Wayne National Forest – Lake Vesuvius Backpack & Lakeshore Trails
BackpackOhio.com status: Last hiked September, 2021. A new updated report is now available.
County: Lawrence
Nearest town: Ironton
Length: Two connected trails. Backpack Trail is 17 miles. Lakeshore Trail is 8 miles.
Difficulty: Hiking is moderately difficult. Sections of the Backpack Trail can be steep, but last no more than 300 feet in elevation change. The path is easy to follow, though overgrown in some areas and muddy where shared with a horse trail.
Permit/Fees: There are no permits or fees required.
Contact Information: Wayne National Forest, Ironton Ranger District (740) 534-6500. Web: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/wayne/maps-pubs
Location: The Trailhead where overnight parking is allowed is at the Boat Dock within the Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area (N38° 36.595′ W82° 38.078′). From Ironton, take OH-93 North about six miles. Right on Rt 29 (Ellison-Paddle Creek Road) for a mile to left into Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area to the Boat Dock.
Trail Facilities: Paved parking and latrines are available at the trailhead. Trails are well blazed.
Water: Potable water is available seasonally at some facilities within the park. The trail is often near the lake or a stream. As always, treat or filter any water obtained from natural sources. In addition, consider the fact that there was historic mining 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.
Internet: Wayne National Forest
Local Information:
Lake Vesuvius is located in the Ironton District of Wayne National Forest, just north of the city of Ironton. The area was shaped in the 1800s by the iron industry. The Hanging Rock Iron Region actually led the nation in iron production in the late 1800s before more/better ore was developed in Minnesota. The last of the industry closed down by the early 20th century. The Vesuvius Furnace, located near the trail is just one part of the legacy of the industry. Unfortunately, mining scars and damage from wide areas of clearcut timber (to create charcoal) also remain.
In the 1930s, Wayne National Forest was established and efforts began to reclaim the land. Civilian Conservation Corps workers constructed the Lake Vesuvius dam and recreation area near the Vesuvius Furnace. The forest itself has rebounded nicely with mixed hardwoods.. The trails and Lake Vesuvius Recreation area appear to remain well maintained.
Wayne National Forest, Ohio’s only National Forest, now 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.
The options at Lake Vesuvius include the 17-mile Backpack Trail as well as the 8 mile Lakeshore Trail. Both begin together at the lake’s boat dock and also run together near the upper reaches of the lake. This allows a hiker to hike either trail, or a portion of each to vary the hike’s length and experience.
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.
One complication here is the fact that a portion of the lake is within the Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area. Officially, dispersed camping is not allowed in this area, though there are obvious campsites being used inside the boundary. Another issue is the fact that there is no signage in the field designating where that boundary is. An estimated location of the boundary is noted on the available guide/map. Campsites that are within the boundary are not shown on the map or noted in The Hike sections below. (The boundary is located at approximately 2.25 miles and 5.4 miles on Lakeshore Trail and 3.5 and 15 on the Backpack Trail.)
The Hike:
Starting at the Boat Dock within the Lake Vesuvius Recreation area, a clockwise hike begins along the shoreline. Initial views are of the lake and dam and the first rock outcrops show up fairly soon as well.
At one mile in, the first decision is whether to hike the Backpack, or the Lakeshore Trail. They reconvene at the upper reaches of the lake: the Backpack Trail taking another 12 ½ miles to get there. Along the way are four climbs and drops of 250+ feet and most of the camping options on the routes. The forest has some significant trees, with oaks being plentiful and hemlocks being notable in the steep valleys.
After the initial split, the Lakeshore Trail takes just 2 ½ miles to reach the same spot. Walking this much more popular route involves generally sticking close to the shore with only one climb close to 100 feet. Beyond the lake views, there are some impressive rock outcrops along the way…..
Updated Lake Vesuvius Backpack & Lakeshore Trail Guide is now available.
