8 Great Road Trips to Take in Ohio
Most Ohio trips start on the interstate, but the true scenic routes start right as you leave it. Routes like US-6 along Lake Erie, OH-374 in Hocking Hills, and the Ohio River Scenic Byway along US-52 show just how different the state feels once the road begins to follow the terrain. From flat shoreline to wooded valleys, passing marinas, beaches, and dozens of unique small-town main streets, there is not a single road trip in Ohio that goes unnoticed. Whether searching for a short trip to one of the nation’s best amusement parks, driving by to see one of the nation’s national parks, or simply going to find all the beauty Ohio has to offer, these are eight great road trips across Ohio that locals absolutely love.
The Causeway
Starting from downtown Cleveland and heading toward Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, you can find one of the most scenic road trips in all of Ohio. Skip the highway and leave Cleveland heading west on Detroit Avenue to Lake Avenue, staying as close to Lake Erie as the shoreline allows. As it feeds into US-6, the road follows Lake Erie all the way from downtown Cleveland to Sandusky.
Lake Road threads through dozens of lakefront communities, like Rocky River, Bay Village, Avon Lake, and more, even driving right through the small downtowns of Vermilion, Lorain, and Huron. Once you pass Huron, the drive begins to feel less suburban and more open, showing off the beautiful marinas and small beaches as they replace the dense neighborhoods. You’re never far from the water as the road keeps a steady, ground-level perspective almost the whole way through.
As you approach Sandusky, US-6 feeds you directly to Cedar Point Road. From there, the final and most stunning part of the drive begins: the Cedar Point Causeway. Featuring Sandusky Bay on one side and Lake Erie on the other, there truly is no angle that isn’t beautiful. Timeless lakefront homes line Cedar Point Road, with some dating back to the early 1960s. The Causeway is used as a back entrance, often used by locals, and is unlike most theme park entrances, creating an unforgettable drive into one of the nation’s best theme parks.
Put-in-Bay
Hop aboard the Miller Ferry in Ohio from the Miller Boat Line Catawba Dock, which takes you right to the tip of Port Clinton, Ohio. Here you will catch a scenic ferry ride to the small island town of Put-in-Bay, also known as South Bass Island.
Touring the entire 3.7-mile-long, 1.5-mile-wide island creates an incredible mini road trip all its own. Head out from where the Miller Ferry drops you off on Langram Road and go northeast toward Bayview Avenue. The road hugs the shoreline, where you are surrounded by views of Lake Erie from every angle. You’ll pass Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial, which rises over 350 feet above the ground and offers stunning views from up top.
Bayview Avenue eventually bends into Columbus Avenue, where the road begins to narrow and feel more remote before ending at a lakeside turnaround where you’ll find open views across the water and mainland. Head back into town onto Delaware Street, passing DeRivera Park and the local restaurants before meeting Catawba Avenue, running right into The Boardwalk restaurant overlooking the Put-in-Bay Marina. Put-in-Bay Island is small, but from one end to the other, it makes for an incredible mini road trip around one of Lake Erie’s most beautiful islands as it showcases the elegant homes, breathtaking waterfront views, and one of Lake Erie's most exciting islands.
Hocking Hills Scenic Byway
The Hocking Hills Scenic Byway is considered one of the most scenic road trips in all of Ohio. The 26.4-mile trip begins right as you turn off US Route 33 onto State Route 374 in Rockbridge, Ohio. This route passes through the scenic Hocking Hills and the Hocking State Forest and is nationally recognized as a National Scenic Byway.
Following south down State Route 374, you will pass some of Ohio’s most incredible natural landmarks. Worth stopping is Old Man’s Cave, a hiking area featuring trails, picnic tables, and a visitor center, while other short side roads branch off toward Cedar Falls and Ash Cave. Continuing south, the road becomes quieter with large trees towering overhead that block out the sky in sections. It feels far removed from typical Ohio farmland and in some spots feels like a drive through the Appalachian foothills.
Ohio River Scenic Byway
The Ohio River Scenic Byway is a 943-mile national scenic route traversing Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois along the Ohio River, featuring historic towns and incredible river views. The Ohio portion spans 452 miles across 14 counties, running from East Liverpool to the Indiana border.
