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Two vehicles camped on a rocky point above a big lake, seen from the air, the first fall color in the trees.

The Overland Directory

Adventure lodging in Ohio

Lodges, cabins, motels and ranches near the dirt, for the night you want a shower, a bed and someone else's cooking.

Adventure lodging in Ohio

2 listings

  1. 1st Choice Cabin Rentals Nelsonville, OH Cabin and vacation home rental company in the Hocking Hills and Wayne National Forest area, with properties near the Monday Creek trail heads and ATV and UTV rentals.
  2. Turkey Ridge Lodges Rockbridge, OH Cabin, lodge and tree top rentals in the Hocking Hills area with about 300 acres of private trails that staying guests can ride in their own UTVs and ATVs, and on site parking.

Ohio by the numbers

Acres of federal land 1
305,753
1.2 percent of Ohio. The BLM manages none of it
Acres of national forest, all of it the Wayne 1
244,357
Ohio has one national forest. It describes itself as a patchwork of over a quarter million acres in three units
Federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 2
6
Three at Lake Vesuvius in the Wayne, three at Corps of Engineers lakes. Four can be booked ahead
Acres in Cuyahoga Valley National Park 31
33,000
No entry gates and no fee. No camping is permitted anywhere in the park
State forests, covering more than 200,000 acres 17
24
The Division of Forestry runs four all-purpose vehicle areas on them
Miles of off-highway vehicle trail on the Wayne 8
145
The forest calls it the largest OHV trail system in Ohio. Its passes page says nearly 150 miles
Width limit on a state forest APV trail 19
62 in
The Wayne holds its trails to 50 inches. Neither figure describes a full-size truck
Campbell Hill, the highest point in Ohio 3
1,550 ft
Logan County. Our own 3DEP query at the summit reads 1,548 feet. The low point is about 455 feet on the Ohio River

A room near the forest

The southeast hill country puts a bed within half an hour of almost everything worth driving. Athens, Nelsonville and Logan cover the Athens Unit, Monday Creek and Hocking Hills. Marietta covers the Covered Bridge Scenic Byway. Ironton and Portsmouth cover Lake Vesuvius, Hanging Rock, Pine Creek and Shawnee State Forest.

Two places force the issue. Cuyahoga Valley National Park has no camping at all, so a night near Peninsula between Cleveland and Akron is a room rather than a site. And when the APV areas close from the second Monday in December to the first Friday in April, the lodging season in those towns shifts with them.

The full guide to overlanding Ohio

When a roof is the right call

Nobody plans a trip around motels, and almost every long trip uses a few. After a week of wind, when the weather turns, while the truck is in a shop, or when the people you travel with have simply earned a hot shower.

What makes lodging work for overlanders

It comes down to parking and attitude.

  1. 01Room to park tall and long vehicles, and trailers without unhitching
  2. 02Parking you can see from the room, or that is lit
  3. 03Late arrivals and early breakfasts
  4. 04A hose, a laundry, and no fuss about dust
  5. 05Staff who know the local roads and what is open

Before you book

Call rather than click when you have a big vehicle.

  1. 01Ask about parking for your height and length.
  2. 02Ask about the access road in wet weather.
  3. 03Ask about pets, and about leaving gear on the vehicle.

Questions people ask

Will my rig fit?

Ask before you book. Roof tents, campers and high-roof vans do not fit many parking garages, and trailers need pull-through space. Small-town motels and lodges are usually easier than city hotels.

Is it safe to leave gear on the vehicle?

Use judgment, park where you can see the vehicle or under lights, and bring in what you cannot replace. Ask the front desk where they would park it.

How high is Ohio?

From Portsmouth at 534 feet to Campbell Hill at 1,550. Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.

