Ohio's Windy 9: A Rider's Guide to Southeast Ohio's Greatest Roads
Posted on Tue 23 June 2026 in Rides
I've been riding for over two decades. I've logged miles across this country on roads that range from forgettable to life-changing. And when people ask me where to ride in Ohio - without hesitation, I point them southeast.
To Athens. To the Appalachian foothills. To Ohio's Windy 9.
If you haven't heard of it, the Windy 9 is a network of nine motorcycle routes that all begin and end in Athens, Ohio. Together they cover roughly 830 miles of some of the best riding in the Midwest - river towns, forest canopies, ridge tops, technical twisties, and long peaceful cruising roads that make you forget what day it is.
I've ridden all nine. Some of them more times than I can count. And in this post I'm going to give you the honest, rider-to-rider breakdown that tourism websites never do - so you can stop researching and start planning.
Want the full route-by-route breakdown in one place? I put together a free guide - Ohio's Windy 9: A Rider's Guide - that profiles every route with distances, difficulty ratings, honest takes, local food stops, and my personal favorites. Download it free here.
Why Southeast Ohio?
Most people don't picture Ohio when they think of great motorcycle roads. That's a mistake - and honestly, it's one that works in our favor. The roads out here are uncrowded, well-maintained, and genuinely beautiful in a way that surprises first-timers.
The southeastern corner of the state sits in the Appalachian foothills. That means elevation changes, ridge lines, river valleys, and the kind of winding terrain that makes motorcycling feel like it was invented specifically for this landscape. You'll ride through Wayne National Forest, Hocking Hills State Park, and along the banks of two of Ohio's most scenic rivers.
Athens is the perfect base camp. It's a college town with Ohio University at its center, which means good food, plenty of lodging options across every price range, and the kind of energy that makes a town feel alive even on a Sunday night after a long day in the saddle.
The Nine Routes: What to Expect
Here's the honest overview. Every one of these is worth riding - but they're not all the same, and knowing the difference helps you build the right trip.
Route 1 - Rim of the World (86.6 miles)
The name earns itself. Route 78 carries you along ridge lines with views that genuinely don't look like Ohio. Wayne National Forest rolls out on both sides, and the Stockport Mill - a working grist mill on the Muskingum River dating to the 1800s - is one of those stops where you end up staying longer than planned. At under 87 miles, this is a great warm-up route or an easy morning ride before something more demanding.
Route 2 - The Southern Dip (92.8 miles)
This one heads south toward the Ohio River and follows its banks through river towns that feel frozen in time. The road is accessible - long sweepers, light traffic, manageable curves - making it a solid choice for newer riders or anyone who wants a beautiful day without the technical demands. At the southernmost point you can cross into Point Pleasant, West Virginia, home of the Mothman legend. Worth it just for the story.
Route 3 - Hocking Hills Nipper (92.3 miles)
If you've never ridden through the Hocking Hills, this route changes your mental image of Ohio permanently. Sandstone gorges, old-growth hemlocks, caves, and waterfalls - the Hocking Hills Scenic Byway winds through terrain that feels more like West Virginia than the Ohio most people know. Old Man's Cave and Ash Cave are worth a stop if you have the time. Even if you skip the hikes, the riding through this corridor is exceptional.
Route 4 - Lazy Rivers (101.1 miles) ⭐ Phil's Favorite
This is one of my two favorite routes on the Windy 9.
You follow the Hocking River south from Athens as it winds toward its confluence with the Ohio, then trace the Ohio east toward Pomeroy. The Hocking has a quiet, almost forgotten quality that I find deeply peaceful on two wheels - no rush, no noise, just water and road.
The Ohio River section is where the ride gets genuinely interesting. You'll pass multiple working locks and dams - massive engineering structures that lift and lower commercial barge traffic through the river system. Pull over and watch one operate if you get the chance. It's slow-motion and impressive in a way that's hard to describe until you've seen it.
Pomeroy is the natural stopping point, and it's worth lingering in. The town is built on a narrow strip of land between the river and a bluff - one of the more unusual layouts of any small Ohio town. When I'm in Pomeroy, I always eat at The Court Street Grill or Fox's Pizza Den. Both are exactly what you want after a long morning in the saddle - local, unpretentious, and genuinely good.
Route 5 - Zaleski Zipper (60.8 miles)
The shortest route on the Windy 9 - and possibly the most corners per mile. The road through Lake Hope State Park and Zaleski State Forest is tight and technical, with short punchy elevation changes that keep you working the whole time. This is a route where your technique shows. The Moonville Tunnel - an abandoned rail tunnel with its own ghost story - is a short gravel detour that's absolutely worth making. Because of its length, the Zaleski Zipper pairs well with Route 3 or Route 8 for a full-day combination run.
