Educational Programs at Caesar Creek Lake

Since opening in 1982, Caesar Creek Lake’s Class A Regional Visitor Center has served thousands of local school children. Over 225,000 school children have participated in a program at the Visitor Center since 1996. Most of our program participants come from Warren, Clinton, Greene, and Montgomery counties, but some groups come from as far away as Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Columbus.

Field trips to Caesar Creek Lake are an educational, fun, and memorable experience for all ages. One young student commented at the end of his field trip, “This is the most fun I’ve ever had in my whole life!”  Teacher love our programs too. Our average teacher evaluation score has been 9.25 out of 10 since 1996.

A typical field trip is a whole day with a variety of activities for group leaders to choose. A major draw at Caesar Creek Lake is the world-renown fossil beds. Unearthed during the construction of the dam, the emergency spillway harbors abundant Ordovician-age fossils. Despite its reputation as a world-class fossil collecting area, the emergency spillway is accessible for beginners, and every student can easily find their own fossils. Our fossil beds are unique in that we allow public collecting after a free fossil collecting permit is obtained at the Visitor Center. Children love to travel back in time and explore fossilized remains from the Ordovician Sea. Corals, trilobites, shells, and various marine creatures litter the floor of the emergency spillway and tell the story of a time when a warm, shallow ocean dominated the landscape of Southwest Ohio.

Children and adults love to learn about the natural history of the Caesar Creek Lake area while at the Visitor Center. Nature hikes focusing on local wildlife, habitat types, and Corps of Engineers restoration efforts are popular choices. Students also love participating in a pond study, creek walk, and collecting wildflower seed. Another popular program is our water safety program. With a 2,830-acre lake at the park, water safety cannot be emphasized enough. Thousands of children have received a water safety message and have met our mascot “Bobber the Water Safety Dog”.

To set up a field trip review our Teacher's Packet and call the Visitor Center at 515-897-1050.