10 Best Hikes in Ohio
Are you a hiker new to Ohio? Don’t worry, the state has lots of great hiking experiences for you! Check it:
1.Cleveland Browns Loss Hike of Shame and Audio Tour
Sure, it’s humiliating to hike home from another Browns loss. But the Browns Loss Hike of Shame will help you lose weight while listening to audio histories of some of the biggest Browns losses in history.
2.Akron Oatmeal Factory Climb and Hike
Did you know oatmeal was invented in Akron? Justin P. Oaatty absent-mindedly loaded his shotgun with oatmeal instead of buckshot one morning in 1799. He tried to bring down a large deer wandering through a local hotel. The blast woke everyone in the place and they demanded answers. Seeing oatmeal all over the floor and to keep the peace, Oaatty scooped it all up, cleaned it and served the first oatmeal breakfast in history. Today you can hike through the oatmeal factory he built next to the hotel.
3.Kettering Tower Hike and Stair Climb
Kettering Tower is one of the tallest buildings in, we don’t know how many miles. I mean, Dayton isn’t known to have lots of tall buildings, so they point to the Kettering Tower, and say, “Gosh, I don’t know tall it is, but just look at that thing. It’s big!” The good news is you can hike all the way to the top, walk to the edge and yell, “Booya! I can see Cincinnati from here! Go Reds!”
4.South Columbus “Old Methane” Golf Course Stroll
One of the great “links courses” in the midwest, Old Methane was built on a former garbage dump. The problem was all that garbage produced methane which might ignite the first time an old golfer throws his cigar butt in the reeds off the 4th hole. So the course was closed. Today you can hike along the edges of the course, admiring the natural beauty and rolling hills and say, “I remember when dad used to create methane at home every time we had bratwurst and eggs.”
5.Toledo Lake Front Pontoon Shoes Hike and Dunk
OK, this one is a little different. You wear big pontoon shoes and move slowly along the still waters of the Toledo lakefront. Yes, it is hard to keep your balance but that is half the fun. Seeing cousin Catie fall head first into the water with her pontoon shoes sticking up in the air is a sight you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
6.North East Ohio Snowshoe Romp
Cleveland is situated in a funny spot where winter snows barely dust the west side but the east side “snow belt” can get 49 inches of snow in one hour on a Saturday afternoon in January. The benefit to you? Great snowshoeing! If you are tired of the same old hikes, grab some snowshoes and head to the east shore of Cleveland in the winter. As homeowners shovel their walks with custom snowblowers, huge mounds of snow take shape in the area. Score! Grab the kids and everyone get to snowshoeing!
7.Marietta Ohio River Jump, Skip and Swim
Located along the Ohio River in the eastern side of the state, Marietta is a picturesque but sleepy burg offering lots of yarn shops and butterfly glass stores. That’s why everyone looks forward to the annual Marietta Ohio River Jump, Skip and Swim. It’s not just a normal hike. You’ll jump for 5 miles, skip for 10 miles and swim across the river to Kentucky with your shoes on as the final leg.
8.Columbus 10-Sort-of-Tall Building Hiking Tour
Tall building hikes are all the rage from New York to San Francisco. Columbus has around 100 buildings over 30 stories but under 35 stories. So none of them are super tall. That makes it the perfect town to host the 10-Sort-of-Tall-Building Hiking Tour. You’ll hike not one, not two, but a total of 10 almost-tall buildings around the city, picking up a cool medal in each one. Each medal adds one pound to your overall weight, helping build cardio endurance and making great Instagram shots.
9.Youngstown Rock and Roll Ramble
People often forget the rich rock and roll history in the Youngstown area. Rock music wouldn’t be what it is today without the contribution of bands like the Youngstown Youths-Did-You-Say-Yutes and Kyle Kruiser and the Killer Kyles. Now you can hike through up to 25 places of local color and history that shaped the music of a generation.
10.Cincinnati “Look Over Yonder” Bike and Hike
One of Cincinnati’s biggest events, this bike and hike allows locals and visitors alike to bike and hike along the river’s edge. Every mile or so, someone is the group points out something crazy on the Kentucky side and says. “Look over yonder! It’s a man making moonshine out of Tesla car parts!” or “Look over yonder! That lady is making fine country music from old Burma Shave bottles!” You just never know what you are going to see.
