Iron Furnace Trail Run 13.1 Mile Course

Race - Apr 3, 2021

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Historical Significance · Lake · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

13.1 Mile Terrain Overview
2219 feet of elevation gain
9.9 miles of Singeltrack Trail
2.2 miles of gravel road
1 mile of pavement

The 13.1 mile course is the more challenging of the two courses with frequent steep uphill and downhill sections. Most of the course is run on the rugged Backpack Trail of Zaleski State Forest. This course can be described as difficult and hilly but totally worth the challenge! Runners will be greeted with several spectacular vistas as well as one of the most gorgeous trail sections in SE Ohio featuring rock outcroppings and gorges that might just make you stop running to enjoy the sights. Make sure you save just enough energy for the last 1/2 mile uphill on the Greenbrier Trail before returning to the finish at the lodge. Shortly after entering onto the Backpack Trail and again just before exiting the Backpack Trail, make sure you look across Route 278 to see the Hope Furnace in which the race was named after!

-Start at Lake Hope Lodge Parking Lot (by the little pavilion).
-Head down the paved road for a half mile and turn left onto the Greenbrier Trail.
-Run Greenbrier Trail until the bottom of the hill and turn right to cross the wooden bridge (1 mile).
-A few seconds later cross St. Rt. 278 and enter the Zaleski Backpack Trail.
-Follow WHITE tree blazes for .6 of a mile (1.7 miles total), then turn a SHARP RIGHT to stay on the Backpack Trail.
-Now, follow ORANGE tree blazes and stay on the Backpack Trail for the next 6.6 miles (8.3 miles total).
—*At mile 3.0 and 7.8 you'll pass through backpacking campgrounds and they both have a water spigot that is clean to drink.
-When you get to a gravel road turn left and stay on the gravel road for 2.1 miles.
-At the end of the gravel road (before reaching pavement) turn right onto the trail, and begin the out and back section.
-The out and back section is .6 miles out and .6 miles back.
—You'll know where to turn around when you reach a 3-way intersection and see your first trail signs.
Once completing the out and back section, cross the gravel road and stay straight to enter the trail on the other side.
-Just after crossing the road you'll come to the same point as in step 5 from above, turn right, and this is the same last 1.7 miles as the first 1.7 miles.
-Follow the course back the same way, crossing Rt. 278, crossing the bridge (1 mile from here), left after the bridge to go up the hill, and finishing on the lodge road.