Rent a Boat in Zanesville, OH

Rolling farm country meets historic canal locks along the Muskingum River, while nearby Dillon Lake offers quiet coves framed by hardwood ridges. In one afternoon, you can lock through 19th-century hand-crank chambers, spot bald eagles, and grill supper on a glass-calm reservoir.

What to know

The most popular boat rental styles in the Zanesville area include:

• Pontoons & fishing rigs for shoreline camping on Dillon’s coves or slow cruises upriver.
• Jet-drive jon boats that skim the shallow Muskingum riffles without clipping rocks.

If you’ve never wrangled the hand-operated Muskingum locks or mapped the river’s shifting sandbars, hire a local captain to save time—and props.