Route 6 - Pioneer Pass (103.5 miles)
Pioneer Pass covers the most varied terrain of any route on the Windy 9. You'll cross rolling ridge tops with farms and orchards at elevation, descend toward the historic river town of Marietta, and - for experienced riders - get a preview of State Route 555 before committing to the full Triple Nickel experience. Think of it as a trailer for Route 9.
Route 7 - Pomeroy Dash (63.3 miles)
Old US 33 south from Athens - the original highway before the modern four-lane bypassed it. The towns along this corridor have a worn, honest character that newer roads tend to erase. At 63 miles it works best as an add-on to a bigger day, and it converges with Routes 2 and 4 at several points, making it easy to stitch into a custom multi-route itinerary.
Route 8 - Black Diamond Run (103.5 miles)
Named for the coal that built this region. The Hocking Valley was Ohio's coal country, and the "Little Cities of Black Diamonds" - a collection of old mining towns including Corning, Shawnee, and Sunday Creek - still carry the weight of that history. Wayne National Forest fills in the stretches between towns with long, tree-lined road that keeps the riding interesting without being demanding. Nelsonville's Historic Square is a solid endpoint before the return to Athens.
Route 9 - The Triple Nickel (92 miles / 184 round trip) ⭐ Phil's Favorite
State Route 555. The Triple Nickel. My favorite road in Ohio.
There isn't a serious Ohio rider who doesn't know this road by reputation. And most of them have a story about the first time they rode it. The name says everything: triple digits, triple curves, triple the attention required.
This road does not forgive lazy lines or late braking. It winds through the Hocking Hills with relentless direction changes, tight decreasing-radius turns, and elevation drops that make you feel every foot of the terrain. You pass through small, quiet communities that feel untouched by time, and through stretches of Wayne National Forest where the canopy closes over the road and the whole world goes quiet.
I've ridden it more times than I can count. It still gets my full attention every single time. That's rare - most roads eventually become background. The Triple Nickel stays in the foreground.
The official Windy 9 route runs one-way at 92 miles. Most riders do it as an out-and-back - 184 miles round trip - because the road feels genuinely different in each direction. Do it both ways if you have the day.
One warning: this route is not for beginners. Read it before you ride it, know your limits, and stay present. If you're not sure whether you're ready, start with the Zaleski Zipper and work up.
How to Plan Your Windy 9 Trip
Use Athens as your base. All nine routes begin and end there, and the city has enough lodging, food, and nightlife to make a multi-day stay genuinely comfortable. Book in advance if you're coming during peak season (May–October) - Athens fills up faster than you'd expect.
Don't try to ride all nine in a weekend. It's tempting, but rushing through these roads defeats the purpose. Two or three routes per day - with stops - is a much better experience than grinding out miles to check boxes.
Combine shorter routes with longer ones. Routes 5, 7, and 1 are under 90 miles. Pairing any of them with a longer route like 4 or 8 gives you a full day without overwhelming either one.
Check road conditions before you go. The Triple Nickel especially can have gravel wash across the surface after heavy rain. The official Windy 9 website (windy9.com) has a road conditions section worth checking before any trip.
Get the official tank bag maps. The Athens County Visitors Bureau offers free paper maps and downloadable tank bag PDFs for each route. They're genuinely useful on the road, even if you run a GPS.
Get the Free Guide Before You Go
I put everything from this post - plus more detail on each route, difficulty ratings, local food stops, and tips for combining routes - into a single free PDF guide.
Ohio's Windy 9: A Rider's Guide is free to download and was written entirely from personal riding experience. No recycled internet advice, no tourism copy. Just honest intel from someone who's ridden every mile.
👉 Download the free guide here
Want Someone to Handle the Planning For You?
If you'd rather show up and ride than spend hours researching roads, that's exactly what The Unbound Nomad is built for.
I offer two ways to take the stress out of planning:
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Concierge Trip Planning - custom multi-day itineraries built around your goals, your pace, your skill level, and the kind of riding you love. Routes, stops, lodging guidance, GPX files - all designed by someone who's ridden the miles himself. Starting at $75.
No algorithms. No generic Google routes. Just real planning from a real rider.
👉 Plan your ride at unboundnomad.com
Ride well. Stay present. See you out there.
- Phil The Unbound Nomad