Fall Drives Across Three States

Take the scenic route across Appalachia’s Front Porch. From winding backroads to state parks to wooded trails, these fall day trips connect Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia, three states that sit less than 30 minutes apart. Each route comes with color out the window, a trail or two to stretch your legs, and a locally owned spot to eat along the way.

Pack a jacket, fill the thermos and take the long way. It’s the best way to see what’s been right here all along.

When to go: Fall color in our corner of Appalachia usually peaks from mid- to late October, but it shifts a little every year with the weather. Hours at parks, cafés and restaurants also change with the season, so check ahead before you head out.

Itinerary #1: One Day, Three States, Three Parks

Flatwoods, KY → Greenbo Lake, KY → Lake Vesuvius, OH → Beech Fork, WV

If you’ve only ever passed these parks on your way somewhere else or looking for a new adventure, this is your excuse to finally pull in. Three state lines, three parks and a whole lot of fall color in between, all in a single day.

Start in Kentucky: Coffee and Fall Colors

Morning Coffee: Farmer’s Daughter Coffee Company

Start your morning at Farmer’s Daughter Coffee Company on Bellefonte Road in Flatwoods., KY The shop grew out of a family hobby. The Peek family started roasting coffee beans at home on the farm years ago, using a popcorn pan rigged to a drill, and their daughter Cloe turned that hobby into a shop of her own at just 22. Grab a house-roasted cup and a homemade pastry for the road. If you’re riding with someone who doesn’t drink coffee, there are plenty of fun non-coffee drinks on the menu too.

The Drive: US 23 to KY 1

From Flatwoods, follow US 23 along the Ohio River toward Greenup, KY. This is the northern end of the Country Music Highway, the National Scenic Byway that Kentucky Tourism recommends as a scenic fall drive. You’ll have the river on one side and the hills on the other, and in late October those hills turn orange, red and gold.

In Greenup, turn south onto KY 1 for about seven miles of rolling backroad until you reach KY 1711, the entrance to the park. If you have a few extra minutes, the historic Oldtown Covered Bridge is just a few miles from the park’s main entrance and makes an easy photo stop.

The stop: Greenbo Lake State Resort Park

Greenbo Lake State Resort Park wraps around a 225-acre lake surrounded by more than 3,000 acres of forest, and in the fall the colors on the hillsides reflect off the water. Whether you have one hour or the whole morning, there’s something here for you:

Hit the trails. The park has more than 25 miles of trails, from easy lakeside walks to tougher ridge climbs. The Fern Valley and Michael Tygart Trails both start at the lodge. The Michael Tygart Trail eventually reaches the lake and follows the shoreline for about two miles.
Step back in time. Buffalo Furnace, a massive stone iron furnace built in 1851, still stands inside the park as a reminder of Greenup County’s iron-making past.
Meet a local legend. The Jesse Stuart Lodge is named for Kentucky’s poet laureate and Greenup County’s own Jesse Stuart. Settle into the reading room with his writing, or pick up one of his books in the lodge gift shop.
Get on the water. Greenbo Lake holds two Kentucky state largemouth bass records, and the marina rents pontoons, canoes and motorboats. Call ahead in the fall to check rental availability.

Cross into Ohio: Lake Vesuvius and Wayne National Forest

The Drive: Ironton and State Route 93

Head back toward the river and cross from Russell, Kentucky, into Ironton, Ohio. From US 52 in Ironton, take State Route 93 north about six miles to Lake Vesuvius Road. In a matter of minutes, you’ve traded the Kentucky hills for the sandstone bluffs and hardwood ridges of the Wayne National Forest, the only national forest in Ohio.

