New Straitsville, OH

New Straitsville is a small village tucked into the Appalachian foothills of southeastern Ohio, in Perry County. With a population of roughly 700 residents, it carries the quiet, working-class character of a former coal mining community, surrounded by the forested ridges and hollows of the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. The village is best known for its deep mining heritage and as a quiet gateway to the natural attractions of the wider Hocking Hills region, sitting about 55 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio's capital and largest city.

Just a short drive southwest of New Straitsville, Hocking Hills State Park anchors the region's outdoor tourism. Spanning thousands of acres of rugged sandstone gorges, cascading waterfalls, and hemlock-filled hollows, the park draws visitors year-round to features such as Old Man's Cave, Ash Cave, and Cedar Falls. Drive time from the village to the main recreation areas is generally around 30 to 40 minutes, making it a feasible day trip and a major driver of overnight stays in the surrounding small towns.

The village and its surroundings also lie within easy reach of the Wayne National Forest, a sprawling public landscape of nearly a quarter million acres spread across the hills of southeastern Ohio. Hiking, horseback riding, off-road vehicle trails, and dispersed camping opportunities are scattered throughout the forest's ranger districts, with the Athens and Ironton units both within a reasonable drive. For travelers who prefer quieter, less-trafficked outdoor experiences than the busier state park corridors, the national forest offers a more understated alternative.

Closer to home, New Straitsville itself is the site of one of Ohio's more unusual historical curiosities: a coal seam fire that has been burning beneath the village since 1884, ignited during a labor dispute and still smoldering underground more than a century later. Interpretive markers around the community tell the story of the event and the broader coal-era history of the region, adding a layer of industrial-archaeology interest to a stay in the village.

For short-term rental investors, New Straitsville offers an appealing combination of small-town affordability, proximity to one of Ohio's strongest outdoor tourism draws, and a distinctive sense of place rooted in Appalachian coal country. Its location allows guests to use the village as a quiet, off-the-beaten-path base while keeping the marquee attractions of Hocking Hills within easy reach, making it well suited to travelers seeking a more authentic, less commercialized alternative to staying directly in the park's main gateway towns.