Zaleski State Forest roads, trails close for Southern Ohio Forest Rally

The Southern Ohio Forest Rally will shut down parts of Ohio’s state forest road system just as the biggest crowds and fastest stages move into southern Ohio, and Vinton County’s clearest hit will come Saturday, June 13, when Zaleski State Forest closes its affected roads and corresponding horse and bridle trails.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources said the annual rally will run Tuesday, June 9 through Saturday, June 13, with closures also set for Scioto Trail State Forest on June 9 and June 10 and Shawnee State Forest on June 12. For Vinton County residents, riders and trail users, the June 13 closure in Zaleski is the one to watch before the weekend, because it will temporarily interrupt access in the county’s most heavily used public forest land.

Zaleski State Forest covers 27,822 acres and is the second largest forest in Ohio’s state forest system. It also operates the only state-owned sawmill in Ohio, and Historic Moonville Tunnel sits within the forest on the Moonville Rail Trail right-of-way. Lake Hope State Park lies entirely within Zaleski State Forest, which makes the rally closure more than a motorsports note for people planning to hike, ride, fish or move through that area on Saturday.

The ODNR notice says the temporary road and trail closures will be accompanied by spectator maps showing the affected areas through the rally website. The Southern Ohio Forest Rally says spectator access is free and that a spectator guide is available. The American Rally Association lists the 2026 event as a National and East rally in Chillicothe, with 123 competition miles over an 80 percent gravel and 20 percent tarmac surface.

That mix of racing, spectators and forest access means the weekend will bring a burst of traffic into southern Ohio while limiting travel inside the forest itself. For anyone who normally uses Zaleski State Forest roads for recreation or access near Lake Hope and the Moonville area, Saturday’s closure is the date that matters most. The rally is now a recurring part of the region’s calendar, but for Vinton County it still means one day when a major public landscape will be partially closed to the people who rely on it.