Stretching nearly 1,000 miles and accessible from six states, the Ohio River is the largest tributary of the Mississippi River by volume, making it a major artery through the northeast states. Visitors can find countless attractions along the length of this mighty river, including numerous museums and historical sites, and some of the best fishing in North America.
Ohio River Scenic Byway
- The Ohio River Scenic Byway is a 967-mile driving route that parallels the river through the states of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. Attractions along the byway are too numerous to list, but highlights include the 55-acre National Historic District in downtown Ripley, Ohio, from which you can take a ferry across the river to Kentucky. Outdoor recreation, including camping, hiking, mountain biking and picnicking are available in 200,000-acre Hoosier National Forest and several state parks in each of the river's six bordering states. Indiana's Clark County is home to the world's largest exposed bed of 386-million-year-old Devonian fossils, and nearby Crawford County offers the vast underground cathedrals of Wyandotte Caves. Many towns along the river host a vast array of dining and shopping options, overnight accommodations, local events and festivals, including the annual Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois.
Ohio River Fishing
- Home to some of the most abundant populations of channel, blue and flathead catfish in the world, the Ohio River is a fisherman's paradise. Big blue cats are most common in the lower portion of the river, but flatheads and channel cats are abundant farther upstream in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. Flathead catfish over 100 pounds have been caught, and 20- to 30-pounders are common. You can also catch largemouth and smallmouth bass, stripers, walleye, sauger and a variety of panfish species in the river. Fishing licenses are required, and the states that share the river have agreed to honor the licenses of neighboring states. Specific fishing license information and regulations are available through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources website and through corresponding organizations in the other five states along the river.
Museums and Historical Sites
- If you're a history buff, look no farther than the Ohio River. From the Mississippian Indian mounds of Evansville, Indiana, to the Ulysses S. Grant birthplace monument in Point Pleasant, Ohio, opportunities to learn about our nation's past are virtually endless. The Life on the Ohio River History Museum in St. Vevay, Indiana, displays a vast collection of riverboat models and photographs documenting life during the steamboat era, and the Kentucky towns of Augusta and Brooksville boast several Underground Railroad sites. Complete listings of historical museums, buildings, monuments and markers are available through the official websites of the states that border the river.
Canoeing and Kayaking
- The Ohio River is open to boats of all kinds, but the generally placid and slow-moving river is ideal for exploration by canoe or kayak. You can drift through the untouched landscapes of Ohio Islands National Wildlife Refuge and Shawnee National Forest or past the urban centers of Louisville, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The city of Cincinnati also hosts the annual Paddlefest, where hundreds of canoeists and kayakers converge every summer for an 8.2-mile float trip and 11-mile race down the river with refreshments, live music and water stops along the way. If you're unfamiliar with the river, you should be aware that hazards do exist, including barges, towboats, changing water levels, locks and dams. The Ohio Division of Watercraft website offers safety tips, regulations, river charts and contact information for the various safety and law-enforcement entities that operate along the river.
