Lake Shore
Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)- 7.4 mi
- round trip
- 2,358 ft
- climb
- 690 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Aug–Oct
- best months
Is Lake Shore open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Wayne National Forest. It doesn't name Lake Shore, so check the source for the area it covers.
Lake Vesuvius Area Closure Public Health and Safety
Agency closure covering Wayne National Forest · USFS · Wayne National Forest
Timbre Ridge Lake Closure
Agency alert covering Wayne National Forest · Order 09-14-25-01 · USFS · Wayne National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Wayne National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Lake Shore is a 14.8-mile out-and-back hike in the Ironton Ranger District of Wayne National Forest in Ohio, managed by the Forest Service. The trail rises about 400 feet from a starting point near 662 feet to a high point of 690 feet, and the steepest stretch comes at about 6.1 miles, where the grade reaches 13 percent. The route is rated hard, and the trail surface is natural, with no horses or bikes allowed. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Waterloo, Ohio, show October highs around 68°F with lows near 40°F, and May highs around 75°F. The station sits about 65 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the higher ground run a little cooler. The trail starts close to several other spots. Scarlet Oak Trail and Longbow Archery are each about 0.1 mile away, and The Rock climbing area is about 0.3 mile off. Oak Hill Campground is about 0.5 mile away.
Best time to go · Aug–Oct
Best time to visit Lake Shore
Best months: August–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
41° / 20°
13 wet
Feb
45° / 22°
12 wet
Mar
54° / 29°
13 wet
Apr
67° / 38°
13 wet
May
75° / 49°
15 wet
Jun
83° / 57°
13 wet
Jul
86° / 62°
12 wet
Aug
85° / 60°
11 wet
Sep
79° / 52°
10 wet
Oct
68° / 40°
10 wet
Nov
55° / 30°
11 wet
Dec
45° / 25°
13 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Waterloo, OH, 10.7 mi away at 625 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Scarlet Oak Trail
Next door
Scarlet Oak Trail is a 0.41-mile point-to-point trail in Ohio with 237 feet of elevation gain.
Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Vesuvius Backpack Trail
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Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Copperhead Trail
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HIKE
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Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Old Beach
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Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Vesuvius Main Loop
~2 min drive
59.28-mile loop trail in Ohio with 2,652 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Power Line Trail
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Photo: dok1, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Black Oak Trail
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Black Oak Trail is a 0.30-mile point-to-point trail in Ohio with 114 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Hanging Rock Trail
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11.5-mile loop in Ohio with 1,225 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Wolcot Trail
~17 min drive
6.22-mile out-and-back trail in Ohio with 1,257 ft elevation gain/loss
