By BRANDON SMITH
When the autumn air is at its most crisp and hot apple cider allows friends to be outside well into the night, there may be no setting as perfect as Cowan Lake.

   A few minutes’ drive southwest from Wilmington will deposit a traveler into lake country, a land of forests and campgrounds, lazy boating and naturalist excursions with an educational twist.
   With a little careful planning, one weekend at Cowan Lake State Park can be chock full of activities for young and old, at a fraction of the cost of a traditional vacation. Or for those of us who lack their share of time in unadulterated nature, especially during the leaf-changing season, just being there could be enough.
   The annual fall campout, October 16, 17 and 18, is the main event before the end of the camping season, said Tim Carr, Regional Manager for the Cowan Lake Region of Ohio’s state parks. Several thousand people come for the fall-themed activities at the campout, said Carr, whether or not they are camping on the grounds. For locals, he said, it’s a 35-year tradition.
   “It’s a generational thing,” said Carr. “Lots of people came here when they were kids, and now they’re bringing their kids. If I were to say that Cowan Lake is not holding a fall campout, it wouldn’t matter. They’d show up anyway.”
   Every year people report that one of their favorite things to do in this fun-filled weekend is simply walk around the campground. That’s because campers, families and friends always decorate their sites with a Halloween theme. One evening the sites are judged as to their scariness; the next day trick-or-treaters are allowed to roam and collect goodies.
   “It’s really important that if you’ve never been to one of these, bring your family,” said Carr. “It’s a whole-family affair.”
   This year’s campout schedule was not finalized by press time, but will shortly be available on Cowan Lake’s Web site, cowanlakeregion.com. Ohio Department of Natural Resources also maintains a portal for all state parks, at ohiostateparks.org — a useful way to find which parks can accommodate your vacation needs and tastes.
   If last year’s fall campout at Cowan Lake can be any indication, however, this year’s will be another hit. Last year featured these activities: a public showing of The “Wizard of Oz,” games for children like sack races, a demonstration of arrowhead-making, horse-drawn wagon rides, live bluegrass music, a night hike with flashlights, displays and demonstrations by local first responders, family craft time and continuous cornhole games.
   One weekend in October, however, just touches the surface of what the park has to offer. Camping is available from April through the end of October. Reservations can be made from ohiostateparks.org or by calling 1-866-644-6727.
   Do you have a family reunion or an extended birthday party to plan? Cottages on the lake are available for rental, all with full kitchens and some with gas grills.
   Boats are available for rental at South Shore Marina. The park offers hiking and mountain biking trails, fishing, a public beach, basketball and volleyball courts, and a restaurant in the camp store. Their ice cream is very popular, said Carr.
   Of course, sleeping under the stars for about $20 a night can be a lot more fun than a hotel stay. And, at this park at least, you won’t have to forego a hot shower in the bath houses unless you want to.
   Try making scrambled eggs for breakfast in a cast-iron pan over your campfire. If you do that, preparing your meal becomes an event unto itself. Fried potatoes and onions with a little salt and pepper makes a simple side dish anyone can be proud of.
   A bit inexperienced at camping? At Cowan Lake you’re never on your own when it comes to roughing it.
   The park allows several families and retired couples to camp for free on its grounds all season in exchange for volunteer services.
    “These are great people,” said Carr. “They know what they’re doing and are more than happy to help anyone with questions.” One merely has to ask the camp office where these helping hands are located.
   Erin Shaw, Aaron Friend and Theresa Gallinis are the naturalists-in-residence at Cowan Lake, and every Friday, Saturday and Sunday they hold activities. At the top of the park’s Web site, click on “Naturalist Program” for the schedule.
   These free activities include hiking, canoeing, fishing and a nature scavenger hunt.
   Every Friday at 7 p.m. is the bug race. According to the Web site, “Catch a bug and enter it in the bug races at the Naturalist Cabin. Stinging insects are not allowed. Any bug that jumps or flies away is disqualified.”
   Every Saturday at 9 p.m. a different popular, family-friendly movie is played at the ampitheater. (Bring your own lawn chair, they say.) Find the schedule on the Web site.
   At times the naturalists are even known to do cooking demonstrations with cast-iron cookware and campfires. Carr said a real Dutch oven is a cast-iron pot with a lid resting in a hole in the ground, and in the past, demonstrations have included making an apple pie in one.
   “If you’ve never had an apple pie out of a true Dutch oven, whew!” said Carr.
   The park office address is Cowan Lake State Park, 1750 Osborn Road, Wilmington, Ohio 45177. Its staff can be reached at 937-382-1096.
   Ceasar Creek State Park also has a fall campout of its own, called Indian Summer Campout, October 3 and 4. Visit the park’s Web site at caesarcreekstatepark.com for more information.
   That park is conveniently located between Wilmington, Xenia and Dayton’s southern suburbs.