Dawn's Early Light In 2009 the state of Ohio Division of Natural Resources bought Wingfoot Lake (Suffield, Ohio) from Goodyear, who had closed the park in 2006.  Once a place for Goodyear employees and their families, the park is hardly a blip on the map when you think of expansive state parks.  But for Goodyear employees, it was a rural respite from the grind of the city where boating, fishing, miniature golf, playgrounds, picnics and ball fields beckoned.

The 700+ acres, most of it water, opened up to the rest of Ohio in 2010 and immediately became a popular Akron-area destination. What makes the park unique to many visitors is the proximity to the Blimp Hangar that resides along the south shore of the lake, but not part of the State Park property.

Goodyear Blimp Panorama On any given day the blimp will fly low over the park on final approach to the hangar landing strip. Many places in the park give you great sight lines to the hangar.

Winter on Wingfoot Lake

Boating is restricted to low-horsepower craft, mainly the lone fisherman and his tiny motorized skiff.  Two ramps provide access from either end of the lake, one inside the park and another adjacent.  It is the latter dock that offers sweeping views of the lake and tiny forested islands, where breaking dawn provides some great photography.  Fishing happens all year 'round as the shallow lake freezes quite easily and ice fisherman boldly pull shanty's well off-shore.

From this westerly dock, I've put together a video of images throughout Winter 2012-13 with the hopes of moving forward with a full seasonal composite of images from the same location.  As the seasons change, the same static point for shooting shots gives some very different, and at times dramatic, results.

Fall silhouettes A variety of trees dot the property, from hardwood to pines.  Paved paths skirt the lake and interior of the park and provide a short but scenic hike.  Fall offers great views within the confines of the park as well as the distant horizon and along the lake's edges. Sans squirrels galore, the park's primary wildlife are birds, including a bald eagle that nests well to the east of the lake well away from the visiting families.

Over a million people live within a 20-minute drive of the park, or so says the Ohio Department of Natural Resources spokesperson in a news article when the park opened.  It's that very ease of access that draws me into the park on a regular basis, especially with sunrises and sunsets.  Both east and west directions offer natural views.  And every now and then you can even take in a spectacular setting moon.  It's a great place for a photography to just "Wing It" (so to speak)...

- J.

Wingfoot Moonset