Leaving Cincinnati and heading east, pick up US-52 East where the road immediately begins following the Ohio River. The nearby suburbs quickly fade as the highway bends with the shoreline, with the hills of Kentucky rising just across the water. You pass through classic river towns like New Richmond, Ripley, and Portsmouth, where small downtowns and marinas sit only a few feet from the road. As one of the longest continuous waterfront drives in Ohio, the water stays beside you for hours as it follows the state’s entire southern border. That's until just before reaching the border between Ohio and Pennsylvania in East Liverpool.
Cuyahoga Valley Drive
Cuyahoga Valley Drive often refers to the scenic route along Riverview Road. This route is about 20 miles long and runs right through the heart of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, between Cleveland and Akron.
As you enter Cuyahoga Valley National Park near Brecksville, take Riverview Road south, where almost immediately the road drops into a narrow valley, running alongside the Cuyahoga River and the historic Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. This route is perfect for a summer scenic drive or an incredible place to see Ohio’s fall foliage, with its curvy roads and tall trees. Passing Boston Mills Ski Resort before reaching the village of Peninsula, the mix of a railroad, canal, river, and roadway all sharing the same corridor creates a surprisingly remote road trip that locals absolutely love.
Amish Country Backroads Loop
The Amish Country Byway in Holmes County offers a 190-mile scenic route through the heart of one of the largest Amish settlements in the United States. This backroads loop is ideal for a 2-3-day road trip, with plenty of stops along the way, from cheese shops and furniture stores to sightings of horse-drawn buggies.
Entering the byway, which follows paths similar to the earliest Amish settlers in 1808, the route consists of multiple state and federal highways throughout Holmes County and west on State Route 62 through Knox County to Utica, Ohio. Along SR-62, you will find Amish-owned farms with roadside stands, bakeries, antique stores, and cheese factories. The road rolls constantly over long hills, opening expansive views of barns, silos, and patchwork farmland in almost every direction. Unlike Ohio’s coastal or forest drives, this road trip showcases the state's countryside scenery.
Headlands Beach State Park
Heading northeast from downtown Cleveland toward Headlands Beach State Park showcases a unique side of the eastern Cleveland suburbs. The trip begins with city views and industrial streets but quickly transitions into incredible lakeside scenery in just about 40 minutes.
Leaving downtown Cleveland, merge onto SR-2 East toward Euclid and Erie, Pennsylvania. Continue past suburbs like Euclid and Willoughby before exiting at SR-44 North toward Grand River. From here, the drive becomes quieter as the road widens and trees and wildlife appear. Continuing north toward Lake Erie brings you straight to the entrance of Headlands Beach State Park.
Tall trees line the road as sand and shoreline begin to appear. With beaches and the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse nearby, walking trails through the scenery create a relaxing ending to a road trip from the city into Ohio’s natural lakeshore.
Lake Erie Coastal Loop
For a longer northern Ohio road trip, follow the Lake Erie shoreline nearly the entire way from Cleveland to Toledo using US-6 and local lakefront roads. A similar drive heading towards Cedar Point from Cleveland, this route picks up Lake Road, US-6 west, and stays right on the Lake Erie shoreline.
Continuing west, the route passes through Huron and into Sandusky as you hop on State Route 2 just before crossing over the Thomas A. Edison Memorial Bridge connecting the towns of Bay View and Port Clinton right over the Sandusky Bay. As you approach Toledo, the drive offers endless sights of wildlife areas. Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, and Magee Marsh Wildlife Area are popular birdwatching destinations in the Midwest and are just off SR-2.
This full coastal drive takes most of the day but provides one of the most complete experiences of Lake Erie, combining beaches, harbors, wildlife refuges, and historic lake towns all in a single trip from Cleveland to Toledo.
Ohioans Most Favorite Roadtrips
From northern Ohio, riding along the shores of Lake Erie or venturing down south to the Ohio River, Ohio offers an abundance of coastal road trips. While the Hocking Hills Scenic Byway and Cuyahoga Valley Drive offer an incredibly different road-trip experience, with curving roads and wooded valleys, and dozens of stops to check out nearby waterfalls and caves. Whether searching for a long drive along the river or lake, or a small road trip around Put-in-Bay Island, there's a road trip in Ohio that's sure to amaze.