The Stop: Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area

Lake Vesuvius is the Wayne National Forest’s best-known recreation area, and it has plenty of history. The lake is named for the Vesuvius Iron Furnace, built in 1833, and the furnace’s stone stack still stands at the base of the dam. The Civilian Conservation Corps dammed Storms Creek to create the lake in 1939, and the old stonework and CCC-era buildings give the whole place a nostalgic feel. Pick a trail that fits your day:

An easy stroll. A fully accessible boardwalk, about a third of a mile long, follows the shoreline between the boat ramp and the dam, with wide spots to stop and rest.
Short and sweet. The Rock House Trail is an accessible interpretive trail under half a mile long. It follows a cliff face and passes beneath a large sandstone overhang, with benches and signs along the way.
Make a day of it. The Lakeshore Trail loops about eight miles around the lake, past rock bluffs and over the dam. The Vesuvius Backpack Trail stretches roughly 16 miles for those who want more.

Good to know: Lake Vesuvius was drained in 2025 so the dam gate could be repaired, and the lake itself is closed to the public while that work continues. The surrounding recreation area, including its trails, campgrounds and most facilities, has stayed open. Check the Wayne National Forest alerts page at fs.usda.gov/r09/wayne/alerts before you go for the latest status.

Finish in West Virginia: Get Outside at Beech Fork

The Drive: Along the river to WV 10

Follow US 52 east along the Ohio River to Chesapeake, cross into Huntington, and head south on WV 10 to Beech Fork State Park’s Bowen entrance, where you’ll find the visitor center and park headquarters.

The Stop: Beech Fork State Park

Beech Fork is the kind of place that makes an evening last longer. The park covers 3,144 acres around a 720-acre lake with 31 miles of shoreline. The lake was created in the 1970s by damming the Beech and Miller forks of Twelvepole Creek, and the park opened in 1979. It’s been a favorite with Huntington and Barboursville families ever since.

Walk it off. Wander the park’s wooded hiking trails, or find a quiet spot by the water and watch the light fade over the ridges.
Try something new. Beech Fork has two disc golf courses, including an 18-hole championship course that’s surprisingly flat for West Virginia. You can rent or buy discs at the Corner Store at park headquarters.
Treat yourself. That same Corner Store serves hand-dipped ice cream, a fine reward for a day of exploring.

Dinner: Oscar’s Breakfast, Burgers & Brews, Barboursville

Beech Fork is only about 12 miles from Barboursville, so end the day at Oscar’s Breakfast, Burgers & Brews on US 60, just outside the village. Jason Beter opened Oscar’s in Barboursville in 2017 in a very small space, and the community supported it so well that it grew into the bigger home it has today. It’s exactly what you want after a day on the trails: big burgers, big portions and a laid-back room.

Burgers are the main event, and the whiskey-battered onion rings and house-made chips make good sidekicks. Breakfast is served all day too, so if chicken and waffles sounds like dinner to you, you’re in good company. The maple sriracha version has quite a local following. Pair it with one of the brews in the name, and you’ve earned every bite.

Good to know: Hours can change with the season, so check before you go. If you’re not ready to call it a night, swing into the village for a nightcap at 1861 Public House on Central Avenue. It’s a cozy tap house named for the 1861 Battle of Barboursville.

Stay awhile: Beech Fork cabins and campgrounds

Not ready for the day to end? Beech Fork has hundreds of campsites across its campgrounds and six cabins. Fall weekends fill up, so book early.

Itinerary #2: Caves, Roses & River Sunsets

Olive Hill, KY → Carter Caves, KY → Huntington, WV → Chesapeake & South Point, OH

This route has a little of everything: underground wonders in the morning, an afternoon walk through one of the region’s most beloved parks and a sunset on the Ohio River, where you can see all three states at once.

Start in Kentucky: Carter Caves State Resort Park

Morning Coffee: The Roast on Railroad Coffeehouse, Olive Hill

Fuel up at The Roast on Railroad Coffeehouse in Olive Hill, just a few minutes from the park. There’s a drive-thru if you’re eager to get to the trailhead.

