one of the most popular parks in the district since.  The Stone Hall is available for rentals, has two fireplaces, a full kitchen, and accomodates up to 120 people.

Natural Habitats

More than a spectacular view, Otsego Park lies within the largest watershed in the Great Lakes, the Maumee River.  From atop the bluffs or along the floodplain, visitors observe majestic eagles, shorebirds, and waterfowl.  White bass, yellow perch, darters, as well as crayfish and other critters swim the waters around Otsego's islands.  Harmless snakes sun themselves on tree roots.  Deer, fox raccoon, mink, muskrat, and other mammals leave their prints in the sandy mud along the shore.  During low water look for glacial grooves on the river rocks.

Wildflowers color the land and waterscapes from spring through fall, painting Otsego with species found in wetlands and prairies.  Otsego's beautiful habitats will continue to attract humans and wildlife for centuries.

Otsego Canoe Livery

Experience the Maumee River, an Ohio State Scenic River, up close as you take the eight mile journey from Grand Rapids to Otsego Park.  View the spectacular wildlife that resides along the river's edge while you negotiate your way through the rapids and the many small islands.

Open Memorial Day Weekend thru Labor Day

Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays

BY PRE-PAID RESERVATION ONLY

Trips leave at 11:00am and 12:00noon

• Canoe rentals can be booked online up to 12 noon on Thursday for the upcoming weekend.