Family-Friendly Road Trips In and Around Ohio

If you live in Ohio and you have kids, you may be wondering where you can take road trips to in the state, or close to your state. Even if you only have a few days, there are some great places to go within a short drive, and this is especially true if you’re renting an RV for your family getaway. 

The following are some things to consider, whether you’re taking a family weekend trip, or you have a little more time to spend on your road trip. 

All of the following trip ideas are family-friendly for kids of almost any age. 

Coastal Ohio

In the warm months, you might be thinking about taking a trip that centers around the beaches on the coast of Lake Erie. People from outside of Ohio might not necessarily think about Ohio as having coastal towns, but it does, and some of them are beautiful. 

If you’re going to be visiting the beaches of Lake Erie, you have quite a few options. 

One specific option is Maumee Bay State Park. Maumee Bay is just east of Toledo, and the state park covers about 1,450 acres. The wetlands are home to some of the premier bird watching in the country, and there are resorts and a golf course in the area. 

East Harbor State Park is bigger and spans more than 1,800 acres. East Harbor State Park is a perfect destination for families looking for outdoor recreation. In the warm months, you can swim, camp and picnic. There are scenic wetlands in the park, as well. 

The primary swimming beach at East Harbor is calm and perfect for little ones, and the park is home to a marina and nature center. 

Nickel Plate Beach is one of the most popular beach areas on Lake Erie in Ohio. It includes a sandy beach, and paddle board, kayak and beach gear rentals. There are beach volleyball courts, a play area, and picnic spaces.

Cedar Point

Your kids might love a visit to Cedar Point, which is an amusement park located in Sandusky. It’s the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. Cedar Pont features 72 rides, 16 of which are roller coasters. The newest roller coaster, Steel Vengeance is set to open shortly. 

Cedar Point is the only amusement park in the world with six roller coasters taller than 200 feet, so it’s the perfect place for a family of thrill-seekers. 

Put-in-Bay

Put-in-Bay is a village which is on South Bass Island. The population in 2010 was only 138. The village is popular for summer vacationers, and there is ferry service that connects the village with Kelleys Island, Sandusky and Catawba Island. 

There are historic sites like Stonehenge Estate, Perry’s Cave and Crystal Cave. Supplies have to be flown into the island, and the charm of the island is that it only has one grocery store, one school, and one hardware store. 

Ohio Amish Country

The town of Millersburg is at the center of Ohio’s Amish Country, and it’s only about an hour and a half from Cleveland, although you may feel like you’ve entered a different world.

The historic downtown of Millersburg is where a lot of visitors head, and there are options to sample local cheeses from Amish dairy farms and enjoy browsing Amish furniture stores. There are other Amish towns close to Millersburg as well, such as Berlin, Walnut Creek, and Dover. 

Hocking Hills State Park

Hocking Hills State Park is more than 2,300 acres, and it’s known for waterfalls, cliffs, and gorges. It’s part of the Hocking Hills State Park, and there are seven sections of the park. These sections include Ash Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, Cedar Falls, Conkle’s Hollow, Old Man’s Cave, Rock House and Whispering Cave. All of the park areas except Rock House have waterfalls. 

Recreation opportunities are extensive and include boating, hiking, rock climbing and rappelling, swimming, and fishing. 

Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island is the one place on this list that takes you out of Ohio, but it can be well worth it. Mackinac Island is around seven hours north of Columbus, and it’s one of the most charming places in the country. Mackinac Island provides opportunities for the family to enjoy renting bikes or riding in a carriage around town.

The area has a very quaint, coastal feel and you’re transported back in time. You can take a sailing tour around the lake, or sample some of the fudge the island is known for.

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