Hiking The Loop At Lamping Homestead Recreation Area

The Lamping Homestead Recreation Area can be found in a secluded area of the 240,000-acre Wayne National Forest. It is located near Graysville, Ohio in Monroe County.

The area was once the family homesteaded of the Lamping family in the 1800s.

The area offers visitors a number of activities including fishing, hiking and mountain biking. Picnic sites and a shelter are also available for use. Vault toilets and trashcans can be found at the parking lot. There is no cell service here or water.

There are eight primitive campsites for tent camping located right near the pond. There is a picnic table and fire ring at each site and it cost $10 a night to camp there. The two-acre pond is stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill, and channel catfish.

The reason we came to the area though was to hike.

There are two loop trails and they both start at the camping area near the pond. The short loop is around 1.5 miles long and the long loop is around 3.5 miles long. The trails are considered moderate and leashed pets are allowed on the trail.

It was a really nice day out and we decided to take the long loop. White diamonds mark the trail and there are some signs. The North Country Trail and Buckeye Trail also intersect the loop and are marked by blue blazes.

The hike included a lot of ups and downs through the heavily wooded forest. Ravines are scattered throughout the area and some parts of the trail are quite narrow and always seemed to be on a slant.

If it has been raining be prepared for some small water crossings and muddy conditions that make the trail a bit hazardous at times. Watch where you step so you don’t slip down one of those ravines or twist an ankle.

When we visited there were a ton of trees down that were blocking the trail.

I lost track of how many trees we had to scramble over or under just to continue the hike. On multiple occasions we had to unhook our dog from his leash so he could more easily navigate the obstructions. The hubby even had to carry him over two trees, because the dog couldn’t get through.

Some of these trees had been down for quite a while so I don’t think there is much trail maintenance being done here. A lot of the trail was overgrown, but not to the extent where you were walking through brush past your ankles.

Now if you’re in the area to camp or fish I would make a stop at Lamping Homestead Recreation Area. The recreation area and the pond are actually quite lovely. The trail needs some maintenance and isn’t all that exciting, but if you’re already camping it’s worth taking the hike.

Since it’s kinda out of the way, if you’re not already in the area for another reason I would skip the hike.

A little side note on the road to get there.

They are doing some major construction and the road is closed less than a mile from the entrance to the recreation area. A quick 10 minute detour will take you around the construction though and get you back to the entrance of Lamping Homestead.