On The Move to Punderson State Park
Hi, friends!
I’m starting a series of blog posts here with accompanying YouTube clips sharing how I explore and fuel healthy adventures to each of Ohio’s 75 state parks. Hiking, climbing, paddling, and exploring takes a LOT of energy, and if you fuel up the right way, you’ll be set to maximize your journey now and prevent injury, stall muscle burnout, and sustain your energy levels for the long run! Adventure awaits!
Adventure: Punderson State Park
Location: Newbury, OH – Geauga County
Passport Region: Northeast
Season Visited: Summer
Length of Stay: Half Day
Features Available from Ohio Department of Natural Resources Park Passport: archery, boating, cabins, camping, dining, disc golf, fishing, golf, hiking, launch/ramp, lodge, nature center, paddling, pet friendly, picnicking, playground, shelter house, swimming area, swimming pool, wedding venue, winter activities
I chose Punderson State Park for a quick half day trip because I wanted to get outside and on the water during the morning before afternoon thunderstorms were scheduled to roll in. Punderson Lake is one of the few natural kettle lakes in Ohio, created from glaciers during the Ice Age. According to the Park Passport book from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Punderson Lake is the largest and deepest kettle lake in the state. Perfect for paddling and electric-only motor boating. I also saw some great shorter hikes on AllTrails that I knew I wanted to try, and felt that I could squeeze both adventures in before the rain came.
After paddling my way from boat launch, which was a 30-minute feat on my EPS foam SUP being so lightweight in the wind, I made it to calmer waters near a floating boardwalk edged with massive lilly pads, flowers, and jumping fish. I chose to put my SUP in directly at the boat slips, because there was a great deal of algae on the water around the ramp and I didn’t want to get all that gunk on my board (especially getting it out after since the bottom of the board lays against my side to carry) However, many other kayakers were launching using this concrete ramp when I returned, and a boat had been recently launched, which pushed away some of the build up.
I passed many small craft boaters with their lines in the water, and a couple of kayakers out enjoying the beautiful morning view. Several small groups of people were fishing along the edges of the lake as I made my way around. Even being only 9:30am, there were a couple of families out on the beach with the roped off swimming area, catching rays while the sun was shining. You could also see the cabins and the large lodge and conference center from the water. This English Tudor home was BEAUTIFUL, and I can only imagine the serene experience guests and lakeside diners encounter during their stay.
I paddled the whole lake in about an hour, and spent another 45 minutes on a hike around Punderson’s smaller neighbor: Stump Lake. The Erie Loop Trail weaved its way around this lake as well as on the edge of the park’s family-friendly campground, making up two of about 11 miles of hiking trails the park offers. I also passed by a lovely large archery field and sledding hill across from the marina, complete with a tow rope to bring you back up the hill during winter pursuits. Other winter activities available include snowmobiling and cross-country skiing trails, so I’ll have to make a note to come back in a few months to try my hand at those.
This park is within about 45 minutes of many other Ohio State Parks, including Nelson-Kennedy Ledges, Tinker’s Creek, Mentor Headlands Beach, West Branch State Park, and Mosquito Lake. This could easily be “home base” for a week with day trips around to the others!
Even though this was a quick trip, paddling into the wind and hikes-turned-trail-runs utilize a lot of energy, estimated over 550 calories burned via my Garmin watch, and so it was important to fuel up and stay hydrated! I took breakfast in the car so that I could get on the road faster and beat the impending weather blowing in. However, that’s no excuse for fast food or poor nourishment! I also planned to be back home for a late lunch, so planned for just a post-adventure, re-fueling snack. No fancy or time consuming planning needed for this trip, just some careful thought about nutrients and food groups.
Breakfast On The Go:
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cold Brew Shake (385 calories)
• ¼ c quick cooking dry oats
• 2 oz cold brew concentrate
• 2 Tbsp Justin’s natural peanut butter
• ½ frozen banana
• 6 oz unsweetened original soy milk
• 2 ice cubes
This provided me about 385 calories with 15g protein, 20g healthy fats, and 37g carbs. I was full and satisfied until I pulled my board out of the water, at which point I felt a little hungry again. So I reached for my first snack, the apple, before heading out on the hike.
Snacks:
• Small Gala apple (90 calories, 22g carbs)
• Whole wheat tortilla with 2 Tbsp Justin’s natural peanut butter (320 calories)
After the trail running hike, as I headed out, I was definitely feeling the need to refuel a bit, so I’m glad I had the tortilla wrap for some energy. With about 30g of carbs and 11g of protein, this was a great post-exercise choice to start sending nutrition back to my muscles. When I got home, I knew I was going to have a lot more veggies in a leftover stir fry, along with some noodles, and a hardboiled egg, so I would be adding more food groups and more recovery nutrition via the carbs, proteins, and vitamin-packed veggies.
Overall, these quick food choices were super simple and helped me not only to make up for the energy burned while adventuring, (IN: 795; OUT: 550) but were also really easy to grab and go. I kept a water bottle with me the whole time and ended up drinking about 40 fluid ounces throughout the trip. I always recommend keeping an extra [full] water bottle in the car in case your trip ends up being longer or hotter than you anticipate!
State Park Rating: 7/10
Highlight: Paddling around the lake near the lilly pads and seeing the plants and fish under the water.
Recommendation: Take a day trip or overnight trip for a weekend to take advantage of all the park has to offer! The potential for winter adventures is very tempting to come back.