Adventure Town: Marietta, Ohio
Plan a long weekend getaway with our Marietta adventure guide, featuring great outdoor escapes, where to stay, and where to eat.
Pop. 14,307
GPS: 39°25'N 81°26'W
The biggest hamlet in Ohio's Appalachian foothills, bucolic Marietta is set where the winding Ohio meets the Muskingum River. Locals hit the banks for Music on the Levee, a summerlong open-air concert series (http://www.mariettaohio.org/entertainment); in winter the Marietta Brewing Company steps up with live blues and jazz (http://mbcpub.com/). Paddlers ply the Little Muskingum alongside century-old covered bridges, while mountain bikers take to trails in the Wilds, a wildlife conservation park with rhinos, zebras, and giraffes (https://thewilds.columbuszoo.org/).
PLAY
Winding beside the Covered Bridge Scenic Byway, the Little Muskingum River provides a peaceful paddle through the Wayne National Forest. Marietta Harbor rents pontoon boats to explore the area ($400 for a day; +1 740 374 3600).
EAT
Locals rave about Tampico Mexican Restaurant, which serves authentic bites in the middle of the Ohio River Valley (+1 740 374 8623).
- National Geographic Expeditions
SLEEP
Overlook the Ohio and Muskingum rivers from your room in the historic Lafayette Hotel (doubles from $55; www.lafayettehotel.com). A few times a year, a Delta Queen steamboat will dock at the levee below.
