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

Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area

Athens & Hocking Counties · Southeast Ohio
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
6,700acres
—trail miles
—established

Visiting information you can trust

Check before driving — this site is seasonal, approximate, privately run, or otherwise uncertain. Confirm hours and access with the official source above.
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
Approximate — boundary or exact point not confirmed
Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area (Places point; address returned was a district office)
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Hunting or permits
Open to public hunting under Ohio Division of Wildlife rules. A valid Ohio hunting license is required, and hunters should wear hunter orange in season.

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

Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area is a state wildlife area in Athens and Hocking counties in southeast Ohio's hill country. County park listings give it roughly 6,700 acres, open to public hunting, with part of the Buckeye Trail passing through it. The ODNR trail overview map lists it along the route between Burr Oak State Park and the Hocking Hills.

Public information on this area is thin; the numbers here come from county and ODNR listings, so confirm boundaries and rules with the Ohio Division of Wildlife before you go.

Things to do in the park

  • Hike the Buckeye Trail through the area
  • Hunt in season
  • Watch for forest birds and deer

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area.

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

  • Burr Oak State Park to the east
  • Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve to the west
  • Hocking Hills State Park farther south

Hiking trails

Part of the Buckeye Trail passes through the area.

Wildlife you might see

  • Deer, turkey and small game
  • Mature hardwood forest on ridges and hollows
  • Songbirds and forest birds

Fishing

  • Fishing is not a feature of the area. Ohio fishing license required for ages 16 and up.

Hunting

Open to public hunting under Ohio Division of Wildlife rules. A valid Ohio hunting license is required, and hunters should wear hunter orange in season.

The Buckeye Trail at Wallace H. O'Dowd Wildlife Area

Ohio's 1,444-mile blue-blazed loop passes through or beside this park. Tap a section for its route, camping, water and resupply.

9 New Straitsville Section

61 miles · Morgan, Athens, Hocking, Perry
State wildlife area the trail passes through
4 parksTrail towns

There is no developed camping in the wildlife area. Check with the Division of Wildlife before camping; Burr Oak State Park and Wayne National Forest are the nearest options.

Restaurants nearby

58 West
Brewery and distillery in historic downtown Logan. Closed Tuesdays
Directions
TheFeed
Excellent burgers, open daily
Directions

Gas stations nearby

Murphy USA
On the road toward Hocking Hills
Directions

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