The Wayne National Forest is located in the south-eastern part of the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, in the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau

Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau

The Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau is located in an arc around southeastern Ohio into western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This area is a dissected plateau, characterized by sandstone, shale, and many coal seams...

. It is the only national forest in Ohio. Forest headquarters are located between The Plains

The Plains, Ohio

The Plains is a census-designated place in Athens County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,931 at the 2000 census.-Geography:The Plains is located at ....

 and Nelsonville

Nelsonville, Ohio

Nelsonville is a city in northwestern Athens County, Ohio, United States. The population was 5,230 at the 2000 census. Hocking College is located in Nelsonville.-Geography:...

, Ohio, on US Route 33, overlooking the Hocking River

Hocking River

The Hocking River is a tributary of the Ohio River in southeastern Ohio in the United States.The Hocking flows mostly on the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau, but its headwaters are in a glaciated region...

.

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 2009, the forest has 241004 acres (975 km²) in federal ownership within a proclamation boundary of 833990 acres (3,375 km²).

• The Athens Unit is located in Athens
  Athens County, Ohio
  As of the census of 2000, there were 62,223 people, 22,501 households, and 12,713 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile . There were 24,901 housing units at an average density of 49 per square mile...
  
  , Hocking
  Hocking County, Ohio
  Hocking County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 29,380. Its county seat is Logan. Its name is from the Hocking River, the origins of which are disputed but is said to be a Delaware Indian word meaning "bottle river".-Geography:According to the...
  
  , Morgan
  Morgan County, Ohio
  **----...
  
  , Perry
  Perry County, Ohio
  Perry County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. Founded on March 1, 1818, it was the 55th county to be formed in Ohio. Portions of Fairfield, Washington and Muskingum Counties were taken to create Perry County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 36,058. Its county seat...
  
  , and Vinton
  Vinton County, Ohio
  Vinton County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,435. , the least populous in the state. Its county seat is McArthur. The county is named for Samuel Finley Vinton, a 19th-century United States Congressman from...
  
   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
  Burr Oak State Park
  Burr Oak State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Ohio, located mostly in Morgan County, with part extending into Athens County. Its address is listed as Glouster....
  
   in Morgan County
  Morgan County, Ohio
  **----...
  
  ; the Stone Church Horse Trail in Perry County
  Perry County, Ohio
  Perry County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. Founded on March 1, 1818, it was the 55th county to be formed in Ohio. Portions of Fairfield, Washington and Muskingum Counties were taken to create Perry County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 36,058. Its county seat...
  
  ; the Utah Ridge Recreation Area in Athens County
  Athens County, Ohio
  As of the census of 2000, there were 62,223 people, 22,501 households, and 12,713 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile . There were 24,901 housing units at an average density of 49 per square mile...
  
  , and the Dorr Run ATV Trails in Hocking County
  Hocking County, Ohio
  Hocking County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 29,380. Its county seat is Logan. Its name is from the Hocking River, the origins of which are disputed but is said to be a Delaware Indian word meaning "bottle river".-Geography:According to the...
  
  .
• The Marietta Unit is located in Monroe
  Monroe County, Ohio
  Monroe County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,642. Its county seat is Woodsfield and is named for James Monroe, Secretary of State when the county was formed and later President of the United States....
  
  , Noble
  Noble County, Ohio
  Noble County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,645. Its county seat is Caldwell. Noble County is named for Rep. Warren P. Noble of the Ohio House of Representatives, who was an early settler there.-History:...
  
   and Washington
  Washington County, Ohio
  Washington County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 61,778. Its county seat is Marietta. The county, the oldest in the state, is named for George Washington. Washington County is included in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, West Virginia-Ohio...
  
   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
  Gallia County, Ohio
  As of the census of 2000, there were 31,069 people, 12,060 households, and 8,586 families residing in the county. The population density was 66 people per square mile . There were 13,498 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile...
  
  , Jackson
  Jackson County, Ohio
  Jackson County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 33,225. Its county seat is Jackson and is named for Andrew Jackson, a hero of the War of 1812 who was subsequently elected President of the United States....
  
  , Lawrence
  Lawrence County, Ohio
  As of the census of 2000, there were 62,319 people, 24,732 households, and 17,807 families residing in the county. The population density was 137 people per square mile . There were 27,189 housing units at an average density of 60 per square mile...
  
   and Scioto
  Scioto County, Ohio
  As of the census of 2000, there were 79,195 people, 30,871 households, and 21,362 families residing in the county. The population density was 129 people per square mile . There were 34,054 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile...
  
   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

Paleozoic

The Paleozoic era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon, spanning from roughly...

 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.

The North Country Trail passes through several areas of the Wayne, in which it is coincident with the Buckeye Trail

Buckeye Trail

The Buckeye Trail is a 1,444 miles  long-distance trail that loops around the state of Ohio. Part of it is on roads and part is on wooded trail...

 and the American Discovery Trail

American Discovery Trail

The American Discovery Trail is a coast-to-coast hiking and biking trail across the mid-tier of the United States. It starts on the Delmarva Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and ends on the northern California coast on the Pacific Ocean, and is signed on over of trail. This includes the doubled...

.

External links

• Wayne National Forest Official Website
• A Forest Returns: The Success Story of Ohio's Only National Forest –- oral history on the beginnings of the Wayne.
• Economic Analysis of the 2006 Wayne National Forest Plan -- a critical analysis of future USFS plans for the Wayne