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Highway 125: Shawnee State Forest, Shawnee State Forest, Ohio
Photo: Aaron Zhu · CC BY-SA 3.0

Drives Ohio Ohio

Highway 125: Shawnee State Forest

Shawnee State Forest, Ohio · Friendship → Blue Creek

Sweeping15.2 mi20 min1,200 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,200 ftOne way
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The drive

Highway 125 passes through Shawnee State Forest near its eastern end, and this drive covers 15.2 miles of it, west from US 52 at Friendship to Blue Creek. It takes about 20 minutes. Most of the road is gently curved, with two twistier stretches near the end, around miles 11 to 12 and 14 to 15.

Shawnee is the largest state forest in Ohio, at 63,747 acres in Scioto and Adams counties, and it is known as Ohio's Little Smokies. The road passes Shawnee State Lodge and Park, Roosevelt Lake and Turkey Creek Lake. Five small lakes in the forest were built in the 1930s to supply water to Civilian Conservation Corps camps.

The eastern end of Highway 125 is on US 52 about 7 miles west of Portsmouth, near Friendship, which makes this an easy side trip from the river road.

Along the way

  1. Friendship (US 52)
  2. Shawnee State Park
  3. Blue Creek
Elevation
1,200 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,200 ft
FriendshipBlue Creek
Curves
Mostly gentle, with two twisty stretches
FriendshipBlue Creek
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The two twisty stretches come late, around miles 11 to 12 and 14 to 15, so the first half is the easier driving.
  • The road passes the state park lodge and two lakes, so there are places to stop within the forest.
  • Check OHGO for current closures before you go.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check OHGO: Ohio traffic and road closures.

Questions about this drive

How long does Highway 125 through Shawnee State Forest take?

The 15.2-mile drive from Friendship to Blue Creek takes about 20 minutes.

How twisty is Highway 125 in Shawnee State Forest?

Mostly gentle curves, with two twistier stretches near the end, around miles 11 to 12 and 14 to 15.

Where does Highway 125 start for the Shawnee State Forest drive?

At US 52 near Friendship, about 7 miles west of Portsmouth, heading west through the forest.

What is there to see on Highway 125 in Shawnee State Forest?

The road passes Shawnee State Lodge and Park, Roosevelt Lake and Turkey Creek Lake inside Ohio's largest state forest.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Highway 125: Shawnee State Forest, from Friendship to Blue Creek