Frank Solich Field at Peden StadiumAthens, Ohio

Historic Victorian-era asylum complex that now houses an art museum and miles of hiking trails.

💡 Breathtaking views of Athens from 'Radar Hill.' A great place for a morning hike or a scenic walk before the game.

A free university art museum housed in Lin Hall on the historic Ridges property, featuring rotating exhibitions of American and global works in a hilltop setting above the Hocking River.

💡 Thursday hours extend to 8 PM — the best slot for a post-arrival visit. The walk up from campus through the Ridges grounds is part of the experience.

A 700-acre historic property on the Ohio University campus — the former Athens Lunatic Asylum (1874) whose Kirkbride-plan architecture and hilltop trails, including Radar Hill (the highest point in Athens County), draw visitors for scenery and history. Multiple trail systems open to the public year-round.

💡 The 3-mile Ridges Loop Trail is open year-round; the self-guided mAppAthens app adds historical context as you walk. The historic asylum buildings are not open to the public.

A 2,606-acre wooded state park just outside Athens centered on Dow Lake, offering hiking, mountain biking, paddling, swimming, and camping — a quick escape from campus into southeastern Ohio's forested hills.

💡 Rent a kayak or paddleboard at the boathouse on Dow Lake; the lake loop trail is the most scenic hike. Arrive early on game weekends — the park fills up.

Ohio's most-visited state park features dramatic recess caves, waterfalls, and sandstone gorges — Old Man's Cave is the iconic centerpiece, and hiking across the park's seven areas is free. Note: the Visitor Center is temporarily closed (as of April 2026); trails remain open dawn to dusk.

💡 Go early (before 9 AM) to beat crowds and secure parking at Old Man's Cave. Cedar Falls and Ash Cave are less crowded alternatives with equally impressive scenery. Allow at least half a day. The Visitor Center is currently closed — check ohiodnr.gov for updates before visiting.