My favorite Ohio hikes start the same way, with a “quick walk” plan and a backpack that somehow thinks it is moving in permanently.
These 14 trails are the kind of off-the-radar routes that make you whisper, “How is this not the headline act.” If you love quiet woods, big views, and a parking lot that is not auditioning for a traffic documentary, this list is your new game plan.
I have learned that Ohio keeps its best scenery tucked behind humble trailheads, where the only hype comes from leaves crunching under your boots. One minute you are threading through old forests and rocky corridors, the next you are staring at overlooks that deserve their own fan club…