There are plentiful winter activities right here in Ohio! We picked our Top-12 outdoor things to do in January and February, but others can easily be on this list.
Dare to plunge Ohio’s tallest and fastest toboggan chutes at the Chalet in Cleveland Metropark’s Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville.
Skate The Ribbon in Toledo! The 1,000-foot loop trail has some rolling hills and soft curves. It connects to a 5,000-square-foot rink at Toledo’s Glass City Metropark. Ice skates may be rented on-site.
Enjoy more outdoor ice skating in Dayton at the MetroParks Ice Rink. It’s a family-friendly experience for skaters of all ages and the region’s largest outdoor ice skating rink. The rink offers beautiful views of the scenic Great Miami River and downtown.
How does “Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh” sound? Ma & Pa’s old-fashioned horse-drawn carriage rides in Northeast Ohio traverse the woods and fields and even stop for some stargazing. Hot chocolate awaits back at the 1820 log cabin.
Mohican Winterfest in Loudonville ice carvings and free family entertainment. Bring the family down to check out all the ice sculptures that line the street and watch the live carving demos.
The annual Winter Hike at Hocking Hills will treat you to amazing ice formations! From giant icicle fields to frozen waterfalls, dress warm, wear sturdy shoes, and freezeframe stunning crystalized shots.
Light fire to winter and burn a giant snowman at the Burning Snowman Fest in Port Clinton. It comes complete with ice sculptures, fire dancers, hot tubs, hobo fires, and plenty of s’mores and hot chocolate. Of course, the climax is the burning of a giant paper snowman to call for spring.
There’s only one sled dog event in Ohio, so of course, it’s called The Great Sled Dog Race! This is a Greater Cleveland classic. Snowpack permitting, this rare event attracts mushers from all around. Teams cover one to six miles through woods and across open fields.
Ohio has several ice festivals, all of which are delightful. Two longtime favorites are in the lovely towns of Medina and Vermilion. There, you’ll enjoy the Medina Ice Fest and the Vermilion Ice A Fair.
When the powdery snow is the perfect mix, you can’t miss tubing, skiing, and snowboarding fun at Snow Trails and Boston Mills Brandywine Ski Resort in Northeast Ohio.
The list of enjoyable winter pastimes in Ohio could go on and on (Did you know Ohio has an Ice Wine Fest?). But we’ll stop here …for now. 😉
Roller Skate or Ice Skate The Ribbon in Toledo.
- Open: Usually open daily from dawn to dusk, but seasons and holidays may vary
- