🥾 ActiveWeekend · from Columbus, OH
Shawnee State Forest & Portsmouth — The Little Smokies of Ohio
Two days in the wildest corner of Ohio, where the Appalachian foothills crumple into a sea of forested ridges known as the Little Smokies. Shawnee State Forest is the state's largest, more than 60,000 acres of near-unbroken hardwood wilderness on the Ohio River, laced with backcountry trails, a scenic forest ridge road, and the small resort lake at Roosevelt. Day one climbs into those blue-hazed ridges and circles Roosevelt Lake; day two drops to the Ohio River at Portsmouth to walk the two-thousand-foot floodwall covered end to end in monumental historical murals, then heads back into Shawnee's backcountry before the return to Columbus. Overnight is at the lodge in the heart of the forest, about 110 minutes south of the city.
Day 1 — Shawnee forest ridges & Roosevelt LakeDay 2 — Portsmouth floodwall murals & Shawnee backcountry
Day 1 — Shawnee State Forest, OH
Day 1 — Shawnee State Forest, OH
🚗 1 hr 50 min driving📍 4 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Columbus, OH → Shawnee State Park & Forest
1 hr 50 min
Shawnee Forest Scenic Ridge Road & Lookout
★ Reviews →The forest road that climbs the spine of Shawnee State Forest is the fastest way into the heart of the Little Smokies, winding along ridgetops with pull-offs and fire-tower overlooks that survey a horizon of overlapping wooded ridges fading into blue haze — the very quality that earned this country its nickname. Shawnee is the largest of Ohio's state forests, more than 63,000 acres of near-continuous hardwood forest, and from the high road the scale of the wilderness becomes clear. Stop at the overlooks for the panoramas and to spot hawks and vultures riding the ridge thermals. In autumn the color here rivals anything in the state; the road can be foggy on early mornings, so drive slowly.
~1.5 hrs📍 See location
🍽️
Lunch
🍽️ Lunch~1 hr
Shawnee Lodge Restaurant
The dining room at Shawnee's state park lodge is the only full-service restaurant deep in the forest, and its wall of windows looks out over the wooded hills toward the Ohio River valley. It is the convenient midday base — hearty American fare, from sandwiches and salads to regional plates — before an afternoon on the water and trails. The lodge sits on a high point within the park, so the view alone justifies the stop. A relaxed, welcome anchor in a corner of Ohio where restaurant options are otherwise sparse.
2 options · tap to switch
☀️
Afternoon
Roosevelt Lake & Shawnee Backpack Trail Spur
★ Reviews →Roosevelt Lake is the small, forest-ringed impoundment at the core of Shawnee State Park, its dam and boat rental a quiet counterpoint to the surrounding wilderness. An afternoon here can be as easy or as strenuous as you like: paddle a rented kayak across the calm water beneath the ridges, or pick up a spur of the famed Shawnee Backpack Trail — a 40-mile loop through the deepest forest — for a taste of the true backcountry that has earned Shawnee its reputation as the wildest hiking in Ohio. Deer, wild turkey, and, increasingly, black bear inhabit these hills. Choose a modest out-and-back on the trail to keep the afternoon flexible.
~1.5 hrs📍 See location
🌙
Evening
🛏️
Shawnee State Park Lodge
Shawnee State Park Lodge is the only full-service lodging inside the forest, a stone-and-timber lodge with guest rooms and cabins set high above Roosevelt Lake with sweeping views of the wooded ridges. Staying here puts you at the center of the wilderness for a starlit evening — the forest's remoteness makes for genuinely dark skies — and at the trailhead for an early start tomorrow. The lodge has a pool and the on-site restaurant for a relaxed dinner. Book the cabins for more privacy; the West Portsmouth area 20 minutes toward the river has motels as a fallback if the lodge is full.
Day 2 — Portsmouth & Shawnee Backcountry, OH
Day 2 — Portsmouth & Shawnee Backcountry, OH
🚗 2 hr 20 min driving📍 3 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Shawnee State Park → Portsmouth Floodwall Murals
30 min
Portsmouth Floodwall Murals
★ Reviews →Along the Ohio River in downtown Portsmouth, the city's massive concrete floodwall has been transformed into an open-air gallery — more than 2,000 feet of monumental murals depicting the region's history from prehistoric mound-builders and river commerce to the industrial age and native son Roy Rogers. Painted by muralist Robert Dafford over a decade, the sixty-plus panels form one of the largest mural projects in the country, and walking the riverfront promenade end to end is a genuinely moving hour. The Ohio River rolls past on the far side of the wall, with Kentucky on the opposite bank. Free, always open, and an unexpected cultural highlight in a landscape otherwise defined by forest.
~45 min📍 See location
🍽️
Lunch
🍽️ Lunch~45 min
Port City Café & Pub, Portsmouth
A downtown Portsmouth spot a short walk from the floodwall, Port City is the natural lunch break between the murals and the return to the forest — a casual pub kitchen with sandwiches, burgers, and pub plates in a walkable stretch of the revitalized riverfront district. The setting, amid Portsmouth's brick storefronts and public art, makes it a pleasant place to sit before heading back into Shawnee's backcountry. A dependable, unfussy midday stop in a riverfront town with limited options.
2 options · tap to switch
☀️
Afternoon
Shawnee Backpack Trail — Day Loop
★ Reviews →Before the drive north, return to Shawnee for a final immersion in the backcountry via a day-hike section of the Shawnee Backpack Trail or one of the shorter day-loop trails near the park lodge. The forest here is deep and quiet — mature oak, hickory, and tulip poplar over a rugged terrain of ridge and hollow that feels far more remote than a two-hour drive from Columbus has any right to. Afternoon light filtering through the canopy and the near-total silence are the point. Pick a loop matched to your energy after the morning in Portsmouth, and allow time to reach the trailhead before the long return drive.
~1.5 hrs📍 See location
🌙
Evening
🚗
Drive
Shawnee State Forest, OH → Columbus, OH
1 hr 50 min
← All Columbus trips
More getaways from Columbus
Clear Creek Valley & Lancaster — Sandstone Ridges on the Hocking Fringe — Day trip🥾Put-in-Bay & Kelleys Island — The Lake Erie Islands by Bike & Ferry — Weekend🥾Wayne National Forest & the Athens Hills — Lakes, Forest Trails & the Bikeway — Long weekend🥾Zanesville — the Y-Bridge, the National Road & America's Pottery Capital — Day trip🏛️Marietta — Ohio's Oldest City on the River — Weekend🏛️The Tuscarawas Valley — Utopian Zoar, Moravian Missions & the Warther Carvings — Long weekend🏛️Newark & Buckeye Lake — Arboretum Groves, Lakeside Villages & Velvet Ice Cream — Day trip🌿Grand Lake St. Marys & the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches — Weekend🌿
© 2026 theweekendgetaways.com · All itineraries are original content. Terms
Plan your own escapeExplore more trips →