Lake Hope State Park: Olds Hollow Trail (Blog Hike #979)

Trail: Olds Hollow Trail
Hike Location: Lake Hope State Park
Geographic Location: northeast of McArthur, OH (39.33138, -82.34008)
Length: 1.2 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: October 2023
Overview: A short loop passing the Hope Iron Furnace, a rock shelter, and a pioneer cemetery.
Park Information: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/lake-hope-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=949877
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: East of McArthur or west of Athens, take US 50 to SR 278 or SR 677.  Turn north on SR 278 or SR 677.  Where SR 278 and SR 677 merge in the town of Zaleski, continue north on SR 278.  Drive SR 278 north 5.1 miles from Zaleski to the parking area for Hope Iron Furnace on your left.  Park here.

The hike: Often overlooked in favor of the large and famous Hocking Hills State Park some 20 miles to the north, Lake Hope State Park actually predates the establishment of Ohio's state park system.  Originally named Lake Hope Forest Park, the park was founded in 1937 by the Ohio Division of Forestry.  That Division still manages 28,000 acre Zaleski State Forest, which surrounds the park.  The area was broken off from the state forest and became a state park when the Ohio Department of Natural Resources was founded in 1949.

            Before the land became a park, the mining and lumber industries ruled this area.  The Hope Iron Furnace at this trailhead produced pig iron from 1854 until 1874.  During those years, iron and limestone were mined and hillsides were clear-cut to supply inputs for the furnace.  After the furnace was shut down, coal was mined in this area.  The park and lake are named for the town of Hope, Ohio, an old mining town that existed from 1865 through 1890 and now sits under Lake Hope.  Only a 1-room schoolhouse and an abandoned church remain of the town.

            Today Lake Hope State Park offers surprisingly good amenities that include a lodge, boating, fishing, and swimming on Lake Hope, 2 cabins, a 189-site developed campground, and many miles of hiking and mountain biking trails.  Among hikers the park is best known as a trailhead for the Zaleski Backpack Trail, a 23-mile loop known as the one of the best and toughest backpacking trails in Ohio.  Yet the park also has 8 trails suitable for dayhiking that total over 11 miles.  The Olds Hollow Trail described here is neither the longest nor shortest of this park's hiking options, but it may be the most scenic.  This trail passes through a rocky gorge that is a small version of the gorges found in Hocking Hills while also letting you see some of this area's history.

Hope Iron Furnace ruins

            Before starting the hike, take a few minutes to check out the ruins of the Hope Iron Furnace, which stand on a small hill behind the parking area.  When this furnace was in operation, the fire required to produce pig iron would be tended 24 hours per day.  Today one stone furnace remains somewhat intact while another structure is basically a pile of rocks.  The interpretive signs and historical markers that describe the site make for interesting reading.

Olds Hollow Trail trailhead

            To start the actual hike, walk out to the state road, turn right, cross Sandy Run on the highway bridge, then look to the left for the large wooden sign marking the Selinde Roosenburg Memorial Backpack Trailhead.  This trailhead is one of the main trailheads for the Zaleski Backpack Trail, but it also serves the Olds Hollow Trail.  After crossing a wetland area on a short wooden boardwalk, the trail curves left to begin heading east with the hillside to your right and Sandy Run's wetlands on your left.

Hiking the entrance trail

            At 0.2 miles, you reach the signed trail intersection that forms the Olds Hollow Trail's loop.  I chose to angle left here and use the trail going right as my return route, thus hiking the loop clockwise.  The blue blazes of the Olds Hollow Trail and the orange blazes of the Zaleski Backpack Trail run conjointly as the singletrack dirt trail heads north.  The forest is dominated by beech trees, and a woodpecker kept me company as I hiked through a light rain on a Friday morning.  Occasional views of Sandy Run's wetlands can be had to the left.

Heading into the hollow

            Just past 0.5 miles, you reach the trail intersection where the Zaleski Backpack Trail and the Olds Hollow Trail part ways.  As indicated by the blue blazes, turn right to remain on the Olds Hollow Trail.  Next comes perhaps the most scenic part of this hike: the trail heads up a narrow hollow with a small rock shelter on the left.  This rock shelter is small compared to Ash Cave or Old Mans Cave in nearby Hocking Hills, but it is a scenic sight for almost anywhere else in Ohio.

Small rock shelter

            Upon reaching the rock shelter, the trail curves right to climb steeply out of the hollow via some wooden steps.  The grade quickly moderates, and in total you gain about 100 feet of elevation over less than 0.2 miles.  Near the hike's highest elevation, you pass the Hope Furnace Graveyard, a pioneer cemetery where some of the workers at the iron furnace are buried.  5 headstones can be seen today, but researchers think as many as 50 people could be buried here.  A bench encourages you to take a few minutes to ponder this solemn area.

Hope Furnace Graveyard

            Past the cemetery, the trail descends on a grade similar to the one you climbed on.  After crossing an unnamed small stream, the trail curves right to head out the hollow you just descended into.  Just shy of 1 mile, you close the loop.  Angling left retraces your steps out the entrance trail and back along SR 278 to return to the parking area and complete the hike.  If you want to do more hiking, the state park's Peninsula Trail and Furnace Trail each offer 3+ mile hikes along Lake Hope, and of course the Zaleski Backpack trail offers an even longer option through the adjacent state forest.