Field Notes Ohio

Ohio's parks, forests and wildlife areas with camping, the ancient mounds beside them, and the Buckeye Trail that links them. Stories, trails, wildlife, and where to eat and fuel up nearby. Book campsites on ReserveOhio.
Try:
The Buckeye TrailA 1,444-mile blue-blazed loop around Ohio, with all 26 sections.
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Mounds & Earthworks43 ancient sites, including the Great Serpent Mound and the Newark Earthworks.
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Historic Sites39 places, from Fort Steuben and Zoar to Camp Chase and the Rankin House, from the frontier to the Civil War.
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Road Trips33 drives, from the Lincoln Highway to the Morgan Heritage Trail.
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Lake Erie Beaches20 public beaches from Conneaut to Toledo and the islands, with a map.
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Oddities & Roadside Attractions19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops, plus a Mothman just over the line.
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Caves & Caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters, with a map.
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Waterfalls34 falls from the Cuyahoga Valley to the Hocking Hills, with trail notes and a map.
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Explore Ohio

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

Lake ErieWest Virginia27 places277 places77 places73 places35 places519 places1913 places1319 places1916 places168 places810 places1010 places109 places98 places820 places204 places43 places3Barkcamp State Park4 places47 places77 places76 places69 places917 places173 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places2Forked Run State Park3 places32 places26 places610 places103 places32 places2

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117 parks in 7 regions

Mohican-Memorial State Forest

Perrysville · Ashland County · North-Central Ohio
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
4,541acres
3trail miles
1928established

Visiting information you can trust

Content last reviewed
September 2026 — this is when Field Notes Ohio's content was last checked, not a live status.
Primary official source
ODNR park finder (search this park)
Location confidence
Verified property location
Mohican-Memorial State Forest office, 975 ODNR Mohican Rd 51, Perrysville
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Reservations or tickets
ReserveOhio — camping and cabin bookings
Hunting or permits
State forests are open to hunting under Ohio Division of Wildlife regulations, and this one shares trails with riders, bikers and hikers, so wear blaze orange during hunting seasons. Shooting is prohibited within 400 feet of any building, facility or recreation area and from or across any road or driveway. A valid Ohio hunting license is required.

Prices, hours, closures, campsite availability and trail conditions shown elsewhere on this page are not live — always confirm with the official source before you go.

The story of this land

Mohican-Memorial State Forest wraps around Mohican State Park and the deep, hemlock-shaded Clear Fork Gorge. The gorge is a glacial story. When the last ice sheets retreated, meltwater looked for a way out and carved a channel through the bedrock that the Clear Fork has kept deepening ever since, which is why this corner of Ohio looks more like the Appalachians than the surrounding farm country.

The word Memorial in the forest's name is literal. Inside the forest is a 270-acre Memorial Forest Shrine Park, with a chapel-like shrine that carries the names of the roughly 20,000 Ohioans who died in World War II. The forest also has a fire tower, mountain bike and snowmobile trails, and the ODNR forestry district office at 945 ODNR Mohican Road 60 in Perrysville.

The best-known camping here is different from a normal campground. The park-and-pack sites are a short walk from the road, each a small clearing in the woods with a fire ring and no other facilities. In 2025 ODNR moved them onto a new online reservation system, along with the Hocking State Forest horse campground.

Things to do in the park

  • Camp at one of seven park-and-pack sites about a mile from the parking areas
  • Ride the shared 25 miles of mountain bike trail
  • Ride horses on the 23-mile bridle and hiking trail network
  • Climb the fire tower
  • Snowmobile on designated trails when there is enough snow

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for Mohican-Memorial State Forest.

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

  • Mohican State Park, next door, with a lodge, cabins, campground and the covered bridge
  • Clear Fork Gorge, a National Natural Landmark, and the Hemlock Gorge trails
  • Loudonville, the canoe capital of Ohio
  • Malabar Farm State Park, about 20 minutes away

Hiking trails

About 3 miles of hiking-only trail plus about 23 miles of horse-and-hiking trail, and roughly 25 miles of trail open to mountain bikes. Snowmobiles are allowed on designated trails when conditions permit.

