Backpacking Wildcat Hollow - Wayne National Forest

Join us for another backpacking adventure! This outdoor excursion has us in the Wayne National Forest, Ohio. The trail we hiked is called Wildcat Hollow, more specifically, the long loop option.

This was an exciting trip for a couple of different reasons. First, Sara got to field test her brand new ultralight tent, the Durston X-Mid Pro 2+. We briefly showcase the new tent, but we will do a more in depth gear review in the future after spending some more time with it.

I might not have brought any new gear on the trip myself, but it sure was nice to have a warm weather loadout again. This trip I opted for my frameless backpack, the Zpacks Nero 38L. With ultralight options such as the Zpacks, Warbonnet Blackbird and Hammock Gear dyneema tarp, my base weight for this hiking trip came out to under ten pounds.

Backpacking, hiking and camping in Southern Ohio may not have the scenic vistas of West Virginia or Pennsylvania, but the forest is fairly diverse. We saw a ton of wildflowers on trail and in some spots they covered the ground like a carpet. There are a few short stretches of road walking, active oil equipment, breezy ridge walks and even a beaver dam crossing at a pond. Overall, this trail is actually pretty good as far as Ohio hiking goes.

If you're looking for a good beginner backpacking trip, Wildcat Hollow gives you some great options. There is a long loop, as well as a short loop to give you different mileage options. I probably saw three or four dozen campsites along the trail, allowing you to conveniently split up the mileage however you see fit. We found a nice campsite next to a pond where we listened to the sounds of frogs all night next to the campfire.

Overall, Sara and I both enjoyed this trip. It's nice to have a convenient outdoors option somewhat close to home. Wildcat Hollow also borders Burr Oak, so you could make a massive 30+ mile loop if you wanted to. Perhaps one day we will visit Burr Oak, but I prefer the dispersed camping option in the national forest opposed to the permit system at the lake. As always, thanks for watching and be sure to check out the helpful links posted below!

Click the link below to download GPX data for Wildcat Hollow!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H1rd...

Click the link below to check out all the gear I brought on this trip!
https://lighterpack.com/r/nmgpjn