LORE CITY, OH -- Through a partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio, Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director Mary Mertz officially opened the 20th Storybook Trail in the Ohio State Park System at Salt Fork State Park in Guernsey County on Oct 3rd. The trail creates a unique opportunity to improve childhood literacy, develop an appreciation for nature, and encourage healthy living.

“I encourage families to bring their children to our newest Storybook Trail at Salt Fork or check out another Storybook Trail elsewhere throughout Ohio,” First Lady Fran DeWine said. “Early reading is so very important for the best development of kids.  And as I’ve found with my own grandkids, reading an Imagination Library book while on a beautiful park trail elevates the experience.”

Salt Fork State Park is full of stunning landscapes of forested hills, open meadows, and beautiful stream-filled valleys. The park features two marinas with eight launch ramps, a challenging trail system, the historic Kennedy Stone house, and a top-rated 18-hole golf course. The new Storybook Trail features “Wonder Walkers” by Micha Archer. The picture book follows two young explorers who venture outdoors and create their own story about Earth.

“We are proud to partner with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio to give children and their families access to these wonderful stories,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said. “Storybook Trails encourage children to love books and inspire a curiosity about the natural world for our next generation of conservationists.”

A donation from the Guernsey County Library through the Ohio State Parks Foundation made the Storybook Trail at Salt Fork State Park possible.  For more information about the Ohio State Parks Foundation and to support their work, please visit ohiostateparksfoundation.org.

ODNR launched the Storybook Trail program in 2019 and partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio in 2020. There are currently 20 half-mile Storybook Trails located at state parks throughout Ohio, each with child-height panels featuring pages of a children’s book and an activity to accompany the text on the page. Learn more about Ohio’s Storybook Trails and where you can find them here.

There are currently 355,340 children enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio, which provides one free book every month to children enrolled in the program from birth to age five. To learn more about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio and how to participate, visit OhioImaginationLibrary.org.