This Dreamy Road Trip Will Take You To The Best Fall Foliage In All Of Ohio
By April Dray|Published September 03, 2017
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April Dray
Author
April is the Ohio staff writer for Only in Your State. She is an Ohio native with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. With more than 10 years of writing experience and a background in news reporting for Ohio newspapers, she's published pieces in multiple print and online publications. When she's not on deadline or chasing after her toddler, she's hunting for hidden gems in Ohio or getting lost in a good book.
If you want to take some time to embrace the upcoming autumn season, consider road tripping through your home state during the peak fall foliage season. (To find out when and where Ohio’s fall foliage will be at its peak, check out our previous article here.) The fall foliage road trip we’ve designed for 2017 clocks in at about seven and a half hours, making it the perfect weekend trip to take this October.
Only In Your State
Grab the family (or a friend or two) and start at the destination nearest you. We’ve included a few recommendations of places to stay along the way in case you want to stop and spend an extra day at a destination or two. To view the Google Map of the trip in a separate tab or window, click here.
If you're in northeast Ohio around peak time, the best place to see the most fall foliage is within Cuyahoga National Park. Grab your camera and hit the trails. (And if you're lucky enough to get a ticket in time, we recommend taking the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad through the park. For boarding locations, scheduling and ticket information, click here.)
Embrace the fall season in this underrated, gorgeous state park, which is close to several Ohio Amish Country towns and only 10 miles from the beloved Malabar Farm. (And be sure to get a photo of the covered bridge against the colorful leaves!)
If you’ve ever heard of The Mohicans tree houses tucked away in Glenmont, Ohio, then you know how dreamy they truly are. Just eight miles south of Loudonville are The Mohicans, a family owned and operated business that features cabins, an event center and state of the art tree houses aimed to connect you with nature and bring you back to the basics of life. If you're able to reserve a night or two here over a long weekend, they make the dreamiest fall getaways.
Kick off your second (or third) day of the trip by driving through parts of Ohio Amish Country to get to one of the most charming, historic villages in Ohio. At Roscoe Village near Coshocton, you'll truly feel as if you've stepped back in time. It's a restored 1830s canal town full of fun places to explore. Take a living history tour, check out the shops and take a horse-drawn canal boat ride while you're here. It's simply magical in the fall.
Drive through the scenic Hocking Hills and stop at one of Ohio's most beloved state parks for a quick, one-mile hike to Old Man's Cave. (If you want to stay overnight in the area, we recommend one of the multiple cabin options or The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls.)
Head on over to the western half of Ohio and enjoy a delicious dinner and good night's rest at The Golden Lamb in Lebanon. Ohio’s oldest continuously operated hotel was established in 1803 and holds a unique dining experience, complete with antique furnishings, themed dining rooms and historic rooms upstairs where famous individuals such as Harriet Beecher Stowe and several U.S. Presidents have stayed.
On the final day of your trip, get out and enjoy the fall colors at Ceaser Creek State Park. If you want to enjoy a short hike to an interesting destination, we recommend hiking to Horseshoe Falls. You can find the trailhead at the Flat Fork Ridge Recreation Area on Clarksville Rd., just down the road from the Caesar Creek Visitor's Center. The 1.2-mile trek to Horseshoe Falls follows the park's 11.5-mile Perimeter Loop Trail. (Pictured is the view from Flat Fork.)
The vibrant leaves at this western Ohio state park near Dayton are particularly beautiful. For some bonus stops before you head home, stop at the quaint town of Yellow Springs on your way or head over to Clifton Mill for some more great fall foliage photo opportunities.
