Wayne National Forest – Wildcat Hollow Backpack Trail
BackpackOhio.com status: Last hiked April, 2021. New updated Wildcat Hollow Trail Guide PDF is available.
County: Perry, Morgan
Nearest town: Corning
Length: 15.6 miles starting at Wildcat Hollow Trailhead.
Difficulty: Hiking is moderately easy with no single drop (or climb) over 250 feet. Route is generally well marked and easy to follow.
Permit/Fees: There are no permits or fees required.
Contact Information: Wayne National Forest, Athens District, (740) 753-0101. Web, Wayne National Forest https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/wayne/maps-pubs
Location: Trailhead (N39° 34.371′ W82° 01.967′) From Athens, take OH-13 North for approximately 17 miles, passing signs for Burr Oak State Park. Turn right onto Cornstill Rd followed by a quick left onto Irish Ridge Rd. Turn right on Dew Rd which becomes Sunday Creek Rd to Trailhead on the left.
Trail Facilities: There is a gravel lot, as well as a latrine and a kiosk with a map at the trailhead. The route is blazed with white diamonds. The trail surface is dirt, generally well drained, though there are sections, such as the first stretch, that lay wet well after a rain. As part of Wayne National Forest, there are no designated campsites, but there are a large number of 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. Larger streams are crossed near the trailhead and near the 12 mile mark. 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. Caching water is also a possibility as the trail crosses Chapel Hill Rd (5.7 miles) and Irish Ridge Road (7.3 miles) near the middle of the hike.
Maps: Wayne National Forest – Hiking, Backpacking and Mountain Bike Map
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. Wildcat Hollow is part of the Athens District. An Internet search came up empty as to how the hollow got its name. Certainly, there are bobcat in the area, but I suppose it’s also possible the name came from an ill-tempered local housecat. “That Fluffy is one wild cat.”
As with all the trails in Wayne National Forest, there are no designated campsites. Camping is allowed throughout the forest and there are many, many spots that have obvious signs of being used as campsites. These “possible campsites” these have been located on the Trail Guide’s map.
The area is quiet with little noise intrusion onto the trail. There are multiple pine plantings, spring wildflowers are plentiful and there appears to be a healthy variety of wildlife. Deer and raccoon were spotted along with a numerous species of birds such as scarlet tanagers, vultures (inside the schoolhouse) and the always elusive crow. I spent one evening calling back and forth with a barred owl perched near my campsite.
The land is less rugged than other trails in Wayne National Forest and it makes for a pleasant rolling hike. The trail appeared to be well used, though I saw only one other backpacker on each of my last two trips on the trail. The path was relatively well blazed and easy to follow. There were a several creek crossings, but none required wet feet. (Recent rain might change that.)
If the 15-mile hike is not long enough, a short walk south from the Trailhead connects to Burr Oak State Park Backpack Trail where another 20+ miles can be added on.
The Hike:
The trail begins from the back of the Trailhead’s gravel lot and there some immediate options for those that use the facility for car camping. In fact, there is an embarrassment of riches along the trail when it comes to campsites. I counted three dozen.
If it has rained recently, the beginning of the trail can be a sloppy mess. While there are other sections that lay wet, this first quarter mile seems to be the worst, so keep that in mind. The trail splits and comes together as previous hikers avoided the numerous mudholes. The first creek crossing (Eels Run) can typically be done with dry feet, but again, if it has rained recently, maybe not.
Once on the loop, hiking clockwise, the trail follows and crosses Eels Run through a pretty valley and by a variety of campsites. The creeks crossed get smaller and easier to cross as you head upstream. Eventually, the trail gets a bit steeper and leaves the valley, climbing about 200 feet in the process. Overall, there are four 200+ foot climbs including one that toils up 250 feet to reach around 1,100 feet in elevation.
At just over 2 ½ miles the trail reaches an intersection with the Short Loop. This 0.4 mile connector ties back in at 13.4 miles giving the hiker a 5.3 mile option. There are a couple campsites on the connector as well…..
Updated complete Wildcat Hollow trail report is now available.
