Zig Zag Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Fall Colors · Spring · Wildlife

This trail is contained within the 277 acre McDonough Wildlife Refuge near Vienna, West Virginia. The Zig Zag Trail is technically a loop; though officially about 1.6 miles, if you take the main trail back the way you came it ends up being a little longer once you get back to your starting point.

Starting from Jackson Memorial Park Road, just west of the parking area, Zig Zag Trail heads south through the woods on mainly dirt singletrack with the occasional rock or root. The trail is only lightly blazed (fluorescent spray paint on exposed rocks and roots), it is nonetheless very easy to follow. The trail winds generally south through the woods, passing a maintenance road to the west after about 0.4 miles.

At 0.53 miles, the trail splits into the loop; turn right to follow as mapped here. Follow the loop around past an intersection with Piney Point Trail. Shortly after this intersection is the end of the loop. To head back the way you came, take a right back onto the main trail.

Signage at intersections with other trails is excellent and there are covered benches provided along the way if you want to rest or just kick back and enjoy nature for a bit.

This trail features a lot of ups and downs, and twists and turns, which evidently helped name this trail.

Deer are plentiful. Typical Ohio hardwoods intermixed with pines. Turkey, geese, foxes and coyotes are also a possibility.