Ohio’s Best-Kept Secret

When you read the headlines about overcrowded national parks and maxed out trailheads, it’s easy to think the outdoors is overrun with selfie-chasing hordes. But there’s plenty left to discover if you know where to look. Proof: Athens County, Ohio. 

Tucked into the hills about 75 miles southeast of Columbus, this corner of Appalachia delivers something you won’t find elsewhere: real surprise. The glaciers that pancaked much of the rest of the Upper Midwest spared this area, leaving a primeval landscape of steep ridgelines, hardwood forests, sandstone outcrops, and snaking river gorges. Forgotten gravel roads crisscross it all, and unlike many marquee outdoor destinations, it’s empty: Just over 63,000 people live here year-round. Five times more than that visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park every week.

Once there, you’ll discover an immense variety of choose-your-own-adventure options packed into a relatively compact area. (Athens County is about the size of Los Angeles—traffic not included.) On a single long weekend, you can mountain bike world-class singletrack, paddle a mirror-smooth lake, run or ride a rail trail, disappear onto remote gravel roads, and hike through dense forests.

The centerpiece is the Baileys Trail System, a network of trails carved through the Appalachian foothills and abandoned coal country of Wayne National Forest. With roughly 88 miles of singletrack now open, the system has become one of the most ambitious outdoor recreation projects in the Midwest, welcoming everyone from beginner riders to expert mountain bikers, trail runners, hikers, and adaptive athletes. Beginners and families up for a mellow day can opt for Coal Train or Bullfrog Loop; shredders can test themselves on the technical jumps and downhills of Bear-Corn or pack a lunch and get lost in the deep backcountry of Bloodroot.

Just outside the college town of Athens, Strouds Run State Park’s rugged trails wrap around Dow Lake, offering instant access to hiking, mountain biking, paddling, swimming, and camping. More than 26 miles of interconnected singletrack link the park with Athens’ trail network: Start your ride with a coffee in town at Donkey Coffee, continue the day by bolting through the mature oaks, beeches, and maples deep in the woods, and finish with a brew and a bite at Jackie O’s, Little Fish, or Devil’s Kettle. The next day starts and ends the same way, but swap pedals for paddles and rent a kayak, canoe, or even a pontoon from The Boathouse on Dow Lake.

For those who prefer pavement, the 22-mile Hockhocking Adena Bikeway follows a former railroad corridor through river valleys and forests, connecting Athens with smaller, quaint nearby towns while providing a butter-smooth route for road cyclists, runners, and walkers. Beyond the pavement lies another local wonder: Hundreds of miles of low-traffic gravel roads that twist through sleepy hollows, bucolic farms, forests, and airy ridgelines, offering endless options for heavenly gravel biking loops. Consult with the experts at Ohio Gravel Grinders to craft your ideal day, weekend, or weeklong itinerary.

Solitude-chasing hikers will want to seek out the county’s many preserves. Volunteer-driven Athens Conservancy manages a network of protected acreage that showcases the region’s biodiversity and surprising nature. Places like Bluebell Preserve, Blair Preserve, and Tucker Run Preserve offer carpets of wildflowers in spring, mature forests with blazing autumn foliage, and abundant birding opportunities (listen for the drumming of rare ruffed grouse at Blair). Canaan and Poston preserves feature striking rock formations and cliff faces, while Deep Hollow-Dark Skies features clear streams and a hilltop clearing perfect for stargazing. (Note to cyclists: The best way to see Bluebell Preserve is from the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway that runs along its border.)

Athens County also serves as an ideal basecamp. Within an hour’s drive, you can reach Hocking Hills State Park, famous for its caves, waterfalls, and dramatic sandstone formations, or Lake Hope State Park, where more volunteer-maintained trails weave through some of Ohio’s most scenic forests. Don’t miss Ash Cave in Hocking Hills: At 700 feet wide, it’s Ohio’s largest recessed cave; a silvery waterfall pours 90 feet off its lip into a sandy-bottomed pool perfect for summertime wading.

Best of all: No matter where you go in Athens County, you’ll feel like you discovered something special. Which is true.

Visit Athens County, based in Athens, Ohio, promotes the region as a destination for tourists, strengthens the brand locally and nationally, and creates economic development across markets.