Since 2005, The HC has logged a couple hundred miles through several of Ohio’s backcountry destinations. We’ve come up with two we’d like to share because of their scenic beauty, historical significance and great trails: Shawnee and Zaleski State Forests.

Zaleski State Forest, once the scene of devastating logging and mining operations, has become a lush, beautiful second-growth forest. It’s full of pioneer history, a few ghostly ruins and, so the rumor goes, a ghost or two. You’ll see a pioneer graveyard, the ruins of a Civil War-era iron furnace, and an abandoned railroad tunnel. You’ll walk trails blazed by Ohio’s earliest inhabitants, and visit the sites of long-abandoned mining towns

Shawnee State Forest, near the banks of the Ohio River, is named for the Native Americans who hunted and fished and often covered their tracks within the rugged, steep terrain. On the South Loop Trail you’ll see some of the State’s finest backcountry, particularly along the final 13 miles of the hike, which runs through 8,000 acres of protected wilderness. (read more about these destinations)

• Intermediate to Advanced
• Father & Son
• Beginner