Shawnee State Forest Backpack Trail

Shawnee State Forest, Ohio Division of Forestry (west of Portsmouth)

Shawnee State Forest, west of Portsmouth, is the largest of Ohio’s state forests at more than 63,000 acres, according to BackpackOhio and Paria Outdoor Products. Both call it the “Little Smokies of Ohio” for its steep, constant ups and downs.

The backpack trail is the longest of the three in the Division of Forestry’s statewide guide, which says it “crosses rugged terrain requiring moderate skill and endurance,” and has seven walk-in camp areas.

The hike

ODNR lists the backpack trail at 46.4 miles; its statewide guide says about 50. BackpackOhio describes a big loop split by a connector into a 21-mile North Loop and a 28-mile South Loop, plus a 10-mile Wilderness side trail off the South Loop, so trips of 21, 28, 38, 45, or about 50 miles are possible. Orange blazes mark the main trail and white blazes the side trails. BackpackOhio says the orange blazes are not abundant but are generally enough.

The trailhead is inside Shawnee State Park, 6.6 miles west on Ohio 125 from US 52, with paved parking and a kiosk. BackpackOhio warns that the first hill on the North Loop is a “lung buster” and compares the trail’s repeated climbs and drops of more than 400 feet to Appalachian Trail training. Paria estimates about 6,000 feet of climbing on its 36-mile version.

Paria’s three-day itinerary runs 11 miles to Camp 2, 15 miles to Camp 6, and 9.5 miles back. Along the way it notes a picnic-table viewpoint past a logging area, a lookout near Camp 5, a turn past Camp Oyo and a bridge toward Camp 3, and, on the last day, a stretch shared with the Buckeye Trail and North Country Trail before one of the steepest climbs of the trip and a finish at the state park’s beach area. It warns that logging reroutes come and go, and BackpackOhio also saw signs of recent timber removal.

The forest also holds a roughly 8,000-acre Wilderness Area, designated in 1972 according to BackpackOhio, where ODNR says timber is not managed and public motor vehicles are excluded. Paria says the southern section has many stream crossings.

Paria prefers the leafless months for views, noting that summer is hot and muggy and that winter and spring are wetter. The forest map lists greenbriar, poison ivy, ticks, stinging nettles, rattlesnakes, copperheads, and late-summer hornets, and recommends hiking with a partner and carrying a map and compass.

For a gentler state forest loop, try Zaleski. Despite the name, this is not Illinois’s Shawnee National Forest, home of the Garden of the Gods Wilderness loop.

Tips

Register at the trailhead. Permits are free and self-issued; carry the stub.
Plan water by road crossing. The forest says drinking water is only near road crossings, and winter service isn’t guaranteed.
Bring trekking poles. Paria calls them essential for the steady ups and downs.
Wear long pants; the forest map doesn’t recommend shorts.
Watch where you put your hands in rocky areas, where rattlesnakes and copperheads live.
Wear orange in hunting season.
Leave alcohol at home. ODNR says it is prohibited in the forest and strictly enforced.

Camping

Camping is allowed only in the designated backpack campgrounds shown on the forest map, with a free self-registration permit filled out before you start. Forms are at the trail parking area 24 hours a day and at forest headquarters on weekdays. The map’s rules: move to a different campground each day, no more than 14 days in any 30-day period, no more than 10 people per party at any one campground, fires only in designated fire rings or portable stoves, no cutting live trees, pets leashed or controlled with proof of rabies vaccination, and quiet hours from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. Each campground has a latrine. BackpackOhio says each has multiple tent sites and fire rings.

Inside Intel: Paria Outdoor Products (2023) names Camp 6 a favorite: a flat spot under pines beside a stream that seems to run year-round, with room for several tents, though the creek crossing to reach it can be tricky in high water. It suggests Camp 5, near a ridgeline with a good view nearby, as the alternative after heavy rain, calls Camp 4 by a large pond one of the nicer sites, and says Camp 3 is close enough to a road that traffic noise is an issue.

Trail facts

Distance: 46.4 miles (ODNR); loops of 21 to about 50 miles
Route type: Loop, with a connector and a Wilderness side trail
Difficulty: Strenuous
Campsites: Seven designated backpack camps with latrines and fire rings
Water: Caches near road crossings, limited and not guaranteed in winter; streams seasonal; treat all water
Permits: Free self-registration at the trailhead
Group size: 10 per party at any campground
Dogs: Allowed, leashed or controlled, with rabies proof
Trailhead: Backpack trailhead in Shawnee State Park, off Ohio 125
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Hollow camps in the Little Smokies:

Shawnee's camps sit low in valleys between steep ridges, and the trail's fans like it best once the leaves drop and nights cool off. See the sleeping bags testers rate.

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.