Wildlife you might see

  • Deer, turkey and songbirds in the hardwood forest
  • Hemlock-shaded ravines along the Clear Fork
  • Spring wildflowers along the trails and gorge

Fishing

  • The forest has no lakes of its own. Fishing and paddling are on the Clear Fork of the Mohican River and Pleasant Hill Lake, near Mohican State Park.

Hunting

State forests are open to hunting under Ohio Division of Wildlife regulations, and this one shares trails with riders, bikers and hikers, so wear blaze orange during hunting seasons. Shooting is prohibited within 400 feet of any building, facility or recreation area and from or across any road or driveway. A valid Ohio hunting license is required.

The Names in the Woods

Somewhere in these hills there is a chapel that is not a chapel. It is the Memorial Forest Shrine, in a 270-acre park within the forest, and it carries the names of roughly 20,000 Ohioans who died in World War II. That is the meaning of the word Memorial in the forest's name. The forest was established as a state forest in 1928, and it wraps around Mohican State Park and the Clear Fork gorge.

It is a very Ohio idea, to give a forest a job: grow trees, and remember people. Visitors may find the shrine before they find the trails.

Behind the legend

Sources describe the shrine only briefly, and the number of names is given as approximate, so the figure of 20,000 is a round number. The rest is easier to verify. Mohican-Memorial State Forest covers about 4,541 acres, has 7 reservable park-and-pack campsites, and has shared mountain bike and bridle trails.

The forest sits beside the Clear Fork Gorge, which is a National Natural Landmark, and the stories about Lyons Falls and Johnny Appleseed belong to the state park next door (see Mohican State Park's Legends tab).

If you go

Ask at the forest office in Perrysville for directions to the Memorial Forest Shrine, then walk the trails from the same trailheads that lead to the park-and-pack sites.

Waterfalls near Mohican-Memorial State Forest

Falls inside or within reach of this park. Stay behind railings and on marked trails; wet rock is slick in every season.

Big Lyons Falls

Perrysville · Ashland County
An 80 foot waterfall you can walk behind in the sandstone Clear Fork Gorge, reached on a 2 mile loop hike from Mohican State Park's covered bridge.
80 ftModerate hikeLegend
About 2 miles from this park

Little Lyons Falls

Perrysville · Ashland County
A narrow 25 foot cascade a short walk past Big Lyons Falls, tumbling into a partly collapsed slot of the Clear Fork Gorge.
25 ftModerate hike
About 2 miles from this park

Campsites

Park-and-pack campsite
7 walk-in sites, about a mile from parking · fire ring · no water or toilets · reserve online, up to 90 days ahead
See ODNR
Group camp
4 primitive group sites around a central fire pit · portable toilets and a well spigot · book through ReserveOhio
See ReserveOhio

On site

  • Park-and-pack sites with fire rings (no water or toilets, so pack in and pack out)
  • Group camp with portable toilets, dumpsters and a well spigot
  • Mohican State Park campground, cabins and lodge nearby
  • Forest office at 945 ODNR Mohican Road 60, Perrysville
Reserve on ODNR's forestry system →
Since September 1, 2025, everyone camping at the park-and-pack sites needs a digital permit from ODNR's forestry system, which is separate from ReserveOhio. Accounts are free and use the OH|ID login. You can book up to 90 days ahead, 14 nights in any 30 days, and up to two sites for the same dates. Check-in is 3 p.m. and check-out 1 p.m. You will be asked for your name, address, license plate and gear.
Prefer the phone?419-938-6222

Bring all your water, since the walk-in sites have none. Reservations are online only, with no walk-up sites. Mohican State Park's Class A and B campgrounds and cabins are listed separately on ReserveOhio. Mohican State Park's campground rates vary by site type and season; check ReserveOhio for current pricing.

Restaurants nearby

Trails End Restaurant
Family menu named for river activities; popular with campers
Directions
The Black Fork Bistro
Pizza, burgers and craft beer downtown; closed Monday
Directions
Mellor's Family Restaurant
Simple diner breakfast and dinner; closed Tuesday
Directions

Gas stations nearby

Perrysville C-Store
Closest to the forest office; hot subs and pizza
Directions
Stake's Shortstop
Big camping store with deli and firewood
Directions
Loudonville Marathon
Open late, clean and cheap diesel
Directions

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