Going out for a drive and taking a walk are about the only two things you can do right now. With gas at its lowest point in a long while and everyone needing to get out of the house, we put together a list of some of the best scenic drives around Cleveland to explore. Some of these places are cool attractions that you can drive to see, others are more “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.” Enjoy!

Oberlin Obviously, the first thing that comes to mind with this small town is the renowned liberal arts college that has produced people who have made it big in entertainment, like Lena Dunham, Ed Helms and writer William Goldman. But this college town really does make for a great day trip from Cleveland. Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Weatherman1126
Mill Creek Falls 24000 Valley Pkwy., North Olmsted Located in the Garfield Park Reservation area of the Metroparks, Mill Creek Falls has the tallest waterfall in Cuyahoga County. And the views are breathtaking. Photo via @CleveMetroParks/Instagram
Marietta Marietta is a historic town known as the first permanent settlement of the Northwest territory. This picturesque town on the Ohio River is perfect for Ohio history buffs, and combines the best of small town living with history. Photo via Ohio River Sternwheel Festival/Facebook
Marblehead Marblehead boasts one the best scenic lighthouses in Ohio, perfect for taking in a spring sunset Photo via @_Doctor_VV_/Instagram
Loudonville Loudonville is nicknamed the so-called “Canoe & Camp Capital of Ohio.” You can see beautiful river views here. Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Mike Sharp
The World’s Largest Basket 1500 East Main St., Newark This giant basket housed the Longaberger Company until 2014, when the company moved out and eventually shut down their business that had been around for close to 100 years. Fear not, the basket is still there, about 150 miles south west of here, halfway between Zanesville and Columbus. The basket building was sold for $1.2 million to a developer at the end of 2017 and will be used for something soon. Credit: Longaberger/Facebook
Lake Erie Bluffs 3301 Lane Rd., Perry Lake Erie Bluffs provides a combination of wetland hiking and dry trails and it’s the perfect place to take a drive to. Photo via Scene Archives
Holden Arboretum 9550 Sperry Rd., Kirtland Out east in the Kirtland/Mentor area, you’ll find Holden Arboretum, home to over 3,500 hundred acres of trees, plants, wildlife and scenic views. Photo via Holden Arboretum/Facebook
Hocking Hills In southern Ohio, the Hocking Hills are some of the most beautiful hiking trails and natural attractions in the midwest. Some of the trails may be closed but the views are still breathtaking from the car. Photo via Scene Archives
Great Seal State Park Looking to see some hills? Great Seal State Park has over 1,800 acres of hilly and challenging trails worth seeing. This park’s hills are depicted on the Great Seal of the State of Ohio, hence the name. Photo via Scene Archives Credit: Scene Archives
Granville Like others on this list, Granville is a college town, home to Denison University, with its population almost doubling when school is in session. This town, with New Englandesque charm and feel, has plenty to see. Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Chamberednautilus
Yellow Springs The home of Antioch College, this eclectic town boasts a plethora of art galleries and other cultural activities. You may not be able to visit those at the moment, but it’s still a really cool town to drive around. Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Jamie Holly
Walter Best Wildlife Preserve 11620 Ravenna Rd., Chardon This small preserve, part of the Geauga Park District, has gorgeous views for miles. Photo via Scene Archives
Tower of VW Bugs 1938 East Second St., Defiance Head west on 80 for about two and a half hours to see this stack of 1960’s Volkswagen Beetles. Five bugs are stacked on top of each other in the parking lot of Pack Rat’s Pawn Shop. Photo via Bob McGilvray/Flickr
Vermillion 555 Main St., Vermilion Nestled on the banks of the Vermilion River, this quaint town is really pretty all year round. Photo via Vermillion/Facebook
South Chagrin Reservation 37374 Miles Rd, Bentleyville Expanding through Moreland Hills, Bentleyville, Chagrin Falls and Solon, this beautiful Metroparks reservation is known for Henry Church Rock (formerly Squaw Rock), a rock formation carved in 1885 that runs along the picturesque Chagrin River. Photo via @CleveMetroparks/Instagram
The Great Serpent Mound 3850 State Rte. 73, Peebles The Great Serpent Mound is a National Historic Landmark and is located at the end of I-71, just north of the Kentucky border. It is an effigy mound in the shape of a snake and was built by Native Americans, somewhere between 500 and 1,000 years ago. Photo via Wikipedia
Salt Fork State Park Just east of Columbus, this state park is a beautiful place to see. The sunsets over the lake are especially gorgeous. Photo via Salt Fork/Facebook
Large Rocking Chair 1933 Highway 45, Austinburg A battle has waged for years over which large rocking chair is actually the biggest in the world. Many claim it, but only one holds the actual record. We’re just not sure which one it is. But this one, 50 miles east on I-90, is definitely large, standing 20 feet tall. Photo via @2000America/Instagram
Geneva If there’s anywhere in Ohio that could be considered wine country, it’s definitely Geneva on the Lake. The wineries may not be open, but it’s still a beautiful area. Photo via Scene Archives Credit: Scene Archives
The Futuro House 9961 Central Ave., Carlisle Finnish architect Matti Suuronen designed around 100 houses shaped like spaceships during the 1960s and 70s. The houses can be found all over the world, but this one is in Carlisle, Ohio, where I-75 meets I-71, just north of Cincinnati. Credit: Futuro House/Facebook
Cuyahoga Valley National Park We have a National Park right in our own backyard – you’re damn right it has perfect views. Photo via Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad/Facebook Credit: Courtesy Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
Pumpkin Water Tower Logan St., Circleville Circleville, about 30 miles south of Columbus, is known for their annual Pumpkin Festival, which they bill as the “best free festival on Earth.” What better way to promote the biggest thing in town than painting the town water tower to look like a pumpkin! Photo via Justin Masterson/Flickr
Patterson Fruit Farm 11414 Caves Rd, Chesterland Patterson Fruit Farm is in the perfect location if you want a destination to see the rollicking hills of the Chagrin Valley. Photo via Patterson Fruit Farm/Facebook
Amish Country Visit Millersburg, about 60 miles south of downtown, to see the biggest town in Ohio’s Amish country. You may not be able to get an Amish home cooked meal but you can still probably see a horse and buggy driving around. Photo via Ohio Amish Country/Facebook
Athens We all love to reminisce about college, so why not take a drive to one of the most picturesque colleges in all of America. Located in southeast Ohio just outside of West Virginia, the views and drive down to Athens is gorgeous, especially if you avoid the freeways. Photo via @AthensOhio/Instagram
Ashtabula This town was built on the coast of Lake Erie, an hour between Cleveland and Erie, Pennsylvania. Ashtabula offers plenty of covered bridges, parks, and beaches to to drive around. Photo via Historic Ashtabula Harbor/Facebook
World’s Largest Basket of Apples 5563 Raiders Rd., Frazeysburg Close to the World’s Largest Basket but much lesser known standss the World’s Largest Basket of Apples. Also once owned by the basket company Longaberger, the basket stands close to 20 feet tall. Photo via @SneakyPanda/Instagram
Downtown Hudson Hudson is another quaint downtown you can drive through to remember the olden days. Not just the olden days where it looks like a 1950s town but the olden days like three weeks ago when there were people around. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

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