Best Hiking in Ohio

This list represents the most popular hiking in Ohio (learn more about Top Trails). Use this list to plan your next Ohio hiking trip. Select a state and/or activity below to find even more top trails.

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Activity: State: Reset

#1. Grandma Gatewood Trail - Old Man's Cave to Ash Cave

Begin walking the 5.0 miles from Old Man’s Cave to Ash Cave and it won’t take long to see why this is one of the state’s most popular trails. Descend into Old Man’s Creek Gorge and walk by rock featur…

From the guidebook "Hiking Ohio"
Logan , OH - Hiking - 10 miles

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#2. Little Miami River Loop and Spur Trail

Located along the Little Miami Scenic River, Clifton Gorge is best known for its rushing waters through a striking narrow gorge. The gorge was cut by glacial meltwaters some 10,000 years ago, and its…

From the guidebook "Hiking Ohio"
Yellow Springs , OH - Hiking - 9 miles

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#3. Overlook and Dripping Rock Trails

Highbanks gets its name from the towering shale riverbanks that rise on either side of the Olentangy, a state scenic river. Your best bet to see the unusual bowling ball–like rock “concretions” that j…

From the guidebook "Hiking Ohio"
Columbus , OH - Hiking - 5.8 miles

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#4. 17 Mile Trail

The 17 Mile Trail is simply one of the best long hikes in the state. It takes you along inland sand dunes, characteristic of the oak openings region, home to beaches thousands of years ago when Lake E…

From the guidebook "Hiking Ohio"
Whitehouse , OH - Hiking - 17.6 miles

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#5. Buckeye Trail and Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Loop

A great loop along the Buckeye Trail from Red Lock to Boston Store and back on the historic Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath. This is your best bet for a longer, more secluded quality hike in the Cuyahoga…

From the guidebook "Hiking Ohio"
Peninsula , OH - Hiking - 8.7 miles

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#6. Rowe Woods Trails

Rowe Woods, operated by the Cincinnati Nature Center, is home to 14 miles of trails. Combine several trails to view many of the most distinguishing features of the preserve, including old-growth woods…

From the guidebook "Hiking Ohio"
Milford , OH - Hiking - 6.7 miles

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#7. Little Miami Scenic River Trail

The goes from Kroger Hill to Spring Valley, following the Little Miami River. If you like family rides, this multi-purpose trail is perfect for you. This 50-mile each way (100 miles total) out-and-bac…

From the guidebook "Mountain Bike! Midwest"
Morrow , OH - Mountain Biking - 100 miles

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#8. Trailing Along the Little Miami

Southwestern Ohio is blessed with a Little Miami River. This beautiful peaceful river has long been a canoeist's delight, and it has been designated a national scenic river as well as an Ohio state pa…

From the guidebook "Short Bike Rides in Ohio"
Loveland , OH - Road Biking - 26 miles

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#9. Hemlock Gorge to Lyons Falls Trail

Make a 9.3-mile lollipop to explore all the main attractions at Mohican State Park. Begin by walking the Hemlock Gorge Trail along the Clear Fork of the Mohican River, which runs through a glacial mel…

From the guidebook "Hiking Ohio"
Loudonville , OH - Hiking - 9.3 miles

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#10. Alum Creek State Park Mountain Bike Trail

Located twelve miles north of Columbus from the Interstate 270 beltway. There's a two-mile loop designed for beginning riders and a five-mile connecting loop for intermediate riders. You'll like tes…

From the guidebook "Mountain Bike! Midwest"
Columbus , OH - Mountain Biking - 9 miles

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#11. Covered Bridge Scenic Byway

A 44-mile highway that winds through scenic hills and past numerous covered bridges. Covered Bridge Scenic Byway winds through the hilly, picturesque region of southeastern Ohio. The narrow two-lane r…

From the guidebook "National Forest Scenic Byways East & South"
Woodsfield , OH - Scenic Drives - 44 miles

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#12. Hinckley Lake to Whipps Ledges Trail Loop

Hinckley Reservation is one of the best known in the Cleveland Metropark system. The reservation gets its fifteen minutes of fame every year with the return of the buzzards. For locals its 25 miles of…

From the guidebook "Hiking Ohio"
Brunswick , OH - Hiking - 6.7 miles

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#13. Logan Hollow Trail

The 12.1-mile north loop of the Logan Trail begins and ends at a fire tower that you can climb to get a view of the deciduous forest unfolding in all directions. But the beauty is in the details. Look…

From the guidebook "Hiking Ohio"
Adelphi , OH - Hiking - 12.1 miles

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#14. Earthworks Trail to Sun Serpent Effigy

Take a 3.4-mile out-and-back trail beginning at the earthworks constructed by the prehistoric Hopewell Indians. Follow the earthworks and then descend a forested slope down to the Little Miami Scenic…

From the guidebook "Hiking Ohio"
Lebanon , OH - Hiking - 3.4 miles

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#15. Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail

Located eight miles south of Cleveland. This 20-mile each way (40 miles total) out-and-back trail follows the remnants of the Ohio and Erie Canal, located in the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation A…

From the guidebook "Mountain Bike! Midwest"
Cleveland , OH - Mountain Biking - 40 miles

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#16. Nelson's Ledges State Park

Nelson’s Ledges offers what may be the wildest 2-mile walk in the eastern United States. Don’t let the short distance fool you; you could easily spend several hours here. Dramatic ledges and tight cre…

From the guidebook "60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Cleveland"
Hiram , OH - Hiking - 2 miles

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#17. Glen Helen Loop Trail

Glen Helen is Antioch College’s very own land laboratory. Like nearby Clifton Gorge, the Glen was created by glacial meltwaters 10,000 years ago. On a 4.4-mile loop that takes you downstream and then…

From the guidebook "Hiking Ohio"
Yellow Springs , OH - Hiking - 4.4 miles

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#18. Blue Hen Falls

“Now I’m a REAL hiker!” my five-year old said, soon after we started out on this trail. Great for young, surefooted trekkers, this trail offers beautiful scenery, climbing, creek jumping, and the oppo…

From the guidebook "60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Cleveland"
Cleveland , OH - Hiking - 1.2 miles

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#19. Day Hike Trail

Within the 60-mile backpack loop in Shawnee State Forest lies a 7.4-mile loop that’s a perfect day hike option. Here in the “Little Smokies” of Ohio, ascend steeply to ridgetops of oak-hickory forest…

From the guidebook "Hiking Ohio"
Portsmount , OH - Hiking - 7.2 miles

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#20. Covered Bridge Ramble

In the United States, Ohio is second only to Pennsylvania in the number of covered bridges still standing. More than 130 of these unique structures can be found spanning streams on narrow country road…

From the guidebook "Best Bike Rides in the Midwest"
Canal Winchester , OH - Road Biking - 33.7 miles

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