The Stop: Carter Caves State Resort Park

Start with the area’s signature natural wonders. Carter County has the highest concentration of caves in Kentucky, with more than 200 named and mapped caves, and about 50 of them are inside this park. Carter Caves is one of only two Kentucky state parks with caves you can explore, and the park’s naturalist will tell you fall is arguably the best time of year to visit. With more than 30 miles of trails and fascinating rock formations, this stop could easily fill a morning:

See the bridge that holds up a highway. A short trail from the Welcome Center leads to Carter Caves Natural Bridge, the only natural bridge in Kentucky that supports a paved road.
Hike past three more bridges. The Three Bridges Trail, about 3.5 miles long, runs alongside sandstone cliffs to the Raven, Fern and Smoky natural bridges. Smoky is the largest. If you want a longer hike, the 7.5-mile 4C’s Trail crosses two swinging bridges.
Go underground. Guided tours of Cascade Cave and X-Cave run year-round. Cascade Cave is home to an underground waterfall, and X-Cave has some of the park’s best formations.

Lunch option: If the caves keep you longer than planned, Tierney’s Cavern Restaurant inside the lodge serves lunch daily and features locally grown meats and produce. Otherwise, save your appetite, because lunch is waiting in Huntington.

Cross into West Virginia: Ritter Park

The Drive: Old US 60

Skip the interstate and take old US 60 east. It winds through Grayson and Ashland, crosses the Big Sandy River from Catlettsburg into Kenova, and carries you into Huntington. It takes a little longer than I-64, but you’ll see the small towns the interstate skips.

Lunch: Bahnhof WVrsthaus & Biergarten, Huntington

You’ve earned it after a morning on the trails. Bahnhof sits on the corner of 7th Avenue and 8th Street, just a few blocks from Ritter Park, and serves German comfort food with an Appalachian twist: house sausages, schnitzels and a soft pretzel big enough to share, served with beer cheese and raspberry-buckwheat honey butter. On a crisp fall day, grab a seat on the covered two-story patio by the fire pit.

The Stop: Ritter Park and Rose Garden

Walk off lunch on Ritter Park’s tree-lined paths. Locals have called this park Huntington’s “Crown Jewel” since it opened in 1913. It covers more than 100 acres, and Works Progress Administration crews built the stone walls, amphitheater and ornate 8th Street gate in the 1930s. A mile-long path loops through the park, making it an easy, relaxed way to spend the afternoon.

Don’t leave without visiting the Rose Garden. It opened in the mid-1930s and holds roughly 3,000 rose bushes of around 200 varieties. The garden belongs to the American Rose Society and is one of only a few rose test gardens in the country, so each year it grows new roses before they reach home gardeners. Depending on the weather, some roses often keep blooming into the fall.

Up for more hiking? The Huntington Museum of Art sits just up the hill on McCoy Road, and its grounds include more than 40 acres of preserved woodland. Its six connected nature trails, about a mile in all, run from nearly flat to steep, and the trailhead is near the butterfly garden.

End the Day in Ohio: Sunset in Lawrence County

Dinner to Go: Dairy Bell, Chesapeake

Cross the Ohio River into Chesapeake and stop at Dairy Bell on 3rd Avenue. It has been one of the Tri-State’s most beloved drive-ins since 1951, known for foot-long hot dogs, burgers and milkshakes. Get your dinner and a shake to go, because you’re having a picnic on the river.

The Stop: South Point Town Park

Take old 52 west to South Point Town Park, find a spot to sit and watch the barges go by. To your left, toward the east, the Big Sandy River meets the Ohio, and from here you can see Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia all at once. To your right, toward the west, the sun sets over the river. There’s no better way to end a day spent crossing all three states.

Good to know: In late October the sun sets before 7 p.m., and after the clocks fall back in early November it sets closer to 5:30. Plan your Dairy Bell stop so you don’t miss the sunset.

The Porch Light Is On

These drives are just the beginning. Follow Appalachia’s Front Porch on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on weekend events, local gems and new itineraries across Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. Pull up a chair, because there’s always room on the porch.

Take the Scenic Route Itineraries