Adventures in Wayne National Forest, Ohio

Wayne National Forest is peppered over 12 counties in southeastern Ohio and covers over a total of 834,000 acres. Most of this area is reclaimed mining land which is owned by the federal government.

The only national forest in the state of Ohio has a variety of things to do and see in the area. Hunting, camping, picnicking, canoeing, hiking, wild life and bird watching, and fishing are some of the more traditional things to do in these areas. There are also horseback riding and ATV riding trails that wind throughout the forest with over 300 miles of trails. There are more than 50 species of animals and more than 140 species of birds in the area. The most recent addition is the black bear that has begun to relocate back into its' old territories.

Pecans, walnuts, sassafras, mushrooms, black and raspberries can all be found and cultivated in abundance and collected throughout the forest. Metal detecting is permitted but ancient artifacts such as Indian arrowheads can also be found but these can not be removed from the lands. If a person is a beginner at picking mushrooms please take someone familiar at mushrooming with you or do intense research in the varieties found in the area as there are several poisonous species. Edible mushrooms can be found 10 months out of the year in this area. The most common being the moral which grows in April for a 2-3 week period.

Some of the less traditional sites and events in the area include: Robinson's Cave (New Straitsville Ohio). This is where secret meetings were held for the first miners' union that was developed. It also held a carousel at one time. Tinker's Cave (Near the Shawnee Tower) is a rock overhang which is said to be where Seth Tinker (a horse thief) hid the horses that he stole in Northern Ohio and sell them to farmers in Southern Ohio. After many years and through the civil war Seth Tinker continued his pursuit of money. He eventually disappeared and the rumors of what became of him circulate the area to this day. One thing is for certain where is family is buried he is not there and his grave has never been found. One of the most popular legends in the area is that he was caught and hung at tinker's cave for his horse thievery crimes.

Dand Payne Cemetery located in the forest on ST RT 595 is the reminder of the first freed slaves that moved into the Ohio Territory. The little towns that pepper the area known as The Little Cities of Black Diamonds, from the coal mining days. Each individual town has a unique history and legends and lore to share as the time of the old coal mines were a violent and bloody era. Many of the small towns have their own historical museum and the fees are usually by donation only. Some of the small local towns have festivals that occur during various times of the year.

Fans of ghost hunting can find a lot of history and purported haunting grounds and sites in these areas. One website that research can be done to find these interesting sites is www.graveaddiction.com . The site has done a wonderful job of compiling not only haunted areas but old cemeteries that have long been forgotten.

Wayne National Forest is not on the map of popular destinations. It is however the diamond in the rough one may say just waiting to be discovered and explored.