Stone Church Horseback Riding System

Named for the skeletal ruins of an old stone church nearby, the Stone Church Horse Trail System provides a great opportunity for scenic riding. Various loops for other distances are available. The horse trail winds through the rolling hills of the Wayne National Forest. The trails will lead you through a variety of vegetation- open fields, brushland, mature forest, and new forest. Along the way, you may glimpse wildlife, and will recognize the influence of humans, both now and in the past. You will also pass many of our land management activities.
The trailhead provides a camp specifically for equestrians and 21 miles of scenic riding. The horse camp has ten sites are provided at the campground, each with a 45' long by 15' wide parking space. Two sites are fully accessible for people with disabilities. Each site has a covered paddock, fire pit, grill, and tent pad.
At a Glance
Current Conditions: | Two trail bridges along the main loop are closed for public safety until further notice. |
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Operational Hours: |
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Fees: | No trail permit required. |
Usage: | Light |
Closest Towns: | Shawnee, OH |
Water: | None |
Restroom: | Vault |
Operated By: |
General Information
Directions:To find this trail system west of Shawnee, OH:
- Take State Route 93 out of Shawnee.
- Turn left on County Road 38.
- The Horse Camp and main trailhead is on the right, the old primitive campground trail head is further on to the west.
General Notes:
This trailhead is part of the The Stone Church Horseback Riding Trail System. Routes can be planned using a map of the trail system click .
Parking:
Ample parking is available at trailheads.
Activities
Dispersed Camping
Recreation areas with activity Dispersed Camping:Primitive camping is allowed at no charge at the Old Stone Church Trailhead, but only during the horseback riding open season.
Fire Information |
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No. of Sites | Primitive camping is dispersed at trailhead. |
Reservation Info | Sites are not able to be reserved. |
No. of Accessible sites | 0 |
Difficulty Level: | Easy |
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Day Hiking
Recreation areas with activity Day Hiking:Though this trail system is designed primarily for horseback rides, hikers are welcome. 21 miles of trails are maintained, but various loops for other distances are available.
Difficulty Level: | Intermediate |
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Horse Camping
Recreation areas with activity Horse Camping:Camping is available at the Stone Church Trailhead. Each of 10 sites have a covered paddock, fire pit, grill, and tent pad. A vault toilet is available. Each site is a 45' long by 15' wide parking space
Fire Information |
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Reservation Info | Sites are not able to be reserved. |
No. of Accessible sites | 0 |
No. of Sites | 10 |
Reservation Info | No |
Size Restrictions | Yes |
Fire Information | you can build a campfire as long as you have a 10 foot clearance around it and put a ring around it with rocks. Fires must be extinguished before leaving camp. No bon fires are allowed. No standing or green trees may be cut. Check the bulletin boards to ensure no fire bans are in effect. |
Corrals | Yes |
Loading Ramp | Yes |
Watering Tank | Yes |
No. of Accessible sites | 2 |
Hitching Rails | Yes |
Difficulty Level: | Intermediate |
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Horse Riding
Recreation areas with activity Horse Riding:mile trail winds through the rolling hills of the Wayne National Forest.. It has been developed for horse use, but hiking is allowed.
Corrals | Yes | |
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Hitching Rails | Yes | |
Loading Ramp | Yes | |
Size Restrictions | Yes | |
Water Availability? |
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Permit required? | No |
Size Restrictions | Yes |
Corrals | Yes |
Loading Ramp | Yes |
Water Availability | For Horses only, not potable for people. |
Hitching Rails | Yes |
Difficulty Level: | Intermediate |
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Viewing Scenery
Recreation areas with activity Viewing Scenery:This trail system is pretty in any season. It winds past a particularly interesting feature- an old historic stone church. The church has fallen into ruin and only its walls remain with a cemetery spread out around it. With vines and arches, the remains of the church and its surrounding graves are a ghostly site.
Special Feature | Historic Stone church and cemetary |
Difficulty Level: | Intermediate |
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