Zaleski State Forest, OH - Backpack Trail South Loop

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Zaleski State Forest - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Zaleski State Forest Backpack Trail Brochure - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 39.331511, -82.339862

Zaleski State Forest Backpack Trail Parking (only for day hikers - there is a different parking lot for overnight backpackers)

TRAIL MAP: 

Zaleski State Forest Backpack Trail Brochure - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Athens - Zaleski Lizard Map - Purple Lizard Maps

HIKE DISTANCE:  10.8 miles

THE HIKE:  

This is hike 2 of 2 of the semi-annual two-day drive-n-hike from New Jersey to Missouri.  This is a hugely popular trail but on a weekday with overnight rain just having moved out, I had the entire hike to myself.

Items of note at the kiosk:  Directions to backpacker parking, notice that this parking lot floods in heavy rain and registration form with detachable permit to be completed before hiking.

The trail is blazed orange and starts at the guardrail to the right of the kiosk for a short road walk.

Lake Hope State Park iron furnace on the other side of the road.

After a short distance, the trail turns left over a footbridge.

The parking lot down below.

The backpacking trail continues to the left but that would be the return route.  For now going right on the Olds Hollow Trail which is Lake Hope State Park.  It will loop around back to the backpacking trail.

Pioneer Cemetery

This was kind of chilling.  It reads:
Remember man as you pass by
As you are now so once was I
As I am now so you must be
Prepare for death and follow me

Coming up on Olds Hollow Cave.

Now continuing right on the backpacking trail.

The red efts are out.

Wildflowers were blooming,

The trail is very scenic throughout, not done justice by the pictures.

Backpacking Camp C complete with restroom and water pump.

There isn't much to see at the overlooks but the scenery through the hike more than makes up for that.

Bear Hollow

Coming up on this pond, there was one Canada goose who apparently was liking his solitude.

Two other Canada geese flew in announcing their arrival and the one in the pond aggressively went after them and they beat a hasty retreat but not before circling and squawking obesities at ... 

... the territorial meanie.  It was a big pond, there was plenty of room.  Shame on him.

The Hope Moonville Rail Trail runs along the other side of the pond.

Up at the second overlook where there is not much to see.

Backpack Camp D

After Backpack Camp D the trail descended steeply and was very muddy in spots so it was slow going for a while.

Crossing a gravel road.

The trail goes through a previously logged area which isn't very scenic at all but it gets much better.

At this point the orange-blazed backpack trail continues to the right but to form the south loop, left on the white-blazed Olds Hollow Trail.

I saw Brodie slip on the slimy rock so I knew I had to watch my footing very carefully while crossing.

Coming up on a gravel road crossing where the white trail continues on the other side.

The white trail joins back into the orange trail.

We had come in from the left on the Olds Hollow Trail at the beginning of the hike, now staying right on orange.

Left was where we turned off on the Olds Hollow Trail at the beginning of the hike, now retracing straight.

Crossing back over the bridge ...

... for the short road walk back to the parking lot.

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