Discover Brown County

Brown County lies along the banks of the Ohio River. The region’s character is shaped by natural areas, covered bridges, and places of historical significance. An annual county event and local offerings such as a farmers market also provide their own focal points. As you plan your trip, consider which of these themes are especially interesting to you.

Landscape and Natural Areas

Kope Hollow Nature Preserve covers 54 acres in Union Township in Brown County. It features wildflowers, mature forests, and waterfalls. Examples of Kope rock formations and more than ten waterfalls add geological and water-related features to the landscape. The preserve brings together several aspects of nature in one area: plants, forest, rock formations, and waterfalls.

Grant Lake in Mount Orab is also described with a specific area: The lake covers 181 acres and is stocked with fish by the Department of Wildlife. Eagle Creek Wildlife Area is a state wildlife area covering 2,341 acres, five miles east of Ripley. A permit is required for hunting access during the season.

A bike ride follows Eagle Creek along an 11.6-mile scenic road with a single-lane roadway to the historic Eagle Creek Bridge. As road conditions and access can change, check them before your ride.

Covered Bridges and Their History

Brown County has five surviving covered bridges, some of which are still in use. Each structure differs in its history, dimensions, and construction. For example, important details about North Pole Bridge include both its construction history and its current traffic restriction: It crosses Eagle Creek, was originally built in 1865, and is 169.5 feet long. It is closed to motor vehicles; check access conditions before visiting.

At 188 feet and 6 inches, Bethel-New Hope Bridge is the longest surviving covered bridge in Ohio. George Miller Bridge was built in 1879 and renovated in the 1990s by an Amish construction company. McCafferty Covered Bridge, meanwhile, is a covered Howe truss bridge: It was built in 1877 and is 157 feet long. When comparing the bridges, you can look at different features, such as year of construction, design, or length. The claim about the longest surviving bridge refers to Bethel-New Hope Bridge.

Places and Stories from Brown County

An estimated more than 2,000 people seeking freedom stayed with the Rankin family. U.S. Grant Boyhood Home & Schoolhouse offers a glimpse into the life of Ulysses S. Grant. He lived in the Boyhood Home in Georgetown from 1823 to 1839; the house was restored to its 1839 condition and is designated a National Historic Landmark.

John Parker is also connected to Ripley: He was an inventor with patents and a businessman, and through his home on Front Street he helped several hundred people escape to freedom. The John P. Parker Historical Society offers tours Friday through Sunday. As the tour schedule can change, check the date before your visit.

Brown County has numerous murals by artists and students. A mural in the Georgetown post office shows the importance of the tobacco industry and its influence on the region’s growth. It adds another theme to the historic houses and bridges: the county’s economic development.

Events and Other Planning Tips

The Brown County Fair begins each year on the fourth Monday in September. If your trip depends on it, check the dates for the year in question. The Brown County Chamber Visitors Center offers a 24-hour-accessible lobby with maps, newspapers, magazines, brochures, visitor guides, and flyers as a resource for travel information. As operational details can change, check the latest access information before visiting.

Indian Springs Winery hosts a farmers market on Saturdays featuring locally grown produce and handmade products. Dates may change here too, so coordinate the market day with your travel plans. Buttermilk Falls Golf Course, a public nine-hole course that opened in 1981, is located in Georgetown. Together with the natural areas, bridges, and historic sites, it offers another specific point of interest as you explore Brown County according to your own interests.

Discover more destinations: Mount Orab, Pickaway County, Trumbull County, Crawford County, Tuscarawas, Medina County, Logan, Defiance

For the regional travel overview: Ohio.