The Wayne National Forest is located in the south-eastern part of the US state of Ohio, in the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. It is the only national forest in Ohio. Forest headquarters are located between The Plains and Nelsonville, Ohio, on US Route 33, overlooking the Hocking River.The originally forested land was cleared for agricultural and lumbering use in the late 18th and 19th century, but years of poor timbering and agricultural practices led to severe erosion and poor soil composition. The Wayne National Forest was started as part of a reforestation program.The forest comprises three administrative and purchase units: Athens, Marietta, and Ironton. Many of the lands included in the forest are former coal-mining lands, and much of this land is owned by the federal government without the mineral rights, those having been retained by former owners.As of January 2012, the forest has 240101acre in federal ownership within a proclamation boundary of 832147acre. The Athens Unit is located in Athens, Hocking, Morgan, Perry, and Vinton Counties, and includes 67,224 acres (272 km²) as of 2002. It features the Wildcat Hollow Trail, a hiking trail just northeast of Burr Oak State Park in Morgan County; the Stone Church Horse Trail in Perry County; the Utah Ridge Recreation Area in Athens County, and the Dorr Run ATV Trails in Hocking County. The Marietta Unit is located in Monroe, Noble and Washington Counties, and includes 63,381 acres (256 km²) as of 2002, with over half of the total being within Washington County. The Ironton Unit is located in Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence and Scioto Counties, and includes 99,049 acres (401 km²) as of 2002, with over two-thirds of the total being within Lawrence County. The area of Ohio included within the Forest is based on late Paleozoic geology, heavy in sandstones and shales, including redbeds, with many coal beds. The topography is typically very rugged, with elevation changes typically in the 200–400-foot range.
