13 Ways to Explore Ohio's Appalachian Region

Outdoors & Nature 

Ohio Department of Natural Resources director Mary Mertz describes the state’s Appalachian region as a crescent of outdoor adventure, offering a chance to slow down and appreciate nature. She sees new overnight stay experiences at The Wilds and Jesse Owens State Park as a way for visitors to more fully immerse themselves in the region. 

“We want people to live it and experience it,” she says. “Relaxing, taking it in and appreciating it are things that you might not be able to do with a quick visit.”

For example, the 10 new Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired cabins at Jesse Owens State Park offer 900 square feet of space with amenities such as a full kitchen, gas fireplace, outdoor fire ring, cozy bedding and plenty of natural aura. It’s no coincidence that ODNR drew inspiration from Wright’s Prairie Style, which blends architecture with the surrounding landscape. 

Nearby, ODNR also collaborated with The Wilds safari park, providing funding for its 75-acre Hellbender RV Campground. It has 47 full-service recreational vehicle sites, 26 primitive camping spots, trails, a camp store and more. 

Sharing a border with The Wilds is the Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area, which surrounds Jesse Owens State Park. The more than 54,000-acre wildlife area’s two-story visitor center, which opened in April 2026, features floor-to-ceiling windows, interactive displays and programing about the region’s history and wildlife. From the second-floor balcony, visitors can observe a herd of 11 bison that roam a pasture nearby, as well as the surrounding wilderness, which had formerly been mined.

“The visitor center is our opportunity to tell the story of reclaiming this former strip-mine land,” Mertz says.

 Farther south, Wayne National Forest also tells a story of reclaimed lands that were once used for mining and logging. The 244,000-acre forest features 470 miles of trails, including part of the Buckeye Trail, through second-growth forests. Along the Ohio River in Scioto County, Shawnee State Park is home to the Ohio River Campground with 80 full-service sites and a lodge with recently updated rooms and amenities. 

U.S. History 

The only Revolutionary War-era fort in what would become Ohio, Fort Laurens was built in 1778 as a staging point for an eventual attack on the British at Fort Detroit. Following a nearby ambush, the fort came under a monthlong siege from British and Native American forces during a harsh winter, resulting in an estimated 21 American casualties. 

Although the original fort is gone, the site where it stood in Bolivar is home to a small museum that tells the story of what happened here. Outside, a recently restored Tomb of the Unknown Patriot of the American Revolution serves as the final resting place of one of the fort’s soldiers who was unable to be identified. (A plan to reconstruct a portion of the fort is underway.)

“Fort Laurens is our state’s connection to the country’s independence,” says Tracy Britton, Fort Laurens site coordinator. “It’s hallowed ground because American soldiers fought and died here.”

To see another Revolutionary War-era site in Tuscarawas County, visit nearby Schoenbrunn Village in New Philadelphia. It features 16 reconstructed log-built structures and the original cemetery of the village that Moravian missionary David Zeisberger and his Delaware (or Lenape) followers established in 1772 before abandoning five years later.  

Along the Ohio River in Marietta sits the Campus Martius Museum, which tells the story of the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory. The museum sits on the site of the original stockade that The Ohio Company built between 1788 and 1791 to serve as a defensive fortification during the Ohio Indian Wars. Today, you can see artifacts such as a Conestoga wagon, items belonging to George Washington and France’s Marquis de Lafayette, as well as the two oldest extant buildings in Ohio: the Rufus Putnam House and The Ohio Company Land Office.

Visit Point Pleasant along the Ohio River in Ripley and see the one-story U.S. Grant Birthplace, where 18th U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant got his start. At the U.S. Grant Boyhood Home and Schoolhouse in nearby Georgetown, visitors can see an animatronic figure of Grant depicted at age 15 and a pair of binoculars he used during the Civil War. 

Food & Drink

Casa Nueva in Athens reflect the artsy quirk of the inclusive Appalachian college town it calls home. Using as many ingredients from local producers as possible, the employee-owned restaurant is as popular with locals as it is with Ohio University students. 

The menu showcases the region’s produce with past seasonal dishes including the Rampy Deluxe Breakfast (scrambled eggs served with onions, ramps, strawberry habanero salsa and home fries). Try the biscuits and gravy with house-made biscuits and soy sausage gravy. For lunch or dinner, get the enchilada verde made with corn tortillas, cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, onions, local green chilies and your choice of filling. 

“It’s topped off with our wildly popular — hands down — verde salsa that we haven’t changed the recipe of in years,” says Grace Corbin, a co-owner of Casa Nueva. 

For a classic burger, fries and milkshake combo, head to 360 Burger in Cambridge, near Salt Fork State Park. Serving burgers made with beef from Red Hill Farm, the spot’s smash burger-inspired 360 Burger is a year-round favorite. Stop in monthly for specials such as a burger topped with fried bologna, onion rings and smoky mustard barbecue sauce.  

For a taste of the region’s rural side, Wooly Pig Farm Brewery in Coshocton County offers German-inspired beers such as the clean, malty Rustic Helles or a local honey-brewed Honey Bock, in a pastoral setting. Order ahead, and you can take home farm-raised pork products such as bacon, chops or chorizo. 

50 West Brewing Co.’s Chillicothe location offers beer lovers 16 drafts on tap, including year-round favorites such as its American Lager, Coast to Coast IPA and Main Street Amber as well as seasonals. (The spot also offers vodka seltzers and hard lemonade). The full menu of themed burgers inspired by states that U.S. Route 50 passes through, fries, hot dogs and milkshakes keeps the vibe family friendly.   

When You Go

Nature & Outdoors

Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area
ohiodnr.gov

Hellbender RV Campground
thewilds.org

Jesse Owens State Park
ohiodnr.gov

Shawnee State Park
ohiodnr.gov

Wayne National Forest
fs.usda.gov

U.S. History

Campus Martius Museum
mariettamuseums.org

Fort Laurens Museum
fortlaurensmuseum.org

Schoenbrunn Village
ohiohistory.org

Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace, Boyhood Home & School
thelandofusgrant.org

Food & Drink

360 Burger
the360burger.com

Casa Nueva
casanueva.com

Wooly Pig Farm Brewery
woolypigfarmbrewery.com

50 West Brewing Co. 
fiftywestbrew.com

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