Wayne National Forest – Archers Fork Trail
BackpackOhio.com status: Last hiked April, 2021. A new updated Trail Guide, including a reroute, is now available.
County: Washington
Nearest town: Marietta
Length: 13.8 miles
Difficulty: Hiking is challenging with 4 steep 300 foot climbs. Route is generally well marked.
Permit/Fees: There are no permits or fees required.
Location: St. Patrick’s Cemetery Trailhead (N39° 31.420′ W81° 10.860′). From Matamoras, OH-260 North for 8 miles. Left on Township Rd 34 to left on T411 to Cemetery and Trailhead.
Contact Information: Marietta Unit, Wayne NF (740) 373-9055
Web: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/wayne/maps-pubs
Trail Facilities: There is a kiosk with a map at the trailhead. The trail is generally well marked with yellow diamonds and signage at major intersections. Portions of the trail co-exists with the blue blazed Buckeye Trail and North Country Trail. The trail surface is dirt, typically well drained though there are sections that lay wet. As part of Wayne National Forest, there are no designated campsites, but there are several locations with fire rings where camping takes place.
Water: There is no potable water at the trailhead or on the trail. There are several seasonal streams and a few locations, such as Archers Fork, where fish inhabit the water: indicating year round availability. As always, treat or filter any water obtained from natural sources. In addition, consider the fact that there was historic mining and still active oil extraction in the area when deciding whether to drink the local liquid or pack in all needed water. In fact, the U.S. Forest Service recommends against drinking even filtered water collected from within Wayne National Forest due to the possibility of contamination.
Maps: Wayne National Forest – Hiking, Backpacking and Mountain Bike Map
Local Information:
Wayne National Forest (WNF), Ohio’s only National Forest, consists of over 250,000 acres spread over three districts in the southeastern part of the state. There are numerous backpacking options, each providing a unique experience. Considered to be in the Appalachian foothills, the rugged land varies by as much as 300 feet and the trail makes repeated trips between the high and low points.
Late April was a great time to visit this portion of Wayne NF. As the trees hadn’t filled out yet, the impressive deep valleys were easy to appreciate. Also easy to enjoy were huge stone outcrops, caves and even a natural bridge. Large areas were filled with spring wildflowers as well. The forest itself appeared healthy with some pretty large trees. I would expect a fall hike to provide great autumn color, winter some great views of the valleys and summer highlights to include humidity and ticks.
The surrounding area is as wild as it gets in Ohio. Bear and turkey are in the area. Bobcat and coyote certainly live in WNF. In the warmer months, be aware that the Forest is within the habitat range of both copperhead and timber rattlesnakes.
Along the trail is evidence of oil drilling, both past and present. The first wells in the area were drilled in 1860 and nearby Marietta, Ohio was where the Pure Oil Company was founded. Marietta was actually the first permanent settlement of the United States in the Northwest Territories, founded in 1788.
There can be more to hiking Archers Fork than a single challenging 14-mile loop. The trail can be tied into other trails (9 Bell Trail, Scenic River Trail, Greenwood Trail, Buckeye Trail) to construct longer loops up to 30 miles.
As with all the trails in Wayne National Forest, there are no designated campsites. Camping is allowed throughout the forest but, several locations are relatively flat and have obvious signs of being used as campsites. These “possible campsites” have been located on the trail’s map. The trail is designated for both foot travel and mountain bikes.
The Hike:
Archers Fork in Wayne National Forest (Ohio) checks all the boxes for a great overnight backpacking loop. The 14-mile path is physically challenging, but well-marked. The forest is rich with wildflowers, deep valleys, clear creeks and points of interest such as caves, rock outcrops and rare for Ohio, a natural bridge. There are several good camping options, but the trail isn’t crowded. There are connector trails that open options for a longer hike if desired. Even intrusions on the natural experience such as road noise or trash are almost non-existent. Could this be the best backpacking in Ohio?
The route had some significant climbs, but they were well designed, with switchbacks when needed. There was very little road noise to intrude on the beautiful weather and peaceful scenery. Despite the high quality of the trail and area, surprisingly, we did not see another person on the entire hike though it’s obvious from the significant number of campsites that the trail is used. However, in a welcome change from some other Ohio hikes, there was almost no evidence of abuse of the area. No litter on the trail, no graffiti in the caves and even no initials carved into the beech trees. To everyone that maintains the trail or has ever hiked this route before in a responsible manner; thank you……
Complete updated Trail Guide is now available
See the trail via a video hike.
