Now that Mother Nature has blanketed Ohio's landscape in white, winter activities in many Ohio State Parks are in full swing.
"Our state parks offer spectacular scenery and provide a safe, natural setting for sledding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, skating and hiking," said Dan West, chief of Ohio State Parks. "We encourage families to celebrate winter's beauty and fun with a visit to one of our award-winning facilities."
Visitors are urged to "stay and play" at parks that feature resort lodges or heated and fully equipped vacation cottages.
NORTHEAST OHIO
Punderson State Park in Geauga County and Mohican State Park in Ashland County offer both lodge and cottage accommodations. Punderson, a beehive of winter activity, also offers some of the best cross-country skiing, sledding and snowmobiling in the state. Scenic Mohican State Park is convenient to downhill ski areas at Snow Trails and Clear Fork.
Cross-country skiing is a popular wintertime activity at Malabar Farm State Park in Richland County and at Quail Hollow State Park in Stark County where visitors who want to try the sport can rent ski equipment. Both parks also feature sledding hills and skating ponds. Sleds are also available for rent at Malabar.
Cross-country ski areas drawing day-use visitors include 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.
Snowmobiling trails are also a feature at Geneva, Mosquito Lake and West Branch. Cleveland Lakefront State Park in Cuyahoga County and Headlands Beach have sledding hills. Beaver Creek State Park in Columbiana County offers ice skating on the Mill Pond.
SOUTHEAST OHIO
Lodge and cottage accommodations are available at Burr Oak State Park in Morgan County, Shawnee State Park in Scioto County and Salt Fork State Park in Guernsey County. Burr Oak and Salt Fork also feature sledding hills. Eight miles of snowmobiling trails lie within the rolling hills of Salt Fork. Nine miles of trails are available to snowmobile enthusiasts at Barkcamp State Park in Belmont County, which also offers cross-country skiing on 24 miles of multi-use trails.
Dillon State Park in Muskingum County offers visitors newly remodeled vacation cottages, as well as a specially constructed skating pond and sledding hill.
Lake Hope State Park in Vinton County, Hocking Hills State Park in Hocking County and Pike Lake State Park in Pike County also offer overnight cottages and sledding opportunities.
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, Strouds Run State Park in Athens County and Wolf Run State Park in Noble County.
SOUTHWEST OHIO
Hueston Woods State Park in Preble County has sledding hills, as well as lodge and cottage accommodations. Additional sledding hills are open to the public at Buck Creek State Park in Clark County, Cowan Lake State Park in Clinton County, East Fork and Stonelick state parks in Clermont County, John Bryan State Park in Greene County, Kiser Lake State Park in Champaign County, Rocky Fork State Park in Highland County and Sycamore State Park in Montgomery County. Cottages are available for rent at both Buck Creek and Cowan Lake.
Sycamore also offers a bevy 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.
Multi-purpose trails for cross-country skiing are open at Caesar Creek and Little Miami state parks in Warren County, and Stonelick State Park in Clermont County.
NORTHWEST OHIO
Maumee Bay State Park on Lake Erie in Lucas County features both fully equipped cottages and a luxurious resort lodge. For outdoor enthusiasts, Maumee Bay also offers five miles of cross-country skiing trails and a sledding hill. Ski equipment is available for rent.
Other northwest Ohio state parks geared up for winter fun include East Harbor State Park in Ottawa County that has sledding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling facilities.
Cross-country skiing is a popular winter activity at Independence Dam State Park in Defiance County, Lake Loramie State Park in Shelby County, 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.
CENTRAL OHIO
Deer Creek State Park in Pickaway County offers overnight accommodations in both the resort lodge and nearby cottages. The park's 12 miles of snowmobiling trails are a popular wintertime draw.
Other central Ohio parks offering winter fun include Alum Creek and Delaware state parks in Delaware County. Alum Creek has seven miles of snowmobiling trails and 38 miles of multi-use trails for cross-country skiing. Delaware offers sledding and cross-country skiing, as well as a special skating rink near the marina.
Visitors to Buckeye Lake State Park in Licking County are permitted to skate on the small pond at the North Shore boat ramp.
Sledding is also permitted at A.W. Marion State Park in Pickaway County and Mount Gilead State Park in Morrow County. Indian Lake State Park in Logan County features seven miles of trails accommodating cross-country skiers. Snowmobiling is allowed on both Buckeye Lake and Indian Lake, weather permitting.
WINTER HIKES
Hiking in an Ohio State Park offers one of the best ways to savor the state's wintertime landscape. Organized hikes are upcoming at Hocking Hills State Park on January 19, Findley State Park on February 2, Caesar Creek State Park on February 9, and Malabar Farm State Park on February 16.
Visitors are urged to call ahead when planning a wintertime visit to any state park in order to check the current weather and snow conditions.
Ice skating, ice boating, ice fishing and snowmobiling are permitted on most state park lakes. However, safety demands that new ice be at least 5 inches thick and most areas have not yet reached that minimum. Skaters are encouraged to visit the parks listed above with specially constructed facilities.