Buckeye State residents are proud of our rich history and natural beauty. Many of our state parks provide visitors with both of those things. Great Council State Park, is set to open June 7, appears to be no exception.

In fact, its location in what was the Shawnee town of Old Chillicothe in the 1770s is an important reminder that the history of humans on this land goes back much further than 1788.

In fact, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources worked with three federally recognized Shawnee tribes to develop the new park, which “will feature a cultural interpretive center focused on Ohio’s Native Peoples, their history in their Ohio homeland, and their lives today,” according to the ODNR website.

“Fran and I are excited to open a brand-new state park in Ohio that honors the state’s natural and cultural heritage,” Gov. Mike DeWine said earlier this month.

It will also have a native plant prairie and a half-mile loop trail.

What a wonderful opportunity, not just for out-of-state visitors, but for Ohioans to take an honest look at the history of this land and celebrate the beauty of the present.

Great Council is on Ohio 68, between Xenia and Yellow Springs, in Oldtown. It is opening just in time for parents to start taking their kids on a few summer adventures.

ODNR, Ohio History Connection, the Greene County Historical Society and The Shawnee Tribe, Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma are to be commended for so beautifully pulling together this park. Now, let’s all go enjoy it.