National Forest land · Ohio

Wayne National Forest

Wayne National Forest is listed in PAD-US 4.1 as roughly 243,152 acres in Lawrence County, Washington County + 10 more, Ohio (National Forest land), managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USDA). It may allow hunting, but PAD-US does not say so — confirm with the managing agency.

A mountain biker rides past fall foliage on Coal Train Trail on the Baileys Trail System near Chauncey, Ohio, August 29, 2024. USFS photo by Anna Owens. Photo: usfs_Eastern_Region. Public domain (U.S. government work). Source: original source · Wikimedia Commons file page.

243,152acres (approx.)

U.S. Forest Service (USDA)manager

Open accessPAD-US access

12counties

Check regulations with Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife Managing agency website Google Maps OpenStreetMap

Area details

Approx. size	243,152 acres
Manager	U.S. Forest Service (USDA) Listed in PAD-US as: Forest Service Region 09 Eastern
Manager type	Federal
Designation	National Forest
Public access (PAD-US)	Open access PAD-US definition: “requires no special requirements for public access to the property (may include regular hours of availability).”
County	Lawrence County, Washington County, Hocking County, Monroe County, Perry County, Gallia County, Athens County, Scioto County, Morgan County, Vinton County, Jackson County, Noble County
Reference point	38.71363, -82.69050 A point inside the area — not an entrance or parking lot. Google Maps · OpenStreetMap
Source records	1 PAD-US record combined

Approximate outline from simplified PAD-US boundaries (north is up; not to be used for navigation or boundary decisions).

Before you hunt here

Regulations, seasons and licenses: check with Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. This site does not list regulations.
2026 deer season dates in Ohio: Ohio deer season dates, copied from the state agency, with the official source linked. Areas like this can set their own dates. Score your buck.
Managing agency: U.S. Forest Service: hunting on national forests
Boundaries: PAD-US boundaries are approximate and simplified here. Use the agency’s official maps and respect adjacent private land.

Nearby public land (within 30 miles)

State wildlife / game area
Symmes Township Wildlife Area
120 acres · 10.3 mi away
State: department of natural resources
Open access
Army Corps of Engineers project land · Kentucky
Greenup Pool Recreation Area
177 acres · 10.4 mi away
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Open access
State wildlife / game area · Kentucky
South Shore Wildlife Management Area
96 acres · 13.6 mi away
State: fish and wildlife agency
Open access
State wildlife / game area
Cooper Hollow Wildlife Area
6,173 acres · 18.1 mi away
State: department of natural resources
Mixed (open and restricted parcels)
State wildlife / game area
Crown City Wildlife Area
11,284 acres · 19.8 mi away
State: department of natural resources
Mixed (open and restricted parcels)
State wildlife / game area
Tycoon Lake Wildlife Area
777 acres · 23.6 mi away
State: department of natural resources
Mixed (open and restricted parcels)
State wildlife / game area · West Virginia
Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area
1,096 acres · 25.7 mi away
Joint management
Open access
State wildlife / game area
Flint Run Wildlife Area
621 acres · 25.7 mi away
State: department of natural resources
Open access
State wildlife / game area
Broken Aro Wildlife Area
2,971 acres · 25.9 mi away
State: department of natural resources
Open access
State wildlife / game area
Buckeye Furnace Wildlife Area
1,030 acres · 26.6 mi away
State: department of natural resources
Open access

Distances are straight-line between reference points, not driving distance.

Source: PAD-US 4.1 (USGS), record for “Wayne National Forest” in Ohio combined into one listing. How listings are built. Spotted an error? PAD-US is maintained by USGS with data from the managing agencies.