Cathy Hester Seckman - Ohio Day Trips by Theme

Dedication

For Andrea and Larry Adkins, wishing them great day trips.

Acknowledgments

For help with photos and information, thanks go to Beth Santore, Warren Hyer, Robin Webster, Brent Haynes, Carolyn and Frank Sipkovsky, Lana Grim, and LCDR Jon Benvenuto, USCG.

Cover and book design by Jonathan Norberg

Front cover photo: Hocking Hills State Park by Shutterstock

Back cover photo: Marblehead Lighthouse by Shutterstock

All photos by Shutterstock except: 30 from Central Ohio Symphony; 36 from Holtz Museum; 127 from Ken LaRock; 4, 7, 78, 176 from Cathy Hester Seckman; 139 from Steubenville Visitor Center

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Ohio Day Trips by Theme

Copyright 2018 by Cathy Hester Seckman

Published by Adventure Publications

An imprint of AdventureKEEN

(800) 678-7006

www.adventurepublications.net

All rights reserved

Printed in the U.S.A.

ISBN 978-1-59193-779-1 (pbk.); ISBN 978-1-59193-780-7 (ebook)

Table of Contents

Motorcycles Passing Pond

Ohioans believe they are at the heart of it all, and thats especially true when it comes to outdoor adventure. From the twisting motorcycle roads of southern Ohio and paddling the Muskingum River Water Trail to the Ohio to Erie bicycle trail, daytrippers have no lack of choices for adventure. Hiking at more than 70 state parks and sailing Lake Erie are also popular options. Whether you prefer the adrenaline rush of a zipline canopy tour in a state forest or a sedate wagon ride through The Wilds animal conservation center, Ohio has something for everyone.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

With a good pair of walking shoes, hikers can circumnavigate the state.

Bring your horse and your camper along to this park, where four bridle trails range from 2 to 28 miles in length.

Put your bicycle, hiking gear, and picnic lunch on the excursion train for a day of camaraderie, fresh air, and exercise.

Love watersports? You cant go wrong on this massive lake with 52 miles of shoreline.

Jaw-dropping scenery, quiet canoe and kayak trails, great fishing, rustic and luxury accommodationsyou couldnt ask for more in a state park.

On two wheels or three, motorcyclists can tour Triple Nickel (Route 555), the Zaleski Zipper, the Dragons Tail, and the Black Diamond Run.

On this paddling trip, you have to be willing to portage occasionally and deal with the hand-operated locks, but that just adds to the adventure.

These eight lakes offer unlimited fishing and boating opportunities.

All it takes is a free permit from a power company to enjoy the campgrounds and lakes on this reclaimed strip mine.

If youre feeling ambitious, you can bicycle all the way from Cincinnati to Cleveland.

Its a rite of passage in northern Ohio to take the kids to the Linesville Spillway to feed the carp.

This seems like one of the more extreme outdoor adventures you could take, but riders as young as six have successfully navigated the sloped track.

Visitors can hunt, fish, camp, hike, bike, or ride an off-highway vehicle or a horse through these sprawling wildlands.

You might not think of Ohio as a place to get up close and personal with a giraffe, but youd be wrong.

Whizzing through treetops at 50 mph gets any outdoor adventurers heart racing.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park train

1, 6 various locations in Ohio

Buckeye Trail

Statewide

www.buckeyetrail.org

Hikers get a little of everything on the Buckeye Trail, and exercise is only part of the appeal. By following the trails blue blazes, you can access remote areas of wilderness to view little-seen cliffs and waterfalls. At frequent intersections with history, hikers learn about Indian mounds, centuries-old forts, and restored canal locks. Though much of the trail is through woodland and along Forest Service trails, parts of it follow country roads and even sidewalks within city limits. The 26 trail sections are divided into roughly 50-mile segments and circumnavigate the state, from Cincinnati to Cleveland and back again.

Caesar Creek State Park

8570 East State Route 73, Waynesville, OH 45068-9719; 513-897-3055

parks.ohiodnr.gov/caesarcreek

It was bad news for Caesar, a slave along the Ohio River, when he was captured in a raid by Shawnee Indians, but good news soon followed. The Indians adopted him and gave him a creek valley, soon known as Caesar Creek, as a hunting ground. The state park was founded in 1978, when Caesar Creek was dammed, creating Caesar Creek Lake, to control flooding on the Little Miami River. The 2,830-acre lake now boasts four public-access launch ramps, a modern marina with 124 docks, and full facilities for comfortable overnight stays. Archery, biking, camping, dog training, hiking, and swimming are popular activities at the park. A horse-friendly campground allows equestrians to take advantage of four bridle trails, ranging from 2 to 28 miles in length.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

15610 Vaughn Road, Brecksville, OH 44141; 330-657-2752

www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm

Ohios only national park stretches from Cleveland to Akron along the winding and scenic Cuyahoga River. Hiking and biking the Towpath Trail, where horses and mules once pulled barges, is a family-friendly activity, since an excursion train, the , runs along the same route. Its easy to hop on and off the train at different points along the trail, even if your family totes strollers, bicycles, tricycles, walkers, or wheelchairs. Sights to see include a reclaimed section of the Ohio and Erie Canal, CCC structures, a restored home, and wildlife that includes beavers, bald eagles, red and gray foxes, and herons.

Grand Lake St. Marys State Park

834 Edgewater Drive, St. Marys, OH 45885; 419-394-3611

parks.ohiodnr.gov/grandlakestmarys

Oil well derricks on a manmade Ohio lake? Believe it or not, Grand Lake St. Marys is famous for them. The first offshore oil drilling in the world took place here. For some 22 years at the turn of the twentieth century, dozens of oil well derricks dotted the lake. Since 1939, though, recreation has been the state parks primary mission on the 13,500-acre lake. The family-friendly park offers cabins and a campground, unlimited horsepower boating, all-access fishing, duck hunting, a nature center, two dog parks, trails, picnicking, and play areas that boast horseshoe pits, basketball and volleyball courts, mini golf, and playground equipment.

Mohican State Park

3116 State Route 3, Loudonville, OH 44842; 419-994-4290

parks.ohiodnr.gov/mohican

The Clear Fork of the Mohican River flows through this popular park and is a great spot for river sports. On any summer weekend, convoys of floating, roped-together tubes are a common sight. Theres one for Mom, one for Dad, more for each kid, another for the dog, and, of course, one for the picnic cooler. Colorful kayaks swish through gentle rapids while novices in rental canoes learn the basics on the user-friendly river. Hiking, bicycling, and bridle trails crisscross the park. A particularly challenging mountain biking and hiking trail loops 24.5 miles around a gorge. The trail is regularly labeled one of the best and must-ride spots and is a stop on the National Ultra Endurance Series.