Scioto Trail State Forest: hunting and access
Scioto Trail State Forest is 9,330 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Ross and Pike counties, next to Massieville, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 3,402 deer in Ross County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: ODNR's ODNR area open to hunting data, read 2026-10. Harvest: Division of Wildlife harvest reports, 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Land on ODNR's hunting mapNational park landOther state landMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landScioto Trail State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 9,330 acres in 24 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Ross County and Pike County |
| Deer harvest unit | Ross County, Pike County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | forest |
| Managed by | the Division of Forestry |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Massieville (next to it), Richmond Dale (3 mi) and Waverly (4 mi) |
What are the rules on Scioto Trail State Forest?
ODNR's land layer lists the area as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons and rules.
ODNR's hunting map for the area shows the boundaries, parking and any no-hunting zones.
Deer bag limits in Ohio are set by county; the Division's 2026-27 season list points to the bag limit map.
How many deer are taken around Scioto Trail State Forest?
Scioto Trail State Forest lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 3,402 deer in Ross County in 2025-26, against 3,338 in 2024-25.
| County | Scioto Trail State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross County | 9,257 | 3,402 | 3,338 | 2,749 |
| Pike County | 73 | 2,156 | 2,193 | 1,778 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
How do you get to Scioto Trail State Forest?
Nearest towns: Massieville (next to it), Richmond Dale (3 miles), Waverly (4 miles) and Chillicothe (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 35, OH 104, OH 772, OH 335 and US 23.
What other public land is near Scioto Trail State Forest?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Ross Lake Wildlife Area: 1,107 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Marion and Fred Conkel Wildlife Area: 179 acres, 4.7 miles away
- Great Seal State Park: 1,849 acres, 6.1 miles away
- Tar Hollow State Forest: 16,425 acres, 6.7 miles away
- Liberty Wildlife Area: 145 acres, 7.4 miles away
- Pleasant Valley Wildlife Area: 1,469 acres, 8.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Scioto Trail State Forest
Counting Scioto Trail State Forest itself, 9,761 of the 72,665 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (13.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 9,335 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 156 |
| National park land | 134 |
| Other state land | 91 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 45 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Scioto Trail State Forest?
In Ross and Pike counties, next to Massieville.
Can you hunt on Scioto Trail State Forest?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Scioto Trail State Forest?
9,761 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Scioto Trail State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Ross Lake Wildlife Area (4.4 miles).
Get a Ohio hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Ohio are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Ohio included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: ODNR, Scioto Trail State Forest; ODNR lands hunting status.
- Boundary and acres: ODNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and ODNR's land boundaries with hunting status.
- Deer harvest: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
FilledTag is not part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. Check ODNR's rules and posted signs before you go.