Shade River State Forest hunting, rules and county limits

Getting to know the Shade River State Forest ground

At 2,859 acres, Shade River State Forest is a state forest in Meigs County; the ODNR Division of Forestry looks after it. The Division of Wildlife handles it from its Athens office (District 4, Southeast Ohio). Other uses listed: fishing and hiking. The hunting layer shows the parcels as owned outright by the state. The administrative code lists it under 1501:31-15-04(A)(3), written "Shade river".

From the ODNR property page:

“Nestled in the rolling hills of southeastern Ohio, the 2,859-acre Shade River State Forest encompasses mostly wooded country.”

Pick your number: 2,859 acres at the low end, 3,043 at the high end, by source.

From the ODNR property page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.

Shade River State Forest maps, address and officers

For permits and questions try the Wildlife District Four office, 740-589-9930. The Meigs County wildlife officer is Chris Gilkey, (614) 563-4492. Anonymous tip line: 1-800-POACHER. Printed on the map: and fishermen may be present during other hours. Printed on the map: roads or trails will be obstructed.

• Area map PDF · legend: parking, camping, pond, lake
• Shade River State Forest Map [Archived PDF]
• Map pin

Address and phone from the agency page and the ODNR Property Details layer; district offices from the ODNR Districts layer; officers from the officer list; point from ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 1 parcel (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.

Last checks before loading up for Shade River State Forest

Gravel lanes and parking lots can flood or close in wet weather; check access to Shade River State Forest before the drive.

Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4 · source 5; seasons from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.