Ohio River Scenic Route crosses southern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line. The byway is 302 miles long and primarily follows two-lane paved roads. The main routes followed are: IN 56, IN 62, and IN 66. For detailed directions, please see “Following the Ohio River Scenic Route” below. The byway usually remains open year-round.
The byway winds through southern Indiana’s rolling hills, forests, and farmlands, and at times it clings to the river’s edge. As you travel this route, you’ll pass through quaint towns with towering church spires, stately mansions, and historic buildings. You’ll pass cypress swamps and travel atop rock outcrops peering over the Ohio River, and leisurely pass through dense hardwood forests. At times you’ll be given sweeping views of the river, while other times you hardly know it’s there. Below is just a small sample of the many attractions and scenery you will discover along this route.
Something you wouldn’t expect to find in Indiana is a cypress swamp, complete with water lilies and rare birds. This makes for an interesting and enjoyable short side trip off the scenic drive. Just west of Mount Vernon in southwestern Indiana, you can take IN 69 south to the Hovey Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, a 4,300-acre wetland. Here, you can do some fishing or enjoy a relaxing boat ride on the waters of Hovey Lake. Next to the lake is the Twin Swamps Nature Preserve, a cypress swamp in Indiana!
North of Rockport on IN 162, just east of US 231, is Lincoln State Park and the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. It is on this farm that Abraham Lincoln lived from 1816 to 1830. During this time, he grew from a seven-year-old boy to a 21-year-old man. Log farm buildings are staffed by costumed interpreters during the summer months. Visitors are invited to participate in the daily chores that Abe and his family would have performed including breaking flax, splitting wood, or making butter.
The Ohio River Scenic Route passes through portions of the 80,000-acre Hoosier National Forest. The byway travels along the Ohio River in the forest’s southern portion before turning north, passing through stands of hardwoods, pine and cedar, springs, caves, and sinkholes. Several recreation areas are available throughout the national forest that provide camping (no hookups) and picnicking facilities.
Rock outcrops, forested hills, caves, and scenic waterways can be found in the most ruggedly scenic part of the byway, Harrison Crawford State Forest. This state forest encompasses the Wyandotte Woods and Wyandotte Caves State Recreation Areas. Visitors can tour the caves that were once used by prehistoric people for mining operations.