Wayne National Forest: Scenic River – Greenwood Trail Loop & 9 Bell Connector Trail
BackpackOhio.com status: Last hiked April, 2021. Updated Trail Report download now available.
County: Washington
Nearest town: Marietta
Length: 12 miles starting at Leith Run Recreation Area, 10.2 miles starting at Scenic River Trailhead on State Route 7. The 9 Bell connector trail is approximately 3 miles.
Difficulty: Hiking is moderate with one 500-foot drop (or climb). Route is generally well marked
Permit/Fees: There are no permits or fees required.
Contact Information: Marietta Unit, (740) 373-9055
Web: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/wayne/maps-pubs
Location: Scenic River Trail Southern Trailhead (N39° 26.626′ W81° 09.680′). Leith Run Campground (N39° 26.651′ W81° 09.159′) From Marietta, take OH-7 North to Trailhead on left or Leith Run Recreation area on right.
Trail Facilities: There is a kiosk with a map at the trailhead. The Scenic River Trail is generally well marked with yellow diamonds and signage at major intersections. The Greenwood Trail uses yellow diamonds with a green dot. The 9 Bell Connector Trail uses a yellow diamond with a red dot. The Blue blazed Buckeye Trail also shares portions of these paths. The trail surface is dirt, typically well drained. 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 trails. There are several seasonal streams. As always, treat or filter any water obtained from natural sources. As with all trails in Wayne NF, the U.S. Forest Service recommends against drinking even filtered water collected from within Wayne National Forest due to the possibility of contamination.
Local Information:
Wayne National Forest, 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. Starting in the Ohio River Valley, these two trails vary by as much as 500 feet though the loop has relatively moderate climbs when hiked clockwise.
As with nearby Archer’s Fork, despite evidence of oil drilling, the forest appeared to be relatively healthy. (The Macksburg oil and gas field underlies the entire area.) There is some noise intrusion from the industrialized Ohio River Valley, but it’s mainly confined to the Trailhead area.
The Greenwood Trail and Scenic River Trail and are two point to point trails that together form a moderate 10.2 mile loop In Wayne National Forest in Ohio. In addition, the loop can be tied into other trails (9 Bell Trail, Archers Fork, Buckeye Trail) to construct longer loops up to 30 miles. The trails can be walked as an overnight backpack or a long day hike, but either way there’s plenty of big trees, steep valleys and impressive rock outcrops to enjoy.
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.
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. The trail is designated for both foot travel and mountain bikes.
The trail appeared to be well used, though I didn’t see any other hikers on multiple hikes. The path was relatively well blazed and easy to follow. There were a few creek crossings, but none required wet feet. As the trees hadn’t filled out yet, the impressive deep valleys were easy to see. Also easy to enjoy were huge stone outcrops. Large areas were filled with spring wildflowers as well. The forest itself was notable with some pretty large trees, specifically huge beech trees that stood out.
The Hike:
Unless you started at the nearby Leith Run Recreation Area, The Scenic River Trail begins at the trailhead on busy State Route 7. Immediately the path heads uphill, climbing out of the Ohio River Valley. At .3 mile, it is time for a decision. Bearing right stays with the Scenic River Trail which leaves steeply out of the valley as quickly as possible. Turning left puts you on the Greenwood Trail which takes a much more convoluted route to the ridges above. The steep way rises from an elevation in the low 600s to over 1,100 in a mile. The winding route takes almost eight miles to reach the same height. Convoluted was the winner.
It took over a mile to get out of earshot of Route 7, the train tracks in West Virginia and the barge traffic, but the trail didn’t disappoint visually. The steep valley was edged with large rock outcroppings and even a small cave came into view…..
New updated Trail Guide now available.
