Historic National Road - Ohio
A Listing of Covered Bridges in Ohio w/Maps
A SPRING FLING IN THE HILLS! by William Murphy
Central Ohio motorcyclists might not think of themselves as living in the center of a great motorcycling region, but the fact is – they do. Ride off in any direction you wish, just get off the superslabs to explore the back roads and you’ll find it all waiting for you in Ohio’s beautiful countryside.
This ride takes us southeast into the hills – the Hocking Hills, that is. There are reasons for doing this tour in the spring. In summer this area gets a ton of traffic – much of it in the form of road-clogging RVs. In spring crowds are much smaller and nature is at its grandest. Rivers are high resulting in waterfalls full of majesty. Flowering plants and bushes are in bloom giving us a forest filled with marvelous sights and smells. Best of all the traffic is light – you’ll likely see more two-wheelers than cars.
Start this fun 145-mile ride in Pickerington with a stop at the American Motorcyclist Association headquarters and museum to experience motorcycling at its finest. If you’re not a member, by all means sign up.
From Pickerington we’re going to ride east on SR256 to the historic settlement of Somerset. Park your bike in this very cool town to soak in some history. The imposing statue of General Sheridan in the center of the main intersection and the 1829 courthouse on the traffic circle are but two interesting sites in this unique village.
From Somerset ride south with SR668 serving as your host all the way to Logan. The first leg of SR668 is straight but very fun because of its roller coaster effect. The hills will have you smiling each time you crest the top and gravity quickly pulls you downward again. South of Junction City is a very fun meandering stretch of pavement that’ll have you and your bike fast dancing on the blacktop; grinning ear to ear.
Follow SR93 to Logan, skirting town on US33 west to SR374, and continue the ride south as it twists and turns through one of the most beautiful regions of Ohio. Along the way you will find cliffs, caves, forest covered hills, and waterfalls. This trip requires frequent stops to soak in the beauty. A biker truly has the best of both worlds here – great roads and nature’s splendor.
Route 374 will “T” at SR56 where a right turn is in order. Ride along on 56 through forest and farm lands, watching the change in both geology and land cover as you motor northwest. At the SR 159 intersection head east four miles to the Tarlton Cross Indian Mounds. Go north on Redding Street in Tarlton one mile to the park. It’s a very pretty site and you’ll enjoy the walk across the white water river, watching it cascade beside bedrock cliffs as you climb the wooded trail to the mounds. Very impressive! Finish the tour by taking route 159 into Lancaster, north on SR158 to Baltimore, then west to Columbus.
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Start At Finish At Highways Notes Nelsonville McArthur OH Rt. 278 south to US 50 then west to McArthur McArthur Rockbridge North on OH Rt. 93 to OH Rt. 56 then north to OH Rt. 374 then west to OH Rt. 374. Go north on Rt. 374 to Rockbridge. Marietta 5 miles below Woodfield OH Rt. 26 Ride the route both ways for MAX enjoyment. Zanesville Little Hocking (on the Ohio River) OH Rt. 555 Watch for gravel in places. A real workout on the arms. NOTE: generally, any 3-digit state route in SE Ohio is a good road. Junction Rt. 256 and Rt. 664 Junction of Rt. 664 and Hwy 56 OH Rt. 664 The start point is about 30 mi. east of Columbus and about 7 mi. south of I70. A really "great loop" is Rt. 664 to US 50 to Rt. 555 out of Athens. Gallipolis Proctorville OH Rt. 7 Take OH Rt. 7 south out of Gallipolis, then pick up OH Rt. 218 (heading southwest) to OH Rt. 790 (heading west) to OH Rt. 775 (heading south) to Proctorville. NOTE: Rt. 790 was repaved in 1997. Both 775 and 790 are usually very clean with little 4-wheel traffic. While on Rt. 775 you can hop on County Road 2 between sections of 775--this is a nice clean road with few places to pass (legally) Rio Grande Cheshire OH Rt. 554 + Rt. 7, + Rt. 588 Route located in the SE corner of the state. Rt. 554 is approximately 1 mile north of Rio Grande, Nice loop by following Rt. 554 east to Cheshire, then Rt. 7 south to Rt. 588 and Rt. 588 west back to Rio Grande. This road is very clean and free of traffic. Carrollton Marietta See the Notes Approx. 120 miles. Head south on Rt.9 from Carrollton Then hit Rt 646 west to New Rumley (birthplace of George Custer) Stay on Rt 646 into Scio Then take Rt. 151 towards Jewitt (left turn) Then jump back on Rt 9 south to Cadiz This will intersect with Rt 149 outside of New Athens. Take Rt 149 south to Warnock Jump back onto Rt 9 south. Take Rt. 148 west to Rt 26 south. Stay on Rt 26 to Marietta. To return, try getting on I-77 north out of Marietta Get off on exit #6 Rt 145. Take a right on 145 Then take Rt 800 north At New Philadelphia, take Rt 39 east to Carrollton This is a good ride that will kill about 5-6 hours of time. But it will not disappoint any bike enthusiast. Marietta Jct OH Rt. 7 and OH Rt. 536 OH Rt. 7 Along the Ohio river one hour northeast up Route 7 from Marietta across the river from New Martinsville, WV. Continue on Ohio SR-536. The yellow and white ODOT sign at the entrance of the road reads, "CAUTION! Steep grades, sharp curves" Careful picking your line. Crack sealer on hot summer days can make things interesting! Most of the time you can pick a line to avoid most of the stuff. This road does not get a lot of traffic. A few dogs may attempt to block your path. Some gravel in a few turns. Driveways and farmyards. Not a friendly road for a "get-off". Fences, light poles, barns, and ditches line the route. Still, lots of fun! Road is only 15 to 20 miles, if that. If you ride it up from the Ohio River, the road intersects with Ohio SR-78. Zanesville Dresden Highway To Hell, Ohio State Route "666" Start at junction SR 60 North & SR 666 North. Go north on SR 666. MILEAGE - app. 20 