Clermont County officials are looking into building a lodge and conference center at East Fork State Park and could begin by the end of the year.

"We are by far the largest state park in Ohio without a lodge," said County Commissioner Bob Proud. "We have this huge lake, this huge state park, and we don't even have a cabin."

Five county officials drove up to Lake Erie recently to visit Ohio's newest state park lodge, the $16.7 million Lodge & Conference Center at Geneva State Park. It opened in May and was financed by Ashtabula County. The lodge on Lake Erie is the first state park lodge in Ohio to be built and managed by local funds on state-owned park land.

Talk in Clermont County centers on obtaining a long-term lease from the state for the property, then finding a private business to build and manage the lodge and conference center.

That would be different than the lodge and conference center at Geneva, which was built by the county but staffed by a private company.

Clermont County officials also hope to visit the Stonewall Resort in West Virginia, built with a state, local and private partnership.

The county could begin a detailed market analysis by the end of the year to determine the feasibility of building a lodge and conference center here, and the demand for it in the region, said county Administrator Dave Spinney. Proud said a best-case scenario would have a lodge being built in the next several years.

At more than 7,000 acres, East Fork is one of Ohio's largest state parks, traversed by more than 150 miles of trails for hiking, backpacking and horseback riding.

Proud envisions horse stables near the lodge and rooms with windows showing a dramatic view of William H. Harsha Lake.

"It's definitely a big priority in the county," Proud said. "This has been on our wish list for many years."

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For more information on East Fork, visit www.ohiodnr.com/parks/parks/eastfork.htm

E-mail rforgrave@enquirer.com