The Best Place to Stay When Going for a Scenic Drive
Why Visitors Choose McConnelsville
From Zanesville to Marietta along the Muskingum River. Rolling hills, river valleys, small towns, and a boutique inn with homemade breakfast right in the middle of it all.
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The Drive
Most people driving through southeast Ohio take the main roads. That's their loss.
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Route 60 follows the Muskingum River through some of the most quietly beautiful landscapes in the state — Appalachian foothills, two-lane roads, river bridges, and small Ohio towns that haven't changed much in a hundred years. No billboards.
No chain restaurants. Just the road, the river, and the hills.
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Locals call it the Route 60 River Run. From Zanesville in the north to Marietta in the south, it covers roughly 60 miles and connects two of southeast Ohio's most historically significant cities, with McConnelsville sitting right in the middle.
Give yourself two days. You won't regret it.
Zanesville — Mile 0
Start in Zanesville, one of Ohio's most underrated small cities. The famous Y-Bridge, the Zanesville Museum of Art, Alan Cottrill's extraordinary sculpture studio, Weasel Boy Brewing, the pottery district, and antique shops are worth spending a morning in.
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Zanesville is the pottery capital of the world and the gateway to the Route 60 River Run. Head south on Route 60 when you're ready and let the river lead you.
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👉 Planning a Zanesville visit? Read our full Zanesville guide.
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McConnelsville — Mile 30
Halfway between Zanesville and Marietta sits McConnelsville — a historic rivertown on the Muskingum that most Ohio travelers have never discovered.
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This is where you stop. This is where you stay.
The Inns at 8th and Main occupy two beautifully restored 19th-century properties on Main Street, the Stone House, built in 1835, and the Morris House, built in 1844. Together, they've been welcoming guests for 190 years.
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Every morning, Dan is up before you are, cooking a scratch-made breakfast served on vintage china in our historic dining room. Amy will know your name before you arrive.
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Walk to the Muskingum River. See the 1892 Twin City Opera House. Wander the brick sidewalks. Have a beer at the local brewery. Then sleep in a room with 190-year-old stone walls and wake up to the smell of something warm in the oven.
McConnelsville is the kind of place people stumble on and come back to every year.
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Marietta — Mile 60
The Route 60 River Run ends at one of Ohio's most beautiful small cities — Marietta, the first settlement in the Northwest Territory, founded in 1788 at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers.
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Campus Martius Museum, the Valley Gem Sternwheeler, Historic Harmar Village, The Castle, kayaking both rivers, the Peoples Bank Theatre, and Mound Cemetery — a 2,000-year-old Adena burial mound that most Ohioans have never seen.
Marietta rewards slow travel. Give it a full day.
👉 Planning a Marietta visit? Read our full Marietta guide.
The Two-Day Route 60 Itinerary
Day One — Zanesville to McConnelsville Morning in Zanesville — Y-Bridge, Alan Cottrill Sculpture Studio, pottery district. Lunch at Weasel Boy Brewing. Early afternoon drive south on Route 60 — windows down, no hurry. Check in at The Inns at 8th and Main. Walk to the Muskingum River at golden hour. Dinner in McConnelsville. Sleep in a 190-year-old stone house.
Day Two — McConnelsville to Marietta Wake up to Dan's scratch-made breakfast. Morning walk on the brick sidewalks of Main Street. Drive south on Route 60 — the hills get bigger as you go. Arrive in Marietta for lunch on the river. Afternoon at Campus Martius Museum or kayaking the Ohio Valley Gem Sternwheeler cruise at sunset. Drive home with the windows down and a story worth telling.
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