miles. Two lane road, medium to light traffic in fair condition with some patch work. Some twisties and hills. Runs along Muskingum River. Nice scenery. The SR 666 highway signs make for good photo opportunity if your in to that kind of thing. Lancaster Clear Creek Rd. From Lancaster OH. take SR.33 southeast about 11 miles. Turn at the Shell station. Clear Creek Rd. is a really nice road. Runs along Clear Creek and has plenty of twisties and beautiful scenery. Hanging rocks and large boulders on both sides of road along the way. Road has light traffic and can be taken at slow to medium speed. Follow to dead end T-corner. A right turn will take you to the Johnson covered bridge, a good place to take a break, has small parking lot and picnic table. A left turn will take you down good road with some nice twisties and hills. Check out Aunt Carries carry out along the way. A good place to get party supplies. Follow to dead end T-corner (SR.374). Turn right on SR.374 and follow the signs will take you to Old Man's Cave state park. Another good place for food and drink and is a biker hang out is Jim-Bo's bar & grill. Located in South Bloomingville OH. about five miles from Old Man's Cave state park. Lisbon OH (about 30 miles south of Youngstown) follow SR 164 southwest. Zoar OH SR164 southwest until it ends at SR212. Make a right and go west on SR212. Mileage: approximately 40 miles Conditions: This is a very technical road that has lots of elevations changes and various types of turns, tight ones, sweepers and even a few decreasing radius. It follows along the top of ridges at various points, so be alert for blind corners over the rise. Road conditions are good, traffic is light. You pass through several small towns, a few have gas and other services. Stop in the historic village of Zoar at the Zoar tavern (on your left after crossing the dam) for lunch, dinner, or a snack. You can continue west a few miles on SR212 to get to I-77 (plenty of gas and other food there). This route can also be run in the other direction, a good round trip ride for people in the Youngstown area.
Zanesville Rt. 555 and Rt. 78 take Rt. 555 south to jct. 555 & Rt.78 then, turn right (southwest) on Rt.78. go 1.1 mi. to Morgan co. mile-marker 8. Stop and check out the overlook, you can see for many miles, absolutely beautiful scenery. Hillsboro Rt. 73 & Rt. 32 Rt. 73 south out of Hillsboro Ohio, about 50 miles east of Cincinnati. This road takes you by Serpent Mound and runs through some beautiful countryside. Everything from hills to ridges to decent corners. This is a fairly lightly traveled road and can be ridden at a good pace. After you come to Rt. 32 go west to return to Cincinnati or east for even more twisties near Athens. Total distance from Cincinnati is about 120 or 130 miles. Beallsville Lower Salem Rt. 145 Approximately 40. miles State Route 145 This is a real winner for the EXPERIENCED rider. Lots of hump/turns to low side in if you enter too fast. Very technical, but worth the hard work. Ends a stones throw from SR 26, SR 260, and Marietta OH. Jct of Rt. 537 and Rt. 26, South of Graysville Rt. 260 in Marr Rt. 537 About 5 miles--This is just a little connector road up over a mountain between SR 26 and SR 260. The pavement is so-so, but the turns are good, and the view is nice. Of course it is close to a lot of great motorcycling roads. Rt. 260, South of Marr Rt. 145 Rt. 565 Around 7 mile--Another short connecting road. This one really surprised me. Superb pavement, and terrific twisties. Traffic was non-existent. I wish it was about 200 miles longer. This is one you should hit if you ever ride in this area. Rt. 145 Caldwell Rt. 564 This one is 13.5 miles of nice turns and good surface. A little traffic, but a decent ride. Malta Rt. 555, 6 miles south of Zanesville Rt. 669 13.5 miles--I was a little bored for the first few miles, while this road followed the Muskingum River. Then it made a sharp left up into the hills, and the fun began. Decent pavement and plenty of twisties will keep you interested on the way to SR 555. Very little traffic once you leave the river bank. Rt. 555, just South of Chesterhill Marietta Rt. 676 The 27 miles I traveled on 676 seemed to take hours. A real workout, even at a relaxed pace. The surface was great, and traffic was light. More fun than 555 if you're going into Marietta from the West. Columbus (NE side) Zanesville OH 161, OH 79, OH 541, OH 60 Take OH 161 east to Newark, just east of Newark take OH 79 North to OH541 and proceed east to OH 60 then south to Zanesville. OH 79 is very fast with excellent road surface conditions.
The Hocking Hills Area
The Hocking hills area is the best motorcycle riding area south of Columbus. There are a number of nice routes to take. 374 and 664 south of Logan, 691 and 356 around Athens and 56 all the way from Orland near the intersection with 93, all the way to Athens. 56 is probably the best area for a spirited pace ride because of the speed limit and the quality of the road. The Zaleski area, around the intersection of route 56 and 278 is also a great low traffic, scenic twisty place to ride.
Route 26 North out of Marietta
Marietta is a town with a lot of character. It’s nestled in the rolling hills of southern Ohio along the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers, where evidence of once bustling factories still stand, even though their prosperity has long since died. Today, Marietta has built its economy and popularity on its enchanting downtown area, with quaint shops, excellent hotels and restaurants, and its nostalgic hometown character. In addition, you’ll find some of the best roads in the state!
You can take Route 26 either north or south. If you want to start from Marietta, you can catch it at the intersection of Route 7 and head north. Route 26 is a very winding road right from the beginning! The road even has 10-degree or so angle banks that make the twisties even more interesting. You do find quite a few blind spots, so your good judgment is important in order to stay safe and healthy.
