Ohio
Small-Town Weekend Getaways from Columbus
A Hocking Hills gorge town, the heart of Ohio's Amish country, and Ohio's oldest river city, all within two hours of Columbus.
At a glance
Columbus has 3 small-town weekend escapes, each with a full 48-hour guide to where to stay, what to do, and where to eat. Drives run from 1 hr to Logan and 2 hr to Marietta. The headline draws: Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls, Buggy roads between Berlin, Walnut Creek, and Sugarcreek, Campus Martius Museum and Mound Cemetery. Most of these towns are at their best October or April-May.
- Escapes
- 3 towns
- Drive range
- 1 hour to 2 hours
- Closest
- Logan, 1 hr
- Best months
- October or April-May
Pick your trip
Three ways to start planning a weekend from Columbus.
Shortest drive
Logan
Logan is 1 hr from Columbus. The gateway to Hocking Hills: caves, gorges, and waterfalls, with a state park lodge and a small downtown of its own.
Worth the drive
Marietta
Marietta is the longest haul at 2 hr. Ohio's oldest city, founded 1788 at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, with paddlewheel steamers still calling.
The short version
Small towns near Columbus worth a 48-hour trip
Columbus weekend trips point into the hills: a sandstone gorge system with some of the best free hiking in the Midwest, the heart of the world's largest Amish community, and Ohio's oldest city on the banks of the Ohio River. All sit within two hours. These are weekend trips from Columbus built on waterfalls, buggy roads, and paddlewheelers.
Logan (1 hour) is the outdoors one, the gateway to Hocking Hills' Old Man's Cave, Ash Cave, and Cedar Falls. Millersburg (1 hour 25 minutes) is the slow one, the county seat of Ohio's Amish country with family-style dinners and cheese houses. Marietta (2 hours) is the history one, the first Northwest Territory settlement of 1788, with museums, a sternwheel towboat, and a 1918 riverfront hotel.
Compare the Columbus escapes
Drive time, character, best season, and the one thing to do first, for every town within reach of Columbus.
| Town | Drive | Character | Best time | Do first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan | 1 hr | Like Sedona, Ohio, minus the crowds and vortex shops | October or April-May | Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls |
| Millersburg | 1 hr 25 min | Like Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, without the tour buses | May-October | Buggy roads between Berlin, Walnut Creek, and Sugarcreek |
| Marietta | 2 hr | Like Natchez, Mississippi, on the Ohio River | September-November | Campus Martius Museum and Mound Cemetery |
On the calendar
Coming up in the Columbus escapes
Events happening in the small towns themselves, not the city.
Refreshed weekly
Nov 6
November First Friday: Flannel Fest
Marietta · Marietta Main Street
Celebrate community spirit along the Ohio River with late shopping hours, live music, and flannel-themed fun. It offers an engaging introduction to the town's vibrant historic commercial district.
Dec 4
December First Friday: Moonlight Madness
Marietta · Marietta Main Street
Experience an evening of extended holiday shopping, local entertainment, and seasonal festivities in downtown Marietta. It provides a festive, walkable base for an early winter weekend getaway.
Dec 12
Downtown Millersburg Chocolate Walk
Millersburg · Historic Downtown Millersburg
Stroll through historic downtown shops to collect handcrafted chocolates while exploring Ohio Amish Country. It is a sweet holiday tradition that pairs perfectly with boutique shopping and local dining.
All Columbus escapes
3 weekend trip ideas from Columbus, sorted by how far you have to drive. Vibes covered: nature, adventure, food, slow, history, riverfront.
Under 1 hour
1 escape from Columbus
What to do
The top attraction in each Columbus escape town, pulled straight from the 48-hour guides.
Logan
Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls
Free. Hocking Hills' signature loop: sandstone gorges, waterfalls, and recess caves along a 6-mile trail system from the Old Man's Cave visitor area. Go before 9am on fall weekends.
Millersburg
Buggy roads between Berlin, Walnut Creek, and Sugarcreek
Free. The signature drive: rolling Amish farms, roadside cheese houses, bakery stands, and horse-drawn traffic on County Roads 168, 77, and 623. Take it slow; pullouts are rare.
Marietta
Campus Martius Museum and Mound Cemetery
Museum ~$12. The museum preserves the 1788 Rufus Putnam house inside the original stockade site; 10 minutes' walk away, Mound Cemetery circles an ancient Hopewell mound ringed by Revolutionary War officer graves. Start here.
Questions & Answers
Columbus weekend FAQ
Logan (1 hour), Millersburg (1 hour 25 minutes), and Marietta (2 hours) are the strongest small-town escapes from Columbus, covering Hocking Hills, Ohio's Amish country, and the state's oldest river city.
Logan, about 1 hour southeast, is the gateway to Hocking Hills State Park: Old Man's Cave, Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, and Conkle's Hollow, all free and all within 20 minutes of town.
Millersburg, about 1 hour 25 minutes northeast, is the county seat of Holmes County, the largest Amish community in the world, with buggy roads, Der Dutchman's family-style dinners, and cheese houses between Berlin and Sugarcreek.
Logan (1 hour, Hocking Hills gorges), Millersburg (1 hour 25 minutes, Amish country), and Marietta (2 hours, 1788 riverfront history) are the best weekend getaways from Columbus.
October is peak and crowded at Hocking Hills, so start hikes before 9am; Amish country turns golden in the same month, and the Ohio River valley color around Marietta runs late.
Logan is 1 hr from Columbus; Millersburg is 1 hr 25 min from Columbus; Marietta is 2 hr from Columbus.
Logan: October or April-May; Millersburg: May-October; Marietta: September-November.
The escapes split by mood: nature (Logan); adventure (Logan); food (Millersburg); slow (Millersburg); history (Marietta); riverfront (Marietta). Every one is a 48-hour trip with specific places to stay, visit, and eat.
Logan, about 1 hr away. Like Sedona, Ohio, minus the crowds and vortex shops Start with Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls.