Winter Walking Trails
in Ohio Parks and Natural Areas

Get outside in the Winter

Hiking is not just a summer-time activity. Winter is a quieter time in Nature. Leaves don't quiver in the wind; many birds have gone south; wildflowers are dormant beneath a mantle of pure white snow.

That doesn't mean it is boring outside. Anything but. Winter is a great time to learn to track animals, snowshoe, examine the landscape structure unobstructed by vegetation, or just enjoy the peaceful cold in a nearly deserted park.

Here are a few trails that are peaceful and beautiful in Winter

Fort Hill Loop Trail
From high above, this trail offers some spectacular views of the icy, snowy Rocky River corridor in Winter.

Glens Trail
Along the Cuyahoga River in Cuyahoga Falls, this short trail offers views of a high sheer cliff with beautiful icecicles in winter. Because the river below the Glens Trail is impounded by the Ohio Edison Dam, the river is smooth here, creating a great opportunity for spectacular reflections when the river is not frozen.

A snowy cliff along the Grand River
in Lake County Ohio

Gorge Trail
Here you will find a rocky, slippery world of small ice formations on the ledges of Gorge Metropark in Cuyahoga Falls, and numerous small seeps that form ice. The bottom of the dam is an interesting winter spot along this trail.

Dripping Rock Trail
Named for the shale rock outcroppings along the trail, you can see icecicles, frozen streams, and a variety of winter wildlife on this trail in Highbanks Metropark just north of Columbus.

Quarry Rock Picnic Area Trails
From this trail, you will see great ice formations, both above you and across the Chagrin River from you as you walk along the river. A small observation deck near the parking lot aloows you to safely observe the ice-enshrined river from above.