Where to Ride Around Athens
The following descriptions and links will introduce you to some of our favorite places to ride in Southeast Ohio. We know you'll have fun exploring them for yourselves.
Road Biking
Hockhocking Adena Bikeway
This 19-mile, paved bikeway runs between Athens and Nelsonville and offers a quiet place to ride away from cars and noise. It is well shaded by trees. In April and early May you'll be treated to outstanding displays of spring wildflowers between mile markers 10.5 and 13.5. Visit the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway Web site for more information. Free bikeway maps are available at Athens Bicycle, the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Athens Community Center.
Southeastern Ohio Bicycle Map & Cue Sheets
If you like road riding, Southeastern Ohio is a great place to be. And the Southeastern Ohio Bicycle Map is a great place to start. The map illustrates the most cycling-friendly roads in Southeast Ohio, based on traffic level, road conditions and connectivity between towns. The two-page, waterproof, tearproof map includes all of Athens and Meigs counties, as well as parts of Washington, Morgan, Perry, Hocking, Fairfield, Vinton, Jackson and Gallia counties. Click here for more information.
One of the creators of the Southeastern Ohio Bicycle Map, Tom Wolf, has created nearly 30 road ride cue sheets that you can pair with the map (or any other map or your local road knowledge). The routes range from 10 miles to 103 miles, and are available via the Athens Bicycle Club's Web site.
Annual Road Rides in the Athens Area
- Athens Spring Ride. Annually in April. A scenic ride with options for 25, 40, 60, 70 or 100 miles. www.athensbicycleclub.org
- Tour de Forest. Annually in May. Three road loops to choose from: 45 miles, 32 miles or 19 miles. www.littlecitiesofblackdiamonds.org
- Tour of the Hocking River Valley. Annually in May. Two-day tour, 60 miles/45 miles. www.athensbicycleclub.org
- Athens AM Rotary's Quilt Barn Ride and Poker Run. Annually in July. Multiple options offering various lengths. www.quiltbarnride.org
- Pawpaw Double Nickel Bicycle Ride. Annually in September. Starts and ends at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival (held at Lake Snowden, just outside Athens). Choose to ride 55 miles or 20 miles. www.athensbicycle.com
- Be sure to check out our Calendar of Events for information about additional cycling events that happen in Southeastern Ohio throughout the year.
Mountain Biking
Sells Park & Strouds Run State Park (Athens Trail Network)
Thanks to the Athens Trail Network, you can now ride trails from Sells Park all the way to Strouds Run State Park. Although just a few years ago it was illegal to ride at both Sells and Strouds, bikes are now allowed on many of the trails in both parks. People who used to live and mountain bike in Athens are always shocked to hear this, but it's true and it's GREAT! In the past few years, Strouds Run park management has allowed Athens Bicycle Club to build new trails at the park: You can thank ABC for Thunderbunny, Sundown and Scatter Ridge Connector trails. That's a lot of singletrack ... and there's more on the way. The trails at Sells Park and Strouds Run are twisty and tight, with plenty of hills to climb and descend. Technical features include small rock gardens, logovers and switchbacks.
Download and print this map of the Strouds Run Area Mountain Bike Trails or stop in the shop for a free printout. We worked with Purple Lizard Maps to create this excellent resource. Click here to learn more about this mapping project.
Lake Hope State Park
Athens Bicycle Club began building mountain bike trails at Lake Hope State Park in 1998. Thanks to the local club's hard work, there are now more than 23 miles of dedicated mountain bike trails in a park that used to offer only one two-mile stretch of singletrack to cyclists. The trails at Lake Hope are smooth and fast, with gradual climbs. It's a great park for beginners to get started and for advanced riders to really let it rip.
Download and print this Lake Hope State Park Mountain Bike Trail Map or stop in the shop for a free printout. We worked with Purple Lizard Maps to create this excellent resource. Click here
to learn more about this mapping project.
Mountwood Park
Located about 10 miles east of Parkersburg, W.V., on U.S. Route 50, Mountwood Park is barely an hour's drive from Athens and features more than 25 miles of excellent singletrack built and maintained by the River Valley Mountain Bike Association. The trails are twisty and tight, with challenging climbs, well-built bridges, boardwalks and logovers, and fast descents. Visit www.rvmba.com for a trail map, information on group rides, and other news related to the trails at Mountwood. These trails and others in the Mid-Ohio Valley got a great write-up on Dirt Rag's blog this year -- check it out!