Iron Ridge - Lake Vesuvius

Wayne National Forest closes Lake Vesuvius; surrounding recreation area remains open** PEDRO, Ohio (Sept. 18, 2025)** The Wayne National Forest has closed Lake Vesuvius in Lawrence County, Ohio, for public safety in order to repair the lake dams gate.The closure area covers Lake Vesuviuss normal maximum pool level only. The recreation area surrounding the lake remains open, including trails, campgrounds, and most other facilities. The Boat Launch is closed and will be dredged this fall and winter to clear sediment accumulated during heavy spring rain runoff.Visitors should observe the closure and be aware of personnel working in the area, said Forest Supervisor Lee Stewart. We appreciate your cooperation during these essential maintenance procedures, and we will do our best to minimize recreation impacts and maintain other operations normally.Dam conditions remain stable and safe, and there is no cause for concern as long as visitors observe the closure. The lakebed may be wet and hazardous as it emerges and dries, and the public should not attempt to walk on it to avoid getting stuck in thick mud. The full closure order and map are posted on the Forests Alerts webpage at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/wayne/alerts.Forest employees opened the dams gate valve on August 13 to perform standard annual maintenance. However, the dam gate is unable to close due to malfunction or debris obstruction, and personnel must access the gate shaft to determine repairs. The lake will be drawn down 31 feet below normal pool levels in order to assess and fix the pool gate; increased water flow downstream of the dam is expected during this time.While water levels are low, staff will also take the opportunity to conduct a full infrastructure assessment at Lake Vesuvius. In addition to dredging the Boat Launch, they will evaluate the Boardwalk, remove hazard trees, and repair portions of the NF 1955 road that was damaged by ice storms in 2021.