Park of the Week: Starvation State Park

The sprawling waters of Starvation Reservoir offer great fishing and boating. Enjoy sandy beaches and a grassy day-use area for picnics and volleyball. Camp in developed areas of Beach or Mountain View campgrounds or spend the night in one of three cabins.  Primitive shoreline camping is available at Indian Bay, Rabbit Gulch, Juniper Point and Knight Hollow. Off-highway vehicles are allowed at the Knight Hollow campground and riding area. Other activities include a slackline and a 3D-archery range with 10-stations varying from 15 to 60 yard shots.

The name “Starvation” has been credited to two legends. One saying that a group of mountain men caught in winter snows survived by stealing a cache of food belonging to local Indians and as a result the Indians starved. The other more often told legend, relates the opposite story of the Indians stealing the trapper’s cache of food leaving the trappers to starve. It is, however, very likely that neither legend, even if true, bears reference to the naming of the dam and reservoir.

Annual park events include the Catch-A-Cure for Cancer fishing tournament in June and the Walleye Classic Fishing Tournament in September.