Towns

  1. Bellefontaine Logan County, at 1,245 feet the highest of the towns in this guide. Campbell Hill, the state high point at 1,550 feet, is just east of town. 1,245 ft
  2. Woodsfield Monroe County seat and the north end of the Covered Bridge Scenic Byway on SR 26. 1,204 ft
  3. Loudonville In the Mohican valley. Mohican-Memorial State Forest, the one state forest besides Maumee where snowmobiles may use designated trails, is a few miles south at Perrysville. 974 ft
  4. New Lexington Perry County seat, the nearest town of any size to the Perry State Forest APV area, which the Division of Forestry calls the most popular public riding area in Ohio. 956 ft
  5. New Straitsville In Perry County on SR 595. The New Straitsville OHV trailhead is two miles south, one of two on Monday Creek with loading ramps. 793 ft
  6. McArthur Vinton County seat on US 50. Gateway to Zaleski State Forest, the second largest, and its backpack camps. 763 ft
  7. Peninsula In the Cuyahoga Valley between Cleveland and Akron, inside the national park’s 33,000 acres and on the Ohio and Erie Canalway Byway. No camping anywhere in the park. 754 ft
  8. Logan On US 33 at the gateway to Hocking Hills. Hocking State Forest and the Hocking Hills Scenic Byway both leave town on state routes. 740 ft
  9. Athens Where US 33 meets US 50 on the edge of the Athens Unit. The Forest Service names it as one of three cities that make a good place to start or end a visit, for lodging and dining. 719 ft
  10. Jackson Jackson County seat, one of the four counties in the Ironton Ranger District, between the Pine Creek OHV system and Richland Furnace State Forest. 688 ft
  11. Swanton Northwest Ohio, southwest of Toledo. Maumee State Forest and its APV area, the only one of the four that stays open through winter. 684 ft
  12. Nelsonville On US 33 about 70 miles southeast of Columbus. Wayne National Forest headquarters, welcome center and the Athens Ranger Station. Monday Creek OHV trails start just north. 679 ft
  13. Chillicothe On US 23 and US 50. The Division of Forestry’s Chillicothe district office, and the way in to Scioto Trail and Tar Hollow state forests. 634 ft
  14. Marietta At the mouth of the Muskingum on the Ohio River. South end of the Covered Bridge Scenic Byway and home of the Wayne’s Marietta field office. 612 ft
  15. Ironton On US 52 at the Ohio River, at the edge of the Ironton Ranger District. Lake Vesuvius and its three campgrounds are 6.5 miles north on SR 93. 551 ft
  16. Portsmouth Where US 23 meets US 52. Shawnee State Forest, the largest in the state, starts just west on US 52. 534 ft

Passes, high roads and summits

  1. Campbell Hill The highest point in Ohio, in Logan County. Our own 3DEP reading at the USGS point is 1,548 feet 1,550 ft
  2. Mount Logan Ross County, above the Scioto valley at Chillicothe. Measured for this chart; no agency publishes a figure for it 1,246 ft

Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates), retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.

Sources for this page

35
  1. Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2, data as of September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  2. Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export. Our count of federal campgrounds in Ohio a vehicle can reach. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  3. U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition, Highest and Lowest Elevations table. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  4. U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System and 3D Elevation Program point query. Elevation of the 3DEP surface at the GNIS coordinates of the named place, rounded to the nearest foot. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  5. USDA Forest Service, Wayne National Forest. Wayne National Forest home page. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  6. USDA Forest Service, Wayne National Forest. About the Area: what to expect when visiting, and climate. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  7. USDA Forest Service, Wayne National Forest. Recreation, including the 2026 Seasonal Recreation Dates. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  8. USDA Forest Service, Wayne National Forest. Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV), including the 2026 trail systems and rules. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  9. USDA Forest Service, Wayne National Forest. Passes and Permits: off-highway vehicle trail passes. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  10. USDA Forest Service, Wayne National Forest. Motor Vehicle Use Maps, Athens, Ironton and Marietta units, 2026. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  11. USDA Forest Service, Wayne National Forest. Forest-Wide Restriction: Occupancy and Use, Order 09-14-24-03, signed May 2, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  12. USDA Forest Service, Wayne National Forest. Monday Creek OHV System. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  13. USDA Forest Service, Wayne National Forest. Hanging Rock Recreation Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  14. USDA Forest Service, Wayne National Forest. Pine Creek OHV System, with the Telegraph Trail closure order. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  15. USDA Forest Service, Wayne National Forest. Covered Bridge Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  16. USDA Forest Service, Wayne National Forest. Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  17. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry. Ohio State Forests Guide, brochure updated October 8, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  18. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Division of Forestry: state forest camping reservations, seasonal bridle trail closure and APV trail notices. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  19. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry. APV Trails in State Forests, quoting OAC 1501:3-4-15 and ORC 4519.09 and 4519.11. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  20. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Perry State Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  21. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Pike State Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  22. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Richland Furnace State Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  23. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Maumee State Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  24. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. State Park Rules: Activities Not Allowed at Ohio State Parks, and Camping Rules for Ohio State Parks (OAC 1501:46-3 and 1501:46-9). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  25. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry. Open Burning Regulations, citing Ohio Revised Code 1503.18. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  26. Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. New Vehicle Registration: All-Purpose Vehicles (APV), Off-Highway Motorcycles, and Snowmobiles, citing ORC 4503.37. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  27. Ohio Department of Transportation. Snow and Ice: winter maintenance responsibility. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  28. Ohio Department of Transportation. Ohio Byways: Ohio River Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  29. Ohio Department of Transportation. Ohio Byways: Hocking Hills Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  30. Ohio Department of Transportation. Ohio Byways: Ohio and Erie Canalway Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  31. National Park Service, Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  32. National Park Service, Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Camping. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  33. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  34. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Corps Lakes Gateway: Ohio. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  35. Office of the Federal Register. 36 CFR 327.7, Camping (Corps of Engineers water resources development projects). Retrieved September 19, 2026.

Reviewed September 19, 2026. Conditions, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you travel.

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