Zaleski State Forest Backpack Trail
(Recently renamed: Selinde Roosenburg Memorial Backpack Trail)
BackpackOhio.com status: Last hiked October, 2021. Zaleski State Forest Backpack Trail Guide PDF is now Available.
County: Vinton, Athens, Hocking
Nearest town: Nelsonville
Length: Options vary from 9.7 miles to just under 30 miles.
Difficulty: Hiking is moderately difficult. Sections can be steep, but last no more than 300 feet in elevation change. The path is easy to follow, though overgrown in some areas.
Permit/Fees: Self issued permits are available at the Trailhead. There is no fee to camp.
Contact Information: Zaleski State Forest Office (877) 247-8733. Lake Hope State Park (740) 596-4938. Web, ohiodnr.gov.
Location: The Hope Schoolhouse Trailhead (N39° 18.952′ W82° 21.099′). From Nelsonville, head south on State Route 278 for 14 miles. Across from the Lake Hope Dam, turn left on Wheelabout Rd then right in 0.2 miles to stay on Wheelabout. The Hope Schoolhouse is on the left.
Trail Facilities: Paved parking and latrines are available at the trailhead. Orange blazes on the main loops and white blazes on the Connector Trail are typically more than sufficient.
Water: Water is trucked in to cisterns located near each camp area. While the trail passes by or across streams at several locations, consider the fact that there was historic mining in the area when deciding whether to drink from local natural sources. As always, treat or filter any water obtained from natural sources.
Maps: ODNR Div. of Forestry Zaleski State Forest map ODNR Zaleski Backpack Trail map
Local Information:
At 27,822 acres, Zaleski is Ohio’s 2nd largest State Forest. In addition, the forest surrounds the 3,000 acres of Lake Hope State Park. Located in the southeast portion of the state, the area was considered to be part of the Hanging Rock Iron Region. The region actually led the nation in iron production in the late 1800s before more/better ore was developed in Minnesota. The Hope Furnace, located across Rt 278 from the Day Hike Trailhead, operated from 1854 to 1874. Much of the surrounding forest was cut during that time to provide charcoal to fuel the furnace.
Coal was also extracted in the area, though most of these underground tunnel mines were abandoned over 100 years ago as well.
This rugged land, stripped of cover and scarred by mining, was not well suited for farming and in the late 1920s, acquisition began with the purpose of reforestation. Through the 1930s, acquisition continued and, with the assistance of federal programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration, many of the initial roads and facilities of both the forest and adjacent Lake Hope State Park were constructed.
Zaleski State Forest contains the remains of the Doolittle Plantation. With plantings begun in 1906, it is the earliest example of professional forestry in Ohio and contains some of the largest eastern White Pines found in the state.
As I’m writing this around Halloween, I should also mention the forest contains the Moonville Tunnel. Supposedly, the tunnel is haunted by a railroad brakeman that was killed while trying to stop a train at the location. If you see a light waving over the hill from location F on the Backpack Trail, feel free to believe it’s that brakeman.
The Hike:
With three loop options, relatively mature forests, impressive geography and “plush” camping with onsite toilets and water, it’s no wonder Zaleski State Forest is such a popular backpacking destination. The downside? On many weekends, count on full parking lots at the trailheads and full camp areas in the woods. Several years ago I arrived at the Rt 278 trailhead on a November Saturday to find the parking lot full, the lot across the street full and more cars parked along the road. I still enjoyed a backpack trip that weekend though; at Burr Oak.
If you can visit during the week however, especially during the spring and fall, you’ll see why the Zaleski, particularly the South Loop, is so popular, without those pesky crowds.
The trail is marked with a series of letters that correspond to natural or historic features along the route. Several are mentioned in the descriptions below. A full list of the letters and their explanations are located at
https://ohiodnr.gov/static/documents/forestry/maps/zaleski_backpack.pdf.
In 2016, the main Backpack Trailhead was moved to the Hope Schoolhouse. The Rt 278 Trailhead can still be used but be aware that the lot tends to flood after significant rain events. The trail descriptions below are all based on using the Hope Schoolhouse Trailhead…..
Updated Trail Guide download now available.
