Bicycling in the Hocking Hills
Hocking Hills Bicycling Trails
Neither the Hocking Hills State Park nor State Forest have biking trails; however, the Hocking Hills Bicycle Club has put together biking tours of the beautiful and hilly Hocking roads. These maps and descriptions are below.
The Hockhocking Adena Bikeway is a 17-mile stretch from the East State Street Recreation area in Athens to Hocking College in Nelsonville. Completely paved and handicapped accessible, it is located on the old Columbus and Hocking Valley Railroad bed. Visit the Bikeway’s website for more information.
Lake Hope's 23-mile singletrack bike trail was chosen as Ohio's top mountain bike trail by readers of "Mountain Bike Magazine". The wooded singletrack, which is open to mountain bikes, offers plenty of bike riding options.Lake Hope State Park Mountain Bike Trails are listed at the bottom of this page.
The Wayne National Forest Monday Creek area offers trails for mountain biking. Trail permits are required. Please check Wayne National Forest's web site for trail opening and permit information: http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/wayne
- Lake Logan Road
- Logan/Bremen/Rushville
- Maysville-Williams/Bremen
- Logan to Laurelville
- Big Pine Road
- Lake Logan Road/ Starr Route
- Nickel Plate/Goat Run
Lake Logan Road
Difficulty Rating: 1
Distance: Suit yourself.
Leave: Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center at State Route 664 and US 33. Lake Logan Road is across the highway from the Welcome center. What to Expect: This road is mostly on the north shore of Lake Logan, and passes the boat rentals, picnic areas, and the swimming beach.
Logan/Bremen/Rushville
Difficulty Rating: 8
Distance: 49 miles
Climbing: You will climb about 1300 feet on this ride. One of the hills on Bremen Road is not only fairly long, but it gets continually steeper as you climb.
Leave: Hocking County Fairgrounds. Go right from main gate to stop sign. Turn left. Turn right at first traffic light. Turn left on St. Rt. 312. Go straight through Bremen on St. Rt. 664 to Rushville. Turn left at traffic light. At edge of West Rushville, bear right on Coonpath Road. Turn left on Lake Road. In North Bremen, turn left on Bremen Rd. At stop sign, turn right on St. Rt. 664. Turn right on Rutter Hill Road where St. Rt. 312 makes a sharp 90 degree left turn. Rutter Hill Road turns into Bremen Road at the Hocking County line. At 93 turn right. At the first traffic light turn left. Turn right on Homer Street (first street).
What to Expect: St. Rt. 312 passes through some Amish farm land. As you approach Bremen, the land is somewhat more rolling than hilly. Coonpath and Lake Roads go through prosperous farm land. Rutter Hill/Bremen Road goes through one of the most pleasant valleys in Hocking County with very little motorized traffic. This is a very nice ride for those looking for more miles and a little less climbing.
Cautions: St. Rt. 93 and the mile of St. Rt. 664 from Bremen to St. Rt. 37 have fairly heavy motorized traffic.
Maysville-Williams/Bremen
Difficulty Rating: 8
Distance: 29 miles
Climbing: You will climb a total of over 900 feet on this ride. One of the hills on Bremen Road is not only fairly long, but it gets continually steeper as you climb.
Leave: Hocking County Fairgrounds. Go left from main gate to traffic light. Turn left. At about 2 miles turn left on Maysville-Williams Road. At St. Rt. 93, turn left. Turn right on St. Rt. 312. Turn left on Rutter Hill Road where St. Rt. 312 makes a sharp 90 degree right turn. Rutter Hill Road turns into Bremen Road at the Hocking County line. At 93 turn right. At the first traffic light turn left. Turn right on Home Street (first street).
Options: Continuing for a couple of miles on St. Rt. 312 past Rutter Hill Road will take you to the scenic town of Bremen. We’d strongly suggest that you double back to Rutter Hill Road. You’ll pass St. Rt. 664, which looks like a shortcut. Don’t take it unless you are really into major hill climbing.
What to Expect: Maysville-Williams Road has mostly gentle hills up out of a pleasant valley into more rural hills. St. Rt. 312 passes through some Amish farm land. Bremen Road goes through one of the most pleasant valleys in Hocking County with very little motorized traffic. Both of these roads offer great, long down-hills.
Cautions: Chieftain Drive and St. Rt. 93 have moderate motorized traffic.
Logan to Laurelville
Difficulty Rating: 8
Distance: 52 miles
Climbing: You will climb a total of 800 feet to Laurelville, another 400 feet on our suggested return route.
Leave: Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. Take Lake Logan Road to St. Rt. 180. Turn left onto St. Rt. 180, headed south. At the top of a very long, but gradual hill, take St. Rt. 678 through Gibisonville to St. Rt. 374. Turn right. Turn left on Thompson Ridge Road (at triangle intersection). From Laurelville, take St. Rt. 56 East to Big Pine Road (at Haynes). Take Big Pine Road to St. Rt. 664. Turn left. Where St. Rt. 664 makes a sharp 90 degree left turn, turn left onto Sauerkraut Road. At St. Rt. 93, turn left to Logan. Turn left on Main Street (the business section) or Hunter Street and ride west through Logan to St. Rt. 664. Turn left on St. Rt. 664 to return to the Welcome Center.
Options:
1. Just after you turn onto St. Rt. 180, turn left onto Pleasant Valley Road. Turn right on Star Route, right on Kreshbaum, then right on St. Rt. 180 to Gibisonville. This is a lovely ride, but adds a very major hill.
2. When you get on St. Rt. 664, you can follow it all the way back to the Welcome Center. This will shorten the ride a few miles, but adds a fairly major hill (at the end of the ride!) and has very heavy motorized traffic.
What to Expect: This is one of our club’s favorite longer rides. The vistas from Thompson Ridge Road are awesome and Big Pine Road winds through a very scenic valley that passes Conkle’s Hollow and the Hocking State Forest.
Cautions: Watch traffic on Lake Logan Road, St. Rt. 664, and St. Rt. 93. Be careful of turns on downhills.
Big Pine Road
Difficulty Rating: 1
Distance: Suit yourself
Leave: Conkle’s Hollow State Park (Intersection of St. Rt. 374 and Big Pine Road). You can ride as far as you’d like in either direction. To the left (North) is more shady and primitive. To the right (South) the valley opens up some into scenic farm vistas.
What to Expect: This road has very little motorized traffic. It winds through a very scenic valley that passes Conkle’s Hollow.
Cautions: Traffic can be somewhat heavier during peak tourist times.
Lake Logan Road/ Starr Route
Difficulty Rating: 6
Distance: 18 miles
Climbing: 350 feet
Leave: Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. Take Lake Logan Road to St. Rt. 180. Immediately turn left on Pleasant Valley Road. Turn up Starr Route Hill (a very sharp left turn at the first stop sign). At St. Rt. 664, (the first stop sign on Starr Route) turn right. At a very sharp 90 degree turn, go straight onto Sauerkraut Road. At St. Rt. 93, turn left to Logan. Turn left on Main Street (the business section) or Hunter Street and ride west on St. Rt. 664 S. Turn left to get back to the Welcome Center.
What to Expect: Passes the north shore of Lake Logan, then through scenic Pleasant Valley. There is a vigorous climb to scenic vistas on Starr Route.
Option: At the intersection of Starr Route and St. Rt. 664 there is a road to the left (Blosser) that will take you to the south shore of Lake Logan. This road deadends at a small picnic facility with primitive restrooms.
Cautions: Watch for traffic on St. Rt. 664, St. Rt. 93 and in Logan.
Nickel Plate/Goat Run
Difficulty: 7
Distance: 22 miles
Climbing: You will climb a total of 600 feet on this ride. One hill on Moore Road and one on Goat Run-Honeyfork Road are fairly challenging.
Leave: Hocking County Fairgrounds. Turn left at the main gate, and right at Second Street (second intersection). Turn left at the first traffic light. After you cross the St. Rt. 33 overpass, stay in the left turn lane and turn up Walhonding Ave. This turns into Nickel Plate Road as you go up the hill out of town. Turn right at the first stop sign (St. Rt. 328). At the store in Union Furnace, turn right on Moore Road. Turn right on Goat Run-Honeyfork Road. Turn right on US 93. Turn right at the first traffic light (Front Street). Turn left at the second traffic light (Homer Ave.).
What to Expect: This route takes you through hilly farm land. By most standards it’s a very pretty ride.
Cautions: Watch for a very sharp curve at the bottom of Moore Road going down-hill. St. Rt. 328 and St. Rt. 93 have more motorized traffic.
Mountain Bike Trail info at Lake Hope State Park
Lake Hope State Park
27331 State Route 278
McArthur, OH 45651
(740) 596-5253
Click here to view a color trail map. Click here to view Lake Hope ride suggestions.
Hope Furnace Trail Loop (4.5 miles/6.5 miles)
Hope Furnace Trail hugs the lakeshore, providing beautiful views and not much elevation gain. Technical bridge crossings, roots, and a few short, steep ups-and-downs keep you on your toes (and we hope not on your head). As this is one of the park’s most heavily used trails, be sure to yield to hikers and to look out for other cyclists.
Park either at the Furnace Parking Lot or the Trailhead Parking Lot. Ride the trail in one direction and return to your starting point via State Route 278 (total ride mileage ~4.5 miles), or double back and enjoy the trail in the opposite direction (total ride mileage ~6.5 miles).
Copperhead Loop (10 miles)
This loop features fantastic ridge riding on Copperhead Trail. Be careful — tight turns come up unexpectedly on this trail. This loop also will let you roll alongside the lake on Hope Furnace Trail — then you’ll push your bike up Grouse Point Trail to finish the loop.
Park at the Grouse Point Picnic Area near the Copperhead/Little Sandy intersection. Ride Copperhead Trail, intersecting Long Ridge Road two times before crossing Lake Ridge Road. Continue on Copperhead for almost 4 more miles, eventually taking a right on Habron Trail. Follow Habron for 1.1 miles, then turn right onto Hope Furnace Trail. Ride for 1.5 miles, watching for the Grouse Point intersection. Take a right and push your bike up this steep hill and you’ve finished the loop.
Sidewinder Loop (5.5 miles)
This twisty trail is full of tight turns, steep climbs and descents, switchbacks, roots, fun little dips and a tricky bridge crossing. Because Sidewinder is a climb from the Trailhead Parking Lot to Cabin Ridge Road, it’s become most popular in the opposite direction (but there are those of us who like to climb it, too). However, you still need to get to the top of the hill if you want to ride Sidewinder down, and there are two options:
a) Head on to Sidewinder from the Trailhead Parking Lot. Ride for about .5 mile to the Little Sandy/Sidewinder intersection. Go left and down the hill, then immediately turn right onto Little Sandy. Climb (and oh, you will climb) to the top of the ridge. Take a right onto Sidewinder, then ride back down to the Trailhead Parking Lot.
b) From the Trailhead Parking Lot, ride up the paved Cabin Ridge Road, through the vacation cabins, to the Little Sandy/Copperhead intersection (almost 2 miles). Turn left onto Little Sandy; nearly immediately you’ll see Sidewinder heading into the woods on your left. Follow Sidewinder to the Trailhead Parking Lot.
The Big Loop (16 miles, and equally fun in either direction)
This loop features some of the best mountain bike trails at Lake Hope: Hope Furnace, Habron, Copperhead and Sidewinder. And, if once isn’t enough, simply turn around and ride the loop in the opposite direction — you’ll log more than 30 miles of sweet southeastern Ohio singletrack.
Begin at the Furnace Parking Lot and ride Hope Furnace Trail for approximately .7 miles. Watch out for bridges — they might be slippery or have steps! At the Habron intersection, turn right and continue on Habron past the Red Oak intersection. Climb up a fun switchback (it’s a doer!), continuing on up the ridge to the Copperhead intersection. Turn left onto Copperhead and let some fun, fast ridgetop riding begin. Watch out for tight turns at high speed! Cross Lake Ridge Road and continue on Copperhead for nearly a mile. Turn left onto Long Ridge Road for just a few hundred yards, then left again back into the woods on Copperhead for another mile of twisty, fast trail. Turn left onto Lake Ridge Road again, bear left at the fork in the road, then turn left into the woods for the final, 1.4-mile section of Copperhead. Cross over Cabin Ridge Road onto Little Sandy. Very soon you’ll see the Sidewinder intersection on your left. Follow Sidewinder to the Trailhead Parking Lot, then take a left onto the paved road and ride past the Beach House to the entrance to Hope Furnace Trail (approx. .6 miles on paved road). Follow Hope Furnace Trail 3.25 miles back to the Furnace Parking Lot.
Ride the Ridgetop (various distances)
If you'd like to practice your singletrack skills without riding up major climbs or riding for a long period of time, drive to the top of the ridge and ride some of Copperhead Trail. Park either at the Cabin Ridge Road / Little Sandy intersection or along Long Ridge Road near the Lake Ridge Road intersection. Ride any or all of the three sections of Copperhead that intersect Long Ridge and Cabin Ridge roads.
Good Things to Know
If you’d like to add 2 miles to your ride, look for Wildcat Trail right next to Copperhead off of Lake Ridge road. This out-and-back trial will add some fun mileage.
There are several "bailout" options on the Lake Hope trails. From these you can easily access park roads that will take you back to the main parking lots. (See map for further information.)
From Sidewinder: Approximately 1.25 miles from the Cabin Ridge Road intersection you can hop off Sidewinder and walk or ride a few hundred feet to Cabin Ridge Road. OR, just a bit further down the trail, you can take the Cabin Ridge Road Connector out to Cabin Ridge Road (or over to Little Sandy Trail).
From Copperhead: There are several intersections and near intersections with Long Ridge Road, which will eventually intersect with Cabin Ridge Road and take you back to the Trailhead Parking Lot.
From Hope Furnace Trail/Cabin Ridge Road: Grouse Point, Oak Point and Keeton Trails all are steep, quick connectors between Hope Furnace Trail and Cabin Ridge Road.
The Lake Hope Mountain Bike Trails are multi-use trails and users should observe the International Mountain Bicycling Association’s (IMBA) Rules of the Trail:
- Ride on open trails only.
- Leave no trace
- Control your bicycle
- Always yield trail
- Never scare animals
- Plan ahead
