Best For:
Fungi Lovers, Nature journal readers looking for humor with their literature, Hikers planning to check out Wayne National Forest, and Others interested in nature photography.
The Essence:
Read Time: ⏱️5-7 minutes| Mood: ✨ Reflective & Playful| Weight: 🫶🏻 lighthearted & Deep|
It’s wild to think about how the land takes a beating from the weather, reshapes itself, heals, grows, and carries on.
Trail Notes:
- Our Trek: Wildcat Hollow via the 5 mile Short Loop in Wayne National Forest | on June 24th 2026 |
- Trailhead Arrival & Distance: 10:07 AM 64°F | 5.34 miles since we turned around | 2 hour & 53 Minutes |
- The Roads & Trails
- Mud, Mushrooms, & the Path
- Deeper into the Forest
- Things to see
- The Stump of a Lifetime & Sunbeams
- Full Circle & Reflection
5 Mile Short Loop – Wildcat Hollow
Wayne National Forest, Ohio
The Roads & Trails Leading to & Through Wildcat Hollow:
The gravel road just before we pulled into Wildcat Hollow was a bit sketchy at the tail end of the drive. The loose stones that covered the roadway made my tires slide around just enough to keep me alert. Down near the parking lot, heavy mud caked the area across the road right up to where we turned to park for the trailhead.
The roadways here looked as if the are had suffered recent flooding. Yet, stepping onto the path at 10:07 AM with Luna on leash, the very first creek bed we hit was dry as a bone.
Compared to the last time out here, the trail looks strikingly more wild and much more overgrown. It’s was hard to tell at first if this is was the same stretch where I thought I accidentally started the larger loop, or if the overgrowth was just tricking my memory.
Though, I know for sure I parked at the same spot and I am almost certain that there is only one trailhead here. Now, that I have had a moment to look around the parking area more.
Lush green moss lined the trail, and the mud was thick, squelchy, and shoe-sucking. Luna was absolutely losing her mind. This old girl was ready to sprint, but I kept stopping to dictate notes into my phone and take photos. At one point, she spun around in a circle so fast and hard that I managed to kick myself in my own shin, leaving a wet, muddy partial boot print on my leg as proof.
At roughly 0.11 miles in, right as I thought I spotted where I missed the turn on my last trip, I realized I’d left my inhaler back in the car. Knowing I’d likely need it, we turned right around, trekked back, and grabbed my inhaler. I also chugged the rest of a Red Bull before re-entering the trail at 10:27 AM.
Mud, Mushrooms, & Clearing the Path:
Back through the sticky, shoe-grabbing mud we went. Luna continued her mission to test my posture, she pulled me through slick spot after slick spot.
Noticeable storm damage was everywhere. Where there used to be only one large downed tree across the path, several new trees had follow suit.
Across a campground entrance, near the spot where I remember seeing those butterflies last time I was here laid even more downed trees. Upon seeing another few dry stream beds (although by this point some were carrying water) I had started to wonder if the storm had rerouted the water.
It’s wild to think about how the land takes a beating from the weather, reshapes itself, heals, grows, and carries on. I feel this should be used as a good reminder for the rest of us, as we go through things and heal.
Just ahead, I pulled Luna off the trail when I spotted a hiker holding what looked like a leash. Turns out he was using a trekking pole to clear out low-hanging spiderwebs. He and his partner mentioned they had cleared the spiderwebs out for the next couple of miles to the right.
Taking their advice, we took the right fork. Which happened to be the exact turn I missed last time.
Right before the split, the forest opened up into a neat little camping nook framed with blooming yellow flowers and a cluster of bright orange mushrooms tucked against the wood.
Deeper in the Forest:
(10:55 AM – Distance 1.8 miles)
We continued to follow the white diamond blazes painted on the trees, the trail stayed mostly shaded, with beams of sunlight filtering down through the canopy.
Along the way downed trees and heavy brush crossed the path repeatedly, though the passage was still walkable or at least manageable in most places.
Around mile 1.8 (10:55 AM), Luna finally decided to take a breather and sat right down on the dirt path. Yes, after dragging me uphill like a sled dog. We took a quick break for a trail smoke and some water.
The forest floor here was alive with micro-details:
- Fairy Holes & Red Berries: A massive “fairy hole” carved out of a hollowed tree trunk, alongside clusters of red sharp-looking berries on green large leaves. I’d never noticed before in Ohio.
- Arching Logs & Fungi: A cozy campsite with a natural arching log made into a bench, accompanied by tiny brown cap-mushrooms and a purple mushroom sitting right in the middle of the trail.
- Funnel Webs: Huge, ground-dwelling spiderwebs stretched across the low foliage… equally terrifying and fascinating to look at close up.
The Stump of a Lifetime & Sunbeams:
As the morning warmed up and turned into afternoon sunlight began breaking through the high branches of the trees in golden beams. The sunbeams worked at illuminating the damp woods.
As I approached a steep hillside, I paused at a mossy stump bathed in sunlight. What looked simple from a distance turned out to be an entire miniature ecosystem:
- Bright orange and tiny red cap mushrooms clustered around the base.
- Fresh, overlapping shelf mushrooms further up the trunk.
- A tiny natural arch formed by an oak vine looping over the trail like a portal.
A few steps later, I stumbled upon what was easily one of the most unique downed log I’ve ever seen. It was covered in lush, velvety moss, dappled in orange, white, and red mushrooms hanging juicily off the edges, with pale shelf fungi and delicate spiderwebs underneath.
Further up the ridge, the mushrooms appeared in endless variety… squishy white shelf mushrooms others that looked almost like coral, tiny bright orange trumpet fungi, and rusty orange caps hiding under broad green leaves.
Trail Etiquette, Hydration, & Ghost Pipe:
By midday, the heat picked up. We stopped at an established campsite that was covered in pine needles, so I could take off my shirt, pour cold water over my head, and fill Luna’s bowl. I always pack about eight Path reusable water bottles plus two Hydro Flasks so we never run dry on hot ridge walks.
While we rested, Luna spent a few minutes joyfully digging through the carpet of soft pine needles, a thing I’ve only seen her do a few times now.
Continuing along the ridge before dropping back into the gorge, we hit a few key highlights:
- Forest Portals: We passed under several natural tree arches bent over the trail.
- Trail Lessons on Leave No Trace: Passing through deep mud pits served as a stark reminder of why hikers shouldn’t widen trails by walking around muddy edges. Remember that doing so tramples native foliage and erodes the soil. Wearing sturdy waterproof boots or trail shoes allows you to walk straight through the center and preserve the trail footprint.
- Ghost Pipe (Monotropa uniflora): Near a large rock formation, I spotted several stalks of white Ghost Pipe sticking out of the leaf litter. Lacking chlorophyll, this parasitic plant doesn’t rely on photosynthesis, drawing its nutrients through mycorrhizal fungi connected to tree roots instead.
- The sign I didn’t quite make it to last trip marking the split to finish the 5 mile short loop or continue on for the longer 17 mile loop.
Full Circle & Reflection:
Near the end of the short loop, we passed the massive rock face and “Rock House” shelter. This was the exact landmark where I had turned around on my previous trip out here. Seeing it from the opposite direction made everything click: I hadn’t taken a different trail back then, I had just hiked it in reverse and spent too much time lollygagging off-path!
After tackling the final set of switchbacks down into the gorge and completing the loop, the visuals spoke for themselves. From high ridgelines to muddy stream bottoms, Wildcat Hollow put on one hell of a show.
Read More:
My first trip – Wildcat Hollow.
All Trails Wildcat Hollow short loop.
Leave a Reply