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Ohio Motorcycle Roads and Trips

The Buckeye State offers a top quality collection of popular motorcycle roads and destinations among Midwestern states. Southeastern Ohio (OH) in particular is a motorcycle riding paradise filled with quaint country towns, hills, & twisty roads, many offering river hugging journeys. The northeastern portion of the state offers access to the 11th largest fresh water lake in the world - Lake Erie - with its 262 miles of Ohio shoreline. The rest of the Ohio offers motorcycle rides meandering through classic portraits of Midwest Americana.

Note: the motorcycle rides below have been divided into two general regions:
          - North Ohio (anything north of I-70)
          - South Ohio (anything south of I-70)

Northern Ohio Motorcycle Rides

Ohio Route 603 (Nov 08)

… 603 just gets more scenic as you head south ... By the time you reach a town called Mifflin it is nothing but hills and scenic views ... near Mohican State park there are quite a few different routes great for riding

Scenery:
4 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
4 stars

The Holmes County-Amish Country Tour (Jun 08)

… takes you through some rolling hills, with several overlooking vistas, and through the heart of Amish country

Scenery:
5 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
5 stars

The Short But Sweat Ohio 213 (Sep 07)

… a few farms, hills and valleys as the ride parallels the Ohio River … routes' strong point is definitely it's motorcycle road quality … pretty dramatic elevation changes

Scenery:
3 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
1 star

East Ohio Border Tour (Jun 07)

… the best section of this road starts going out of Calcutta, Ohio … gives a 'tail of the dragon' feel … this is a road that is popular with cruisers and touring bikes and it is a ride not to be missed in the fall!!

Scenery:
5 stars
Road Quality:
5 stars
Amenities:
3 stars

Northeastern Ohio's Curve Heaven - Rt. 164 (Jun 07)

… some of the twistiest roads in northeast Ohio all the while traveling through the sandstone hills of Jefferson County which is part of the Appalachian Highlands of northeastern Ohio … an excellent run to make in the fall when the leaves change color … an EXTREMELY technical road that would be a sport biker's 'wet dream'

Scenery:
4 stars
Road Quality:
5 stars
Amenities:
2 stars

Winding Down from Canton to the Ohio River (Apr 07)

… rolling Ohio countryside with streams that follow the roads and lakes in the distance … old houses in many of the towns … great roads with lots of curves and hills - not a route for a novice … some small "mom and pop" type restaurants

Scenery:
5 stars
Road Quality:
5 stars
Amenities:
3 stars

Back roads ride to Geneva on the Lake (Feb 07)

… county with the most covered bridges in Ohio … a camera is a necessity! Mike Tyson's old training camp is located on this ride … pretty straight riding … lots of small towns and watering holes …. plenty of things to do with the Geneva night life

Scenery:
5 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
4 stars

New Concord to Millersburg via SR 83 (Oct 06)

… through the valleys and ridge tops of reclaimed strip mining country and the views are great from ridge to ridge ... roads are smooth and in great shape but narrow with oncoming traffic

Scenery:
4 stars
Road Quality:
3 stars
Amenities:
2 stars

OH 235 - McComb to Dayton (Sep 6)

… sunsets during harvest catch the dust in the air and make for some blazing orange evenings … mostly under-used pavement and recently re-paved sections keep things smooth … Indian Lake State park is along the way

Scenery:
4 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
2 stars

State Route 164 (May 06)

Many miles of tree covered canopy ... often meanders alongside a stream … follow the side road back to Leesville Lake as there is a Marina there with a patio overlooking the quietest and scenic Leesville Lake .

Scenery:
5 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
2 stars

Amish Country (Nov 05)

… many Amish farms and their horses and cattle … really hilly and curvy … shopping at Amish store … great restaurants that serve delicious Amish food family style

Scenery:
4 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
4 stars

Columbus to Massillion on US Route 62 (Aug 04)

… nice day tour of rural central Ohio … lush woodlands and water bodies … Loudonville for camping, canoeing

Scenery:
4 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
4 stars

Ohio's State Route 9; Salem to Armstrong Mills (May 04)

… low land dairy and beef farms to rough hilly valleys of southeast Ohio … mainly sweepers … larger towns with interesting shops at Salem, Carrollton, Cadiz, and St. Clairsville

Scenery:
5 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
3 stars

Southern Ohio Motorcycle Rides

Old US 21 (Oct 08)

(starts south of Columbus but ends up north of Columbus) excellent twisty alternative to riding I-77 north from Marietta ... see cliffs, creeks etc ... Hog Heaven is on your right across from Sheetz. Lots of motorcycles on the weekends! & terrific food

Scenery:
3 stars
Road Quality:
5 stars
Amenities:
3 stars

Ohio 556; 536's Forgotten Twin (Aug 08)

… another excellent S.E.O. roller coaster! It baffles me how this road gets so little mention on forums considering its close proximity to 536

Scenery:
3 stars
Road Quality:
5 stars
Amenities:
3 stars

Little Switzerland - RT 147 (Jul 08)

