Old Beach
Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)- 1.2 mi
- round trip
- 352 ft
- climb
- 874 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Aug–Oct
- best months
Is Old Beach open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Wayne National Forest. It doesn't name Old Beach, 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.
Old Beach is a short, easy hike in the Ironton Ranger District of Wayne National Forest in southern Ohio, about 1.2 miles long and rated easy. The trail is managed by the Forest Service and runs on natural ground, with no horses or bikes allowed. The route is an out-and-back that starts at about 789 feet and reaches a high point of 874 feet, with a total climb of 352 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.3 miles in, with an 8% grade. The trail is not accessible. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Waterloo put May highs around 75°F and September highs near 79°F, with October cooling to about 68°F. Several other spots sit close by. The Scarlet Oak Trail and Lake Shore are each about 0.2 miles away, and the Dam Wall climbing area is about 0.3 miles off. Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area is about 0.4 miles away.
Best time to go · Aug–Oct
Best time to visit Old Beach
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, 10.5 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)Lake Shore
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7.40-mile out-and-back trail in Ohio with 1,915 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Copperhead Trail
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5.42-mile out-and-back hike in Ohio with 1,134 ft elevation gain
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)Vesuvius Backpack Trail
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Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Power Line Trail
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7.9-mile out-and-back hike in Ohio with 1,218 ft elevation gain
Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Whiskey Run
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Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Vesuvius Main Loop
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Photo: Wayne National Forest, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Wolcot Trail
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6.22-mile out-and-back trail in Ohio with 1,257 ft elevation gain/loss
Photo: dok1, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Rock House Trail
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0.39-mile point-to-point trail in Ohio with 50 ft gain and 177 ft loss.
