Ohio used to be known for its industrial heart, but these days it has come into its own as a great outdoor destination for adventurers of all types. The symbolic center of this transformation is the northern part of the state between Toledo and Youngstown (&"The Rust Belt"), where the once-polluted Cuyahoga River has been restored so successfully to its natural environment that the Cuyahoga Valley Recreation Area was upgraded to become Cuyahoga Valley National Park in 2000. This steep river valley between Akron and Cleveland has great trails for hiking or biking, including the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail which explores an old water route. And although developed attractions like Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky still draw families for fun day or weekend trips, nearby Lake Erie is just as likely to draw them for paddling or boating around Pelee Island. Canoers and kayakers can also paddle sections of the Ohio River, which forms most of the state’s southern and eastern border, or the Little Miami River south of Dayton and just outside Cincinnati. Hikers and bikers can also follow the river on the Little Miami River Scenic Trail, an abandoned rail-trail suitable for travel year-round. That’s no surprise, since Ohio is a road biking paradise, with countless miles of paved roads over easy rolling hills through the towns and farms. Mountain bikers can find plenty of trails as well, like at Alum Creek State Park right outside Columbus or in the Wayne National Forest in the state’s wild southeast corner.

Amazingly, it’s even possible to experience Ohio’s outdoors from a car, by visiting some of southeastern Ohio’s picturesque covered bridges along the Covered Bridge Scenic Byway, especially spectacular when the leaves change in the fall.