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Recreation
An Air of Nostalgia within a Few Hours’ Drive
The Wayne National Forest is within a few hours’ drive of several metropolitan areas such as Columbus, Akron, Cleveland, Dayton, Cincinnati, Louisville and Pittsburgh. Yet it retains an air of nostalgia, with covered bridges, rockshelters, springs and rugged hills covered with hardwood and pine, visitors to the Wayne are welcome to camp, hike, hunt and fish. There are over 400 miles of trails on the forest for hiking, off-highway vehicle (OHV) riding, mountain biking or horseback riding.
Know Before You Go
Trails Closed to Certain Uses Seasonally
Wayne National Forest trails are open to foot travel year-round. Trails seasonally close to mountain bike, equestrian and off-highway vehicle use from winter to early spring. The seasonal closing and opening dates are based on trail conditions and change year-to-year.
2024 Season Updates
All trails remain open to foot travel year round.
Fee Free Dates
Fee-free dates in 2024 are:
- Saturday, June 8 - National Get Outdoors Day
- Wednesday, June 19 - Juneteenth
- Saturday, September 28 - National Public Lands Day
- Monday, November 11 - Veterans Day
During a fee-free day, motorized riders won’t have to purchase a trail pass to ride and camping is free as the following campgrounds:
Any campgrounds not listed are not eligible.
Current Recreation Conditions
Spotlights
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.
Covered Bridge Scenic Byway
The National Forest Covered Bridge Scenic Byway (Map) follows State Route 26 from Marietta to Woodsfield, Ohio. For most of its length, it parallels the Little Muskingum River. The scenic byway traverses some of Ohio's most beautiful countryside and many choose to stop along its route, to camp and savor the natural beauty of this area. There are four campgrounds along the byway. The Scenic Byway is a self-guided tour to interpret 35 miles of scenery and history along the Little Muskingum River. To guide you along the tour, look for the tour markers that will lead you to each of the ten stops. The tour is approximately four hours, plus one hour to return to Marietta. For a shorter tour, omit Stops #9 and #10 and return by S.R. 260.
Brochure on this scenic byways and its stops.
Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area
The Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area is the Wayne National Forest's premier developed recreation site and is named after the historic Vesuvius Iron Furnace. The rugged hills and out-cropping cliffs provide a scenic backdrop for this historical and beautiful site.
It contains a 143-acre lake, two family campgrounds and one group campground, beach and swim area, multiple picnic areas, fishing, boating, hiking, scenic overlook and an archery trail. This recreation area is home to the 46-mile Lake Vesuvius Horse Trail System, open from early spring to winter.