Malabar Farm State Park

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Last Updated: December 5, 2025

Malabar Farm State Park is located in Richland County, Ohio, and covers an area of over 1,000 acres of rolling hills, forests, and farmland.


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Summary

The park is a popular destination for visitors throughout the year and offers a variety of activities for visitors to enjoy.

One of the main attractions of Malabar Farm State Park is the Louis Bromfield's Big House, which is a fully restored 32-room mansion that was once the home of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield. Visitors can take a guided tour of the mansion to explore its beautiful architecture and learn about the history of the Bromfield family.

Another popular attraction in the park is the Working Farm, which is a living history museum that showcases how farming was done in the early 1900s. Visitors can walk through the farm and see a variety of farm animals, including pigs, cows, and horses. They can also watch demonstrations of traditional farming techniques, such as plowing with a horse-drawn plow.

In addition to these attractions, Malabar Farm State Park also offers a variety of outdoor activities, such as hiking, fishing, and camping. The park has several miles of hiking trails that wind through the forest and offer scenic views of the countryside. There are also several ponds and streams in the park where visitors can fish for bass, catfish, and other species of fish. The park also has several campsites and cabins for visitors who want to stay overnight.

Malabar Farm State Park is open year-round, but the best time to visit is during the summer months when the weather is warm and the park's outdoor activities are in full swing. However, visitors can also enjoy the park's fall foliage and winter snows, which offer a unique and beautiful perspective of the park's landscapes.

       

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Park & Land Designation Reference

National Park
Large protected natural areas managed by the federal government to preserve significant landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural resources; recreation is allowed but conservation is the priority.
State Park
Public natural or recreational areas managed by a state government, typically smaller than national parks and focused on regional natural features, recreation, and education.
Local Park
Community-level parks managed by cities or counties, emphasizing recreation, playgrounds, sports, and green space close to populated areas.
Wilderness Area
The highest level of land protection in the U.S.; designated areas where nature is left essentially untouched, with no roads, structures, or motorized access permitted.
National Recreation Area
Areas set aside primarily for outdoor recreation (boating, hiking, fishing), often around reservoirs, rivers, or scenic landscapes; may allow more development.
National Conservation Area (BLM)
BLM-managed areas with special ecological, cultural, or scientific value; more protection than typical BLM land but less strict than Wilderness Areas.
State Forest
State-managed forests focused on habitat, watershed, recreation, and sustainable timber harvest.
National Forest
Federally managed lands focused on multiple use—recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and resource extraction (like timber)—unlike the stricter protections of national parks.
Wilderness
A protected area set aside to conserve specific resources—such as wildlife, habitats, or scientific features—with regulations varying widely depending on the managing agency and purpose.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Vast federal lands managed for mixed use—recreation, grazing, mining, conservation—with fewer restrictions than national parks or forests.
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