Hey guys. I'm considering taking my first trip to WNF this weekend down from Cleveland. From looking at the websites, it seems the Monday Creek area looks pretty good, but wanted to get some first hand recommendations from folks that have ridden WNF recently. Which has the best/longest trails and good camp areas? I'm looking for a campground that I can primitive camp/tent it but has at least some running water, hot showers a plus for sure.. Just planning on going down tomorrow night to camp and ride all day saturday.. Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

Lightman

I have only rode the Monday Creek area of WNF. I have not ridden the other two sections. From what I have been told, Monday Creek is the most used trails, but by far the most maintained also.

Since you want to camp and have showers, you will want to stay at Camp Ohio. It is located on Gore-Greendale road, about a half mile from SR 595. I only know directions coming from the Columbus area, but maybe you can translate them into Cleveland directions.

Take SR 33 east out of Columbus. Go past Lancaster and Logan and exit at the SR 595 exit. Take SR 595 north 4.5 miles and you will see a sign for Camp Ohio. Take a left on Gore Greendale road. Go about a half mile up the road and Camp Ohio is on the left. Scott is the owner. Just find a spot in the middle of the campground and set up and he will find you to collect. It is like $9 per night per person. They have direct access to the trails. You used to have to ride on the road (legally), but they should have the connector trail done. Be sure to stop at Williams Camping and get your trail passes. Camp Ohio isn't anything fantastic, but it gets the job done and is nicer than Williams Camping.

I would start out riding the New Straitsville loop off of the main corridor. Nice warm up ride. Then head down the main corridor to the Dorr Run Loop. Dorr run has some of the better trails and they are maintained well. Watch out, all trails are two way. Be sure to use hand signals and watch around blind corners.

Be warned, they have had a lot rain in the past two days. It may be very muddy and there is a chance that Monday creek may not be passable.

Post a reply if you have any more questions.

 

MMM, thanks so much for your reply, it was exactly the info I was looking for.

When you say the rain might make monday creek impassable, is that due to depth or currents? I have 27" outlaws and custom snorkels that extend well above my handlebars (I've had the entire quad including bars underwater with no probs), so typically mud or water doesn't concern me.. Rushing currents however are probably pretty dangerous though...which is why I ask. At least there aren't any gators in it! (I just moved up a few weeks ago from FL)

Speaking of mud, just how much mud is there? The outlaws aren't much fun on trails or hardpack to say the least, and if WNF is only say 10% mud and the rest trails I'll go with the comfy ride of the ATR's....

 

Lightman

I seen your post on the time also. I ride with several of those guys.

Anyway, on the main corridor, you have to cross Monday Creek on a cement bridge. It is generally way below the bridge level during this time of the year. However, during very heavy rains, it comes up and runs over the bridge. I don't recommend crossing it if it is over 6 to 8 inches deep over the bridge. If it is that high, it is rushing pretty good. However, it will go down fairly quickly. It can be over the bridge on Friday night and down by Saturday morning. I wouldn't worry too much about it. You will know when you get there if this is a problem by asking other riders.

As for muddy or packed, this kind of depends. With this rain, it is hard telling. Generally, when conditions are normal and the trails are in good shape like they are now, you would be better off with the ATR's. The best mudding trails are the inner loops (you will see them on the map) of Dorr run. Those loops have some descent mud holes on them. The main corridor and dorr run loop wasn't that muddy when I was down there a few weeks ago. If I had to pick, I would take the ATR's. But with this rain, its anybody's guess at this point.

Sorry, I didn't really answer your last question very well, but the trail conditions change with the heavy rainfall. Email that guy from the time named "Someone". He should be able to give you an idea of current trail conditions since he lives down there.

 

I just called the forest ranger. Monday Creek is over its banks and it sounds like it's a mess down there, they got 7" of rain from the storm. I'm passing on going this weekend and wait till next weekend. The trails are probably really soft. I'm sure that won't stop some people, but there has been alot of flooding in the area. Can anyone give us a firsthand account of the conditions down there. Either way I'm waiting a week. I've been there so many times that I can't get real excited about the place anyways.

Have fun and be safe.

Mark.

 

sounds like maybe I should run the outlaws, arghhhhh... what about the dorr run and corridor trails, are they going to be mushy too ? THis is getting down to the wire, I'm leaving in a few hours!

 

Most likely, the creek will be down by tommorow and you will should be able to get over it. It goes up very fast, but comes down quickly also. There will be parts of the main corridor and dorr run that will be fairly muddy, mostly the low lying areas. The ridge tops will be dried out by tomorrow and back to being hard packed. With Wayne in general, the high ground tends to dry out fast and the low ground tends stay wet for quite a while. There is no right or wrong answer on which tires to bring. You are going to be on hardpack and it some muddy terrain.

 

is the muddy terrain severe like rack deep mud, or is it some muddy ruts and puddles that can be mostly avoided?

 

I'm thinking maybe better safe than sorry, I could live without some of the atr's high speed handling for not getting stuck in the mud..

Is it anything like hatfield mccoy? If so then I'm running atr's because what they called 'mud' was nothing more than a few puddles...

Sorry if this seems like I"m beating a dead horse, but don't have a great picture yet of what the conditions are like...

 

Most of the mud on the main trails consist of a few ruts and some mud holes that can be avoided. There is very few mud holes that can't be avoided. However, there is some deep holes that can be found if you really try to get in them.

Wayne is quite a bit different than HM in that it is mostly red and brown clay instead of the gravel type soil at HM. It holds the water quite well and can be quite slippery. With the rain that they have had, I would probably opt for the outlaws and deal with the rougher ride.

There is some pics of Wayne in my photos pic. In this album here, he can see the Monday creek bridge that you need to cross. There is a couple of albums in there for Wayne.

Wayne Pics