We were looking for a moderately priced place to stay with some entertainment features and driving distance from Athens and Logan. Location worked out reasonablely well once you got used to and accepted the long winding roads. Burr Oak is 20-30 mins north from Nelsonville depending on how comfortable you are driving on back county roads. It winds thru several small towns that have nothing to offer except a gas station and a dollar store. (McConnelsville is about the same distance past Burr Oak but the roads are even more curvey.) Burr Oak lodge looks very much the other state lodges we have stayed in (Shawnee & Hueston Woods). The staff was very helpful and friendly; when we checked in the first room( on the bottem floor) we were given was terribly musty (reaked of mold) and I immediately asked for another room. I asked for something on the top floor which is the same level as the lobby. It was much better but still a little musty. I was told the 1st floor rooms have a patio and view of the lake. ( I'll still pass on the mold. ) Our room had a double bed and a single for 3 of us. It was on the small side but there are 2 sinks, and nice big TV with satelite(including 4 HBO stations). No free internet service but when we paid for one they did give us 2 access codes so my husband and daughter could both use their computers. We had NO CELL SERVICE there but were told Verizon subscribers can usually get access. Of course coffee machine, iron and blow dryer in the room. Decor is very dated, but the room was resonably clean except for some dust. We did have some bugs(lady bugs, lightening bugs, knats) but that is to be expected in the woods. ( No icky bugs.) Very good water pressure in the shower and plenty of towels. Bedding was clean and the old fashioned polyester stuff. Beds were firm but not intolerable. There is a nice playground, tennis courts, walking trails, beach/fishing area, in-door pool, ping pong table, dining room, broad games all on the premises/grounds. We used everything but the dining room and all were in good condition and well kept. We stayed 3 nights and were busy during the days so ate out plus we had brought some food with us to make sandwiches and snacks. We were there duing the week and there weren't many guests, I figure they pick up on the weekends.

We stayed in one of the cottages on the property for five nights, just my wife and I. The cost was a bargain at $65.00 per night. It was very relaxing. The cottages have a small kitchen, living room, two bedrooms, large screened in porch that is almost right in the trees and a decent sized bathroom. They have TV's with cable and a DVD player (we hardly turned the TV on at all). The cottages also have good AC. They're equipped with all the kitchen utensils - pots, pans, plates, microwave, etc. but we took our own paper plates and plastic ware to avoid doing dishes. I really wish we had taken our no-stick electric griddle because the pans they provide are definitely "old school". They also have a "park style" charcoal grill outside.

The cottages are clean and comfortable but are not luxurious by any means. They are in the woods and very quiet. The cottages are located in three cul-de-sacs. Our first night we stayed in the cluster that contained cottages 13 thru 22. DO NOT stay in this cluster! Unfortunately, there is a pump station for the water treatment plant located somewhere behind this cluster - the pump runs constantly and while it's not really loud, it is a distraction in the middle of a very peaceful environment. We went to the lodge the next day and were moved to the cluster that contains cottages 1 thru 12, MUCH better.

There is a lake in the park and it's very pretty and secluded. There were very few people in the entire park that we ran across during our stay. The fishing is just OK but if we wanted great fishing we would have went to Lake Erie. What we wanted was peace and quiet and it is in abundance at Burr Oak.

The nearest town is Glouster, about 15 minutes away. It's really pretty close but the roads are a little winding so it makes the drive a little slower. They have a gas station, Subway and not much else. There is a good bait and tackle shop on Republic Street called LT Bait and Tackle. You can get your fishing license and any gear you need there. There is a Krogers grocery in the town of Trimble. Trimble is right next to Glouster, not two minutes away.

If you plan on having a campfire (they have fire rings at the cottages), you better find some cheap fire wood before you get in the park. Wood is for sale at the lodge - 6 pieces for 5 bucks! BTW, the lodge has a restaurant and a small bar, we didn't utilize either one so I can't comment on their quality. The lodge also has a very nice pool that cottage renters are free to use.There are two smallish marinas on the lake to rent boats. A small motorboat was $17.00 for the first hour and $12.00 for each hour after that.

All and all, we were very pleased with our stay. It's a beautiful park in the middle of a beautiful area of Ohio. I f you want to be spoon fed activities and need a thrill a minute, don't go here. If you're looking for peace and quiet and to get disconnected from the grid for a while then this is the place to go.

We were looking for a place to take my mother since she is partially handicapped. It was a nice drive to Burr Oak, many curvy hilly roads.

We stayed at the Lodge only not a cabin.

Exterior: It is in good shape, clean but a little dated. There was some tennis courts, a nice playground for kids, something like a city park with swings and a newer wood playground set. There was a horseshoe pit and some shuffleboard pads. We never used any of them but it appeared the lodge provided all the items you would need for the shuffleboard and tennis. There were many trees surrounding the lodge and at this time of the year the view of the lake is minimal. You can take a very steep walk down to the lake which was fine for us and the kids but my mother was unable to make the trek. The lake was beautiful, very calm water. We took a nice pontoon boat ride that was provided by the lodge for only $5 per person, $4 for kids. It was an hour long and the guide provided some history and we saw some cranes and other wildlife.

Interior: Our room was nice and roomy, clean and odor free. One side of the lodge is smoking and the other is non-smoking. The furnishings were a bit dated but very functional. The beds were more firmer than we were used to, but the pull out couch was very comfortable for our kids. The cable tv was nice but reception was spotty at times. The main lobby is on the second floor but our room, the dining room and the pool are all on the first floor. There is no elevator but there was a side entrance that enabled us to load, unload without stairs. The lobby was very nice, roomy and had a ping pong table, large screen TV and many board games to choose from. They did have a computer room with internet access you could use for $5 for a half an hour. I don't believe they had wireless in the rooms.

Pool: The indoor pool was nice with 3 foot at one end and 8 foot at the deep end. No lifeguard. They have sliding doors which open up to a deck where sunbathers can lounge while still watching kids at the pool. There is no hot tub. We didn't find any towels either, we had to request extra for our room and we took those with us to the pool.

Dining room: Very large with windows all around to view the trees, partial view of the lake (because of all the trees) and many hummingbirds as they fed on the feeders attached to a deck surrounding the dining room. The food and service was very good, prices reasonable. Dinner prices were a little much for a family since they didn't offer anything under $11 except for appetizers. The cheese quesadilla for $7 was plenty of food for a meal and was very good. Staff was very courteous and was always there with refills and extras for people splitting food without extra costs.

We did not check out any of the hiking trails since we took my mother but we did drive out one day. You have to drive to Nelsonville to find a decent place to eat. Athens is not far away if you want to check out Ohio University. Overall I would say it was worth the trip for us but not my partially handicapped mother who could not see much of the lake and their were no elevators. Anyone else needing to take a handicapped person to a lodge on the lake should check out Hueston Woods. We went there last year and it was much better with patios off the first floor rooms with chairs to view the lake.