Tar Hollow State Park and Forest: Quieter Ridge Hiking

Tar Hollow is the ridge-and-hollow alternative to the gorge country: a small state park built around a 15-acre lake, wrapped in a 16,446-acre state forest with a long backpacking loop and a wide trail network. It is not a replacement for Old Man's Cave. It is what you add when you want miles of oak-hickory forest and room to walk, and the trail details below come straight from ODNR.

How the park and forest fit together

Tar Hollow State Park and Tar Hollow State Forest are neighbors. The state park, near Laurelville, is a developed area with a campground, Pine Lake, a beach and a few short trails. The state forest around it covers 16,446 acres and is described by ODNR as Ohio's third largest. Park hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, and the forest posts the same hours.

The land has a long story. ODNR notes that the Hopewell culture lived in the area between about 200 B.C. and 500 A.D., leaving burial mounds that are still visible, and that the name comes from the pine tar once made from pitch pine knots and heartwood. In the 1930s, the land was bought under the New Deal's Ross-Hocking Land Utilization Project.

Day hikes from the park

These are the two trails ODNR highlights for day hikers at the park. Pine Lake is 15 acres, open to hand-powered and electric-only boats, with a swimming beach about 500 feet long that ODNR says is unguarded, so you can add lake time to a hike. Both are loops, so you can plan a half-day without a shuttle. If you are traveling with children, Homestead is the one ODNR calls family friendly. Our kid trail ranking covers the Hocking Hills trails nearer the main park.

The forest hiking network

The state forest has a 22-mile hiking network in its northern half. ODNR's forest page does not list individual trail names beyond a few, so pick up a current map from the park office or the forest page before you go. Bridle trails, 33 miles in all, radiate from the horse camp and all lie south of the fire tower. Horses may use forest roads as well as the bridle trails, so stay alert and give riders room.

Forest roads add 17 miles of paved and 14 miles of gravel road. The speed limit is 30 mph unless posted. That is useful to know if you plan a car-spotted hike or a scenic drive.

The Logan Backpack Trail

The big prize is the Logan Backpack Trail, a 21-mile figure-eight with red blazes that ODNR rates as difficult. It crosses the park and the adjacent forest. The trailhead and parking are near the Pine Lake dam spillway. The Buckeye Trail overlaps part of it, marked with light blue blazes.

At the center of the figure eight is the fire tower, where ODNR maintains a primitive, tent-only backpack camp. It is first-come, first-served: register at the General Store (a seasonal operation) or at the park office. ODNR lists the fee as $4 per adult or $1 per youth per night. For comparison with another Ohio backpack route, see our Zaleski Backpack Trail guide, and for the blue-blazed route see our Buckeye Trail guide.

What you will see

ODNR describes sandstone hills covered in diverse forest, with oak and hickory on the dry ridges and sycamore, willow, buckeye and silver maple in the stream valleys. Wildflowers include bloodroot, wild geranium, cardinal flower and Solomon's seal, and dogwoods and redbuds bloom in spring. Fall color is called notable.

Wildlife listed on the park page includes timber rattlesnake, five-lined skink, fence lizard, box turtle, several salamander species, wild turkey and ruffed grouse, with the occasional bobcat. Watch where you put hands and feet on rocky ridges, and read our snake identification and safety guide. If you want to learn the trees before you go, our winter tree ID guide uses the same ridge-and-valley pattern.

Plan around closures and seasons

Check the ODNR pages before you drive. When I looked in October 2026, the forest page listed two notices:

• A road closure of Clark Hollow Road for 45 days starting August 17, 2026, for culvert replacement. That window has passed, but confirm that the road is open.
• A temporary closure of portions of the Orange Boundary and White connector trails between Poe Run Road and Park Road 39, for timber management. A Boundary Trail rest area stayed accessible.

Hunting is permitted: the park page lists squirrel, deer, grouse and turkey, and the forest allows public hunting under Division of Wildlife rules. Check the season dates and consider wearing bright clothing during deer season. In the forest, berries, nuts and mushrooms may be gathered except in posted areas, though park rules are stricter. See what you can take home.

Cell service on ridge-and-hollow trails may be limited, so download a map first. Our no-cell navigation guide explains how. ODNR's pages I read do not state a general pet policy for the park, so confirm with the office before you bring a dog.

Contacts

• Park office: (740) 887-4818, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Forest manager: (740) 887-6275.
• Non-emergency: #ODNR. In an emergency, call 911.

Bottom line

Tar Hollow works as a second-day trip or a backpacking weekend. The Homestead and Ross Hollow loops are easy enough to add to a travel day, and the Logan Trail is the real draw for anyone who wants a long hike. Check the closure notices first, bring a map and treat it as a ridge walk, not a waterfall chase. For other lesser-known options, see our under-visited trails guide.