Winter Activities in Ohio
The state parks here in Ohio offer the perfect setting for any winter activities you can think of. Such as: cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, skating on beautiful frozen ponds, sledding and hiking. There are several places right here in the Buckeye State to celebrate winter’s beauty.
In Northeast Ohio there is Punderson State Park located on Kinsman Road in Newbury, Ohio. Situated in the heart of Ohio’s Snow Belt, Punderson provides cold weather thrills for its visitors including a lighted sled hill. Snowmobile trails offer access to the park for those with snowmobiles. Cross country ski trails are available as weather permits. There is also ice fishing on Punderson Lake. Anglers enjoy catches of bluegill, largemouth bass, rainbow and golden trout and catfish. Beautiful Punderson Lake invites boaters to explore the many scenic coves. Electric motors only are permitted. Boat rentals are available at the marina concession. Punderson is a beehive of activity in the winter, with some of the best cross-country skiing, sledding and snowmobiling in the state. You can spend the night or weekend twenty-six cottages sleep six persons each. They have two bedrooms, bath with a shower, living room, complete kitchen, dining area and screened porch. You can also stay at the lodge overnight accommodations are available in the Manor House. Thirty-one guest rooms provide a warm, intimate atmosphere. The manor house features a dining room, meeting rooms and outdoor and indoor swimming pools.
Also in Northeast Ohio there is Mohican State Park located on route 3 in Loudonville, Ohio. You can enjoy snowmobiling and ice fishing. Scenic Mohican State Park is convenient to downhill ski areas at Snow Trails and Clear Fork. And there are cottages where you can stay; twenty-five two-bedroom family cottages are located along the river in a wooded area. Each of the cottages will accommodate six people. The cottages are heated for year-round use and contain cooking utensils, towels, bed linens and blankets. There is also a lodge the lodge at Mohican offers luxurious seclusion and comfortable resort accommodations. There are 96 air-conditioned rooms, each with a private balcony and color television. The lodge is equipped with private meeting and banquet rooms for groups up to 425, a dining room, sauna, gift shop, lounge, and Olympic-size indoor and outdoor pools.
Then there is Malabar Farm State Park located on Bromfield Road in Lucas, Ohio. Malabar Farm in Pleasant Valley was the dream of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Louis Bromfield. Today, visitors can see the house and farm existing just as they did in Bromfield’s time. Cross-country skiing is a popular wintertime activity at Malabar Farm State Park in Richland County. Sledding, ices skating and cross-country skiing are permitted during appropriate weather. Cross country ski rental available at the Big House Gift Shop. Also while there stop at Malabar Inn Restaurant, located within the park, it is a restored stagecoach inn built in 1820. Today, the inn is state-owned and offers home-cooked meals, Tuesday through Sunday, May 1-October 31. The inn is also open on weekends in March and April and during park events and winter weekends.
There are many day use areas in Northeast Ohio to enjoy cross country skiing such as Findley State Park in Lorain County, Geneva State Park in Ashtabula County, Headlands Beach State Park in Lake County, Jefferson Lake State Park in Jefferson County, Mosquito Lake State Park in Trumbull County, Portage Lakes State Park in Summit County, Tinker’s Creek State Park and West Branch State Park in Portage County.
In Southeast Ohio there are many winter activities to enjoy also such as: Burr Oak State Park located at Burr Oak Lodge Road in Glouster, Ohio. While there you can enjoy sledding, ice skating and ice fishing. Burr Oak Lodge, overlooking the lake from the east, offers sixty guest rooms, five meeting rooms, a dining room, full-service lounge and gift shop. Facilities for lodge and cottage guests include a swimming beach, tennis courts, playground equipment, boat launch ramp and an indoor swimming pool.
Salt Fork State Park located on Cadiz Road in Lore City, Ohio. Offers about anything you can think of in winter sports. You can enjoy snowmobiling, ice skating, ice fishing, ice boating, cross-country skiing and hiking. There are many places to stay to Salt Fork Lodge, scenically overlooks the lake and has 148 guest rooms. The lodge features include a dining room, coffee shop, snack bar, gift shop, lounge and lobby areas, indoor game area and meeting rooms accommodating up to 450 people. In addition, guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor swimming pools, sauna, the tennis, volleyball, basketball, and shuffleboard courts, 400-foot swimming beach, as well as boat launching and docking facilities.
Thirty-seven two-bedroom vacation cottages in hillside and lakeside locations offer fully furnished living and dining areas, kitchen equipped with cooking and eating utensils, bath with shower, and screened porch. Seventeen chalet cottages also feature gas log fireplaces and hot tubs. All cottages are available year-round.
Sledding hills draw visitors to Blue Rock State Park in Muskingum County, Forked Run State Park in Meigs County, Lake Logan State Park in Hocking County, Jackson Lake and Lake Alma state parks in Jackson County, Lake White State Park in Pike County, Scioto Trail Paint Creek and Tar Hollow state parks in Ross County, Stroud’s Run State Park in Athens County and Wolf Run State Park in Noble County.
Southwest Ohio attracts winter sports enthusiasts too; Sycamore State Park located on Diamond Mill Road in Trotwood,
Ohio offers lots of day-use wintertime fun, including 15 miles of trails for cross-country skiing and eight miles of snowmobiling trails. Ice skaters frequent the small ponds near the park’s overlook picnic area. Ice fishing anglers will enjoy good catches of largemouth bass, bluegill and catfish in the park’s ponds. Hunting is permitted on nearly 1,500 acres of park land with outstanding squirrel and deer hunting opportunities. The Day-Use “Barn” Lodge, located in the Group Camp “A” area, is available for rental year-round for meetings, retreats, reunions or other functions. The Day-Use Lodge is equipped with electrical hookups, a wood burning stove, and a refrigerator and stove for cooking.
Hueston Woods State Park located on Park Office Road in College Corner, Ohio offers sledding, ice skating, cross-country skiing, ice boating and ice fishing. There are plenty of places to stay. The 96-room Hueston Woods Lodge is situated on a bluff overlooking Acton Lake. It’s open year ’round. Amenities include a dining room, snack bar, gift shop, meeting rooms, lounge, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, game room, and lighted tennis court.
Cozy cottages offer an alternative to the lodge. A total of 25 Family Cottages, which can sleep six people, provide two bedrooms, bath, kitchen, living room, and screened porch. Two Premium Cottages include a master bedroom suite. Ten Efficiency Cottages have a living-dining-sleeping area for four people, and private bath. All cottages are equipped with cooking and eating utensils, towels, and bedding. Multi-purpose trails for cross-country skiing are open at Caesar Creek and Little Miami state parks in Warren County, and Stone lick State Park in Clermont County.
In Northwest Ohio Cross-country skiing is a popular winter activity at Independence Dam State Park in Defiance County, Lake Laramie State Park in Shelby County, and Harrison Lake State Park in Fulton County and Mary Jane Thurston State Park in Wood County. Harrison Lake, Independence Dam, Lake Loramie and Mary Jane Thurston also feature sledding hills.
Ohio has winter activities for everyone and there are places everywhere to enjoy Ohio Winters. Just look out into your back yard.
I’m sure you will find at least a small hill worth sledding down or woods to hike in and observe the rabbits scurrying into their holes or the Squirrels scampering up a tree. Just because winter is fast approaching doesn’t mean we have to stay inside. Get outside and explore the beauty of Ohio winters. Hocking Hills State Park in Hocking County has waterfalls that are especially beautiful with icicles on them and they have a winter hike there every year with soup beans, cornbread, coco and coffee served and eaten near Old Mans Cave. Great winter activities are just around the corner.