… covers all the best topography of Southern Ohio in just 60 miles. It starts slowly from the mighty Ohio River, winding through small villages

Scenery:
5 stars
Road Quality:
5 stars
Amenities:
3 stars

The SR 503 Roller Coaster (Feb 08)

… a nice collection of country roads that run parallel to the west side of I-75 … passes through southwestern Ohio farmland … the great part is this route is it is like a roller coaster ride … up and down over lots of hills with some curves thrown in

Scenery:
3 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
3 stars

Cambridge to the Ohio River (Sep 07)

… winds beautifully through farming valleys and forests … road is mostly shaded through the entire trip! … recently paved

Scenery:
5 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
2 stars

The Ohio Cousin of the 'Tail of the Dragon' -
Ohio's Route 536 (Jul 07)

… hidden in the southeast corner of Ohio … a fantastic ride through the deep woods … practically no flat spots on this one … there are turns as tight as 15 mph; I took them at 30, and i was very close to scraping pegs … give any rider a serious workout and has to be treated with a lot of respect

Scenery:
5 stars
Road Quality:
5 stars
Amenities:
1 star

Thompson Ridge Rd. ("the little Blue Ridge") (Feb 07)

… blue Ridge type views … follows the creek bottom … runs right through the Hocking hills area … all twisty curvy roads. For the most part 2 lane paved roads, watch for gravel on the right hand turns … many local craft shops and flea market where 664 ends at Rt 33

Scenery:
5 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
2 stars

Rt 9 - Cadiz to Armstrongs Mills (Jan 07)

… hill-top prairies, small streams, remnants of the mining industry and lots of wildlife along the way … nice elevation changes, lazy sweepers, killer switch-backs that will test your skills

Scenery:
4 stars
Road Quality:
5 stars
Amenities:
2 stars

State RT. 247 (Nov 06)

… rolling countryside … farms, streams, woods, and hillbilly's like me … little traffic on this average to good road … several small towns with gas and food along the way

Scenery:
4 stars
Road Quality:
3 stars
Amenities:
3 stars

"The Triple Nickle" - Route 555 (Aug 06)

… beautiful isolated farms with rolling hills …. lots of very challenging twisties ... an amusement park for sport and sport touring bikes … NOT a novice road

Scenery:
4 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
2 stars

Greenfield To Aberdeen (on SR 41) (Jul 06)

… some really nice hills … newly paved from Greenfield to Bainbridge … Amish shops from south of Bainbridge to West Union … check out JR's Amish Store & with awesome deli sandwiches and there is an Amish bakery across the street

Scenery:
4 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
4 stars

Ohio's Dragon Tail (Jul 05)

… southern Ohio at it's finest … recently repaved in Morgan county … GREAT collection of twisties with elevation changes … Wayne National Forest on this ride

Scenery:
5 stars
Road Quality:
5 stars
Amenities:
2 stars

Scenic Route 664, from Route 256 to Route 56 (May 05)

… ride the crest of some of southeast Ohio's nicest hills ... Hocking State Park offers lodges, camping, hiking, picnicking, fishing, swimming and other "great outdoors" type activities

Scenery:
5 stars
Road Quality:
4 stars
Amenities:
2 stars

Wayne National Forest Run (Jul 04)

… great southern Ohio ride with scenery that ranges from dairy farms, rolling hills, river crossings, and dense forests ... a Fall run would be incredible!!! Midway point is Marietta - incredibly scenic town along the Ohio River (perfect lunch stop)

Scenery:
5 stars
Road Quality:
5 stars
Amenities:
4 stars

Little Muskingum River Covered Bridge Tour (Aug 99)

… an official National Forest Scenic Byways … a great hilly section of southeastern Ohio near the West Virginia border … about four covered bridges for you to see along the way … trip begins in the historic town of Marietta Ohio with multiple museums and a gallery

Scenery:
4 stars
Road Quality:
5 stars
Amenities:
3 stars

Key

Read this to understand our rating system.

All our motorcycle roads and trips are rated on three key categories:

  1. Scenery
  2. Road Quality
  3. Roadside Amenities
Read the description below for each of the categories to understand what qualities give a road a strong or weak rating in each of the categories.
Category
A 5 star rating indicates ...
 
A 1 star rating indicates ...

The scenery factor of each route is rated

Far above average scenery for that state. (Ex. mountain views, lakes, rivers, hills, or forests.)   Below average scenery for that state. (Ex. an area that simply is lacking in overall natural beauty.)

The road quality factor of each route is rated

Outstanding driving conditions.  Plenty of twists, turns & hills; well maintained roads with smooth pavement.   Straight roads over flat land or rough road conditions with
some potholes or driving
hazards such as gravel

A rating of what there is to do off the bike

Plenty of things to do when it's time to pull over.  (Ex. museums, restaurants, pull-outs, historical sites, entertainment etc.)    Little to nothing to do when it's time to pull over.  (Ex. lack of museums, restaurants, pull-outs, historical sites, entertainment etc.)