Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Zanesville, Ohio

If you are someone that loves exploring new terrain and experiencing the true country living of Ohio, this is for you. This trail takes you by beautiful wildlife, farm animals, rustic houses, wide-open scenery, and even a fire tower. Subarus would feel right at home on this mostly gravel forest serv...
Learn more about Ridgeview Road - Subarus Paradise

Pelcher Road along Spring Run is very scenic with multiple hills and beautiful vistas with a surprise building at the end. Class 1 roadway may be very slippery during rains and should use caution on blind corners and be aware of wildlife and livestock. You may encounter Amish buggies on this route a...
Learn more about Plecher Road to Pyramid House

This trail is short, but VERY scenic and perfect for almost any Subaru-style vehicle. It is an excellent add-on trail in this area and is worth a run-through. Very uncharacteristic for Ohio, this trail has some out west style features! Offering very wide open ranges of rolling hills. While I was run...
Learn more about Life Wide Open - Scenic Trail

If you are looking for a quick adventure down a country road, this is one of many in the area. This route will take you out and through the woods, where you will see wildlife everywhere. There will be many sharp curves and steep hills even though it is an easy route, it does get slick in bad weather...
Learn more about Tunnel Hill

Town Highway 323 splits off from another trail and continues up steep, sharp gravel curves. This easy back road travels deep into an overgrown forest, with history from the coal mining days buried all around. Once the road reaches the top, it becomes hilly and feels like a roller coaster.
Learn more about Town Highway 323

This is a quiet rural back road that winds through the rolling hills and hardwood forest. It's full of coal mining history that once took place deep into the woods of Perry County. It is part of a trail system for ATVs and dirt bikes, so please be careful to watch for others also enjoying the beauti...
Learn more about Township Highway NR1

Tucked deep into the hardwood forest is one of the lesser-known back roads of this trail system. You start at a fork in the road that will lead you down a very quiet gravel road that will dead-end. With nothing else around but the echoes of the past that once took place in these deep woods. There a...
Learn more about Township Highway NR2

Expect to go through one of the most scenic roads in Perry County. This trail is all gravel but very slick steep hills with sharp turns. Once you enter the trail you go down into a nice little creek crossing that flows when the water is higher. After that, you will continue down until you hit a fork...
Learn more about Helmick Mill Covered Bridge

Township Highway NR3 is a rugged backcountry access road. Once you enter the road, it's like time changes, and you see a piece of history that many don't. This trail takes you through some of the thickest and most overgrown forests in Perry County. It has swamps, ruts, and some soft ground. Essingt...
Learn more about Essington Lake

Number 8 Hollow will take you down another remote back road in this trail system. Once you enter the heavily wooded area, which is very scenic and winds through a loose gravel road through old farms, swamps, and plenty of spots to hike and explore. You will make your way down this remote road that l...
Learn more about Number 8 Hollow Road

Town Highway 162 takes you down a narrow gravel road with some cool things to see. Once off the main road, the route continues along loose gravel to a small bridge with a sharp turn just beyond it. Take your time and look around while heading uphill, as old historic ruins are being taken over by ove...
Learn more about Town Highway 162

Town Highway 319 takes you down into what feels like the middle of nowhere without traveling too far from the main road. At the beginning of the road is what locals know as “the swing,” which has been there for years and lets riders swing off the bank over the road. This narrow gravel road continues...
Learn more about Town Highway 319

This route will take you down into the middle of some old mining area filled with ponds and peace. As you drive down the beginning of the gravel road, you will drive down into the endless trees and get the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere. Once you go down the gravel road, you will come up ...
Learn more about Land between the ponds

Lots of scenic wooded gravel roads. Quite a bit of up and down on the side loops as you come in and out of the valley. We were rewarded at the end of this trip with an amazing road and a beautiful cow farm. Recommend running this backward in the winter as the first western Hillclimb is very steep.
Learn more about Valley and Cows

This is a backroad connector route from Campground C to the Equine day-use area. It's a great little route through the woods and along a beautiful clear creek. You will pass by many wonderful ponds that can be fished and even a Civil War cemetery. There are several offshoots for the more adventurous...
Learn more about AEP SandHollow Camp C to Equine Day use F no gates

This trail is one of my favorites! This track will take you along some of the best sights and open landscapes Ohio has to offer. If you are camping at one of the local dispersed campsites, Overlanding with buddies, scouting for deer, or want to park somewhere and see for miles while eating your favo...
Learn more about The Ridge Run

These are some great winding country back roads going through Amish Country seeing several Amish lumber mills and roadside markets to purchase Amish produce and craft. With beautiful changes in elevation, some of these roads can get narrow and technical. Many places to pull over and have other traff...
Learn more about Amish Lumber Mills

This short trail offers lots of great activities like hunting, HUGE clear lakes for fishing, and a dispersed camping area that is free to stay at throughout the Spring, Fall, and Summer seasons. This trail is mainly rough gravel with big potholes and very small washouts but is accessible by just abo...
Learn more about Horse Run Road

This trail offers many challenges. All though you can skip past the hard parts. As most of this is an easy gravel road there are a few small turn-off paths that will take you down some old service roads in Wayne National Forest. That's where the hard parts are they are narrow. Full of soft slick mud...
Learn more about Iron Point

This back road is one you don't want to miss. Once you turn onto the gravel road, it's like you're heading into the mountains out west. You will start to climb a very steep, narrow hill with soft ground and lose gravel paving your way to some unbelievable sights. It will then lead you to the top of ...
Learn more about Dixie

If you are someone that loves exploring new terrain and experiencing the true country living of Ohio, this is for you. This trail takes you by beautiful wildlife, farm animals, rustic houses, wide-open scenery, and even a fire tower. Subarus would feel right at home on this mostly gravel forest serv...
Learn more about Ridgeview Road - Subarus Paradise

If you are looking for a quick adventure down a country road, this is one of many in the area. This route will take you out and through the woods, where you will see wildlife everywhere. There will be many sharp curves and steep hills even though it is an easy route, it does get slick in bad weather...
Learn more about Tunnel Hill

Expect to go through one of the most scenic roads in Perry County. This trail is all gravel but very slick steep hills with sharp turns. Once you enter the trail you go down into a nice little creek crossing that flows when the water is higher. After that, you will continue down until you hit a fork...
Learn more about Helmick Mill Covered Bridge

This trail is one of my favorites! This track will take you along some of the best sights and open landscapes Ohio has to offer. If you are camping at one of the local dispersed campsites, Overlanding with buddies, scouting for deer, or want to park somewhere and see for miles while eating your favo...
Learn more about The Ridge Run

If you are someone that loves exploring new terrain and experiencing the true country living of Ohio, this is for you. This trail takes you by beautiful wildlife, farm animals, rustic houses, wide-open scenery, and even a fire tower. Subarus would feel right at home on this mostly gravel forest serv...
Learn more about Ridgeview Road - Subarus Paradise

If you are looking for a quick adventure down a country road, this is one of many in the area. This route will take you out and through the woods, where you will see wildlife everywhere. There will be many sharp curves and steep hills even though it is an easy route, it does get slick in bad weather...
Learn more about Tunnel Hill

Expect to go through one of the most scenic roads in Perry County. This trail is all gravel but very slick steep hills with sharp turns. Once you enter the trail you go down into a nice little creek crossing that flows when the water is higher. After that, you will continue down until you hit a fork...
Learn more about Helmick Mill Covered Bridge

This route will take you down into the middle of some old mining area filled with ponds and peace. As you drive down the beginning of the gravel road, you will drive down into the endless trees and get the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere. Once you go down the gravel road, you will come up ...
Learn more about Land between the ponds