Photo by NPS/Sara Guren
Just because it’s cold out doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy CVNP! Find tons of ways to escape those chilly winter days!
Visit the Winter Sports Center at Kendall Lake Shelter to get rental equipment for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Escape the cold with a crackling fire and a hot beverage at the Winter Sports Center. Center staff and volunteers provide visitors with updated weather forecasts, area maps, and schedules of park events. Take a look at your national park's Schedule of Events to keep up with the latest events and happenings this winter season!
Winter Sports Center 1000 Truxell Road
Peninsula, OH 44264
The Winter Sports Center will be open on the following dates for the 2011-2012 ski season when there is at least 4 inches of snow:
December 3-December 18: Saturdays and Sundays only
December 26-31: Daily
January 7-February 26: Saturdays and Sundays
January 16 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day): 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
February 20 (Presidents' Day): 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Please note that the Winter Sports Center is only open when there is at least 4 inches of snow. It may open for additional days during periods of heavy snow. Please call 1-800-257-9477 for current snowfall depth. For your safety, the Cuyahoga Nordic Ski Patrol monitors the trails and sledding hills.
Check out the following areas for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing:
Boston Run Trail, 501 Streetsboro Road, Boston Heights 44236, is 3.5 miles. Access from Happy Days north parking lot on State Route 303. Advanced intermediate route with steep terrain through mixed woodlands. (Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing)
Cross Country Trail, 5249 Quick Road, Peninsula 44264, is 2.5 miles and designed for cross-country skiing. Access the trail from Kendall Lake on Truxell Road or Little Meadow parking lot on Quick Road. This intermediate-to-difficult trail passes through mixed woods and old fields. It has several steep hills. (Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing)
Ledges Field, 405 Kendall Park Road, Peninsula 44264, is adjacent to the Ledges Shelter off Truxell Road. There is a large, flat open field that is excellent for beginners. (Cross-country skiing)
Oak Hill Trail, 3901 Oakhill Road, Peninsula 44264, is 1.5 miles. Loop trail accessed at Oak Hill Trailhead on Oak Hill Road. Easy-to-moderate trail through mixed woods and past a pond. (Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing)
Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. 19.7 miles, with many access points. Easy multi-purpose trail. The Hunt Farm to Peninsula section is especially scenic. (Cross-country skiing)
Pine Grove Trail accessed via the Winter Sports Center at Kendall Lake, Kendall Park Road, Peninsula 44264, is 3.5 miles with some drainage steps. It is moderately strenuous. (snowshoeing)
Plateau Trail, is a 4.9 mile outer loop around the Oak Hill Plateau. It is moderately strenuous with two steep hills. (Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing)
Tree Farm Trail, 2075 Major Road, Peninsula 44264, is 2.75 miles. Loop trail accessed at Horseshoe Pond on Major Road. Easy-to-moderate trail through open fields, across gently rolling hills, and into coniferous tree stands. (Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing)
Sledding
Kendall Hills on Quick Road, about one mile east of Akron Peninsula Road. Parking is located at Pine Hollow (5465 Quick Road, Peninsula 44264), Crow Foot Gully Picnic Area (5365 Quick Road, Peninsula 44264), and Little Meadow (5249 Quick Road, Peninsula 44264) parking lots. Separate areas are designated for sleds and toboggans. Some areas are closed to sledding to prevent conflicts with cross-country ski trails.
Downhill Skiing and Snow Tubing
Brandywine Ski Resort, 1146 West Highland Road, Sagamore Hills 44067, and Boston Mills Ski Resort, 7100 Riverview Road, Peninsula 44264, offer downhill skiing. Equipment rental and instruction are available. Polar Blast Tubing Park, next to Brandywine Ski Resort, offers snow tubing Friday through Sunday for those who want to enjoy the slopes without skiing or snowboarding!
Father and Daughter Snowshoeing by NPS/Sara Guren