Field NotesOhio
Upper Falls in the Old Man's Cave gorge, Hocking Hills, with visitors on the rocks

An independent field guide · 365 places

The field guide to outdoor Ohio

Parks and forests, ancient mounds, caves, waterfalls and back roads, with the story behind each place and where to eat and fuel up nearby.
Popular:
  • 117parks & forests
  • 64ancient mounds
  • 34waterfalls
  • 40historic sites
  • 33road trips

Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills · Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0

Explore by type

What are you in the mood for?

See every place →

Plan a trip

Explore Ohio

One map for every park, mound, historic site, beach, cave, waterfall and oddity in the app.

Lake ErieWest Virginia36 places368 places813 places135 places523 places2321 places2124 places2416 places1613 places134 places418 places182 places217 places1710 places1014 places142 places27 places76 places613 places133 places34 places414 places143 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places22 places22 places26 places64 places4

Tap a symbol for a preview, or search for a place. Open the key to show or hide categories.

Parks, forests & wildlife areas

Find a park

117 parks in 7 regions

New Straitsville Section

Morgan, Athens, Hocking, Perry · Southeast Ohio
Buckeye Trail Association
61miles
9 of 26clockwise
4counties

Forests, mining history and villages through Burr Oak State Park and Wayne National Forest.

Follows the edge of Burr Oak Lake, then heads into the Wayne National Forest and old coal country toward Perry County.

Highlights

  • Burr Oak State Park and its lodge
  • Wayne National Forest, Athens Unit
  • Imhoff Preserve with the Buckeye Trail Association's shelter
  • Shawnee, gateway to the forest

Parks on this section

Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area
State wildlife area the trail passes through
Open
Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve
Seven miles of trail including the Buckeye Trail
Open
Burr Oak State Park
The trail hugs the lakeshore, with camping at Boat Docks 2 and 3
Open
Wayne National Forest: Athens Unit
Wayne National Forest, Athens Unit
Open

Historic sites near this section

New Straitsville Mine Fire
A coal-strike fire that has burned underground since 1884
Open

Section map and alerts

Show this section on the mapDistances between stops in this section

The Buckeye Trail Association sells a detailed map for this section and posts current trail alerts.

Official New Straitsville Section page →This section on AllTrails →

Camping

  • Burr Oak State Park Dock 3 Campground (Point 6) and Dock 2 (Point 11), fee camping right on the trail
  • Burr Oak Cove Campground, reached by about a mile of trail from Point 13
  • Burr Oak lodge and cabins near Point 10
  • 100 Acre Shelter (Point 27): Adirondack-style shelter at the BTA's Imhoff Preserve; purify water from Dan's Run
  • Dispersed campsites near Points 4, 23 and 26 (see the BTA map)

Campsites are run by different agencies and owners, and the rules and fees change, so confirm before you go.

Dispersed and free camping

Wayne National Forest, Athens Unit. Dispersed camping is allowed across much of the national forest, free, with no permit for standard camping. Camp at least 200 feet from water, roads and trails, use existing fire rings, stay no more than 14 days in a 28-day period, and pack out everything. The boundary here is approximate; confirm on a national forest map.

  • Wildcat Hollow Hiking Trail (Free dispersed camping along the trail): Wayne National Forest, Athens Unit. Free camping is allowed anywhere along the 5-mile and 15-mile loops, which overlap the Buckeye Trail. Small fires are allowed except in high fire danger.

Ohio state forests and state parks do not allow open dispersed camping, and the trail association says camping on private or state land needs the owner's permission. Rules change, so check with the land manager.

Lodging near the trail

The Lodge at Hocking College
Hotel, Nelsonville · about 10 miles from the drawn trail
College-run lodge near Wayne National Forest and the New Straitsville Section.

These are places to sleep near the route, not places that advertise to hikers. Confirm that they welcome hikers, and ask about shuttles.

Water

A water cache in a cooler sits between Points 20 and 21; otherwise filter or purify.

Take the stops with you

Save the camps, resupply, lodging, trail towns and parks for this section as waypoints.

The file holds 8 waypoints and a stop-by-stop route line. Locations are approximate, often a town center, so use the stop notes to find the exact spot. Your maps app chooses the roads between stops, usually the fastest, so follow the byway signs where they differ. The GPX arrives in a zip file; unzip it and open the .gpx in a GPS or hiking app. The CSV imports into Google My Maps.

Resupply

Snacks at the Burr Oak lodge (near Point 10), the marina (Point 12) and Dock 2 (Point 11). Shawnee is the Buckeye Trail Town.

Food and fuel

Shawnee (Perry County) Trail Town
The gateway to the Wayne National Forest, with a mining past and the Buckeye Trail Association's mailing address.
Black Diamond Tavern
In an 1877 building that was once a saloon and a bank; closed Monday and Tuesday
Directions
Shawnee Crossing
Pizza and breakfast sandwiches; open Saturday only, by one listing
Directions
Marathon Gas
Gas, deli and a dining room with home cooking; open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Directions
Near Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area
58 West
Brewery and distillery in historic downtown Logan. Closed Tuesdays
Directions
TheFeed
Excellent burgers, open daily
Directions
Murphy USA
On the road toward Hocking Hills
Directions
Near Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve
58 West
Brewery and distillery in historic downtown Logan. Closed Tuesdays
Directions
TheFeed
Excellent burgers, open daily
Directions
Murphy USA
On the road toward Hocking Hills
Directions
Near Burr Oak State Park
The Mine Tavern
Opened 1842 to serve coal miners and still going — burgers and local history
Directions
Starbrick BBQ
Brisket worth the detour. Tucked inside Rocky Outfitters. Closed Mon & Sun
Directions
Glouster E-Z Mart
Closest fuel, with a Subway and fresh donuts inside
Directions
Near Wayne National Forest: Athens Unit
Sikorski's Home Plate
Burgers and weekend buffets in Glouster; open daily
Directions
Bonnie's Home Cooking
Big diner breakfasts; open early every day
Directions
Glouster E-Z Mart
Closest station to Burr Oak Cove, with a Subway and a drive-thru
Directions

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.

Know a place that belongs here, or spotted something out of date? Email hello@fieldnotesohio.com.