Outdoor recreation
From the Edge of Appalachia's cliff-top trails to a quiet paddle on Ohio Brush Creek, Adams County is some of the wildest, least-crowded country in the state. Here's where to spend a day outside from the ridge.
The wild places here keep few services and little signage - that's the point. We link you to each preserve's own source for trail conditions and rules; wear real shoes, carry water, and let the quiet set the pace.
On foot
The Edge of Appalachia's most popular trail - a 4.4-mile round trip that climbs to a dolomite crag 300 feet above the valley, with one of the finest views in Ohio. Moderately difficult; give it two to three hours.
The Nature Conservancy →The "Little Smokies of Ohio" and the state's largest forest - more than 63,000 acres just east in Scioto County. Day trails and a 40-mile backpack loop wind through some of the wildest ridges in Ohio, with a lake, lodge, and campground at the state park in the middle of it.
Trail maps at AllTrails →More than 20,000 protected acres with five trails and some 27 miles of hiking through forest, prairie openings, overlooks, and creek valleys.
The Nature Conservancy →A shorter walk to a dramatic exposed geologic fault and dolomite cliffs, with rare woodland wildflowers in spring.
Ohio History Connection →On the water
The county's signature paddling water, winding through forested hills and past the Edge of Appalachia. An easy kayak or canoe on a warm afternoon, with good fishing along the way.
Adams County visitor guide →A quiet park on the northern edge of West Union - largemouth bass and bluegill, a launch for kayaks and electric-motor boats, and an easy walking path along the lake.
Adams County visitor guide →Prairies & wild places
Adams County hides some of the last true prairie in Ohio. Adams Lake Prairie, Chaparral Prairie, and Lynx Prairie are open pockets of grassland and wildflower left over from a warmer age, best in high summer when the blazing star is up and the butterflies are working. Fort Hill adds old-growth forest and miles of quiet trail to the north.
Adams County visitor guide →
From the ridge
Murphin Ridge makes an easy base camp for all of it - a country breakfast to start the day, and a porch and a fire pit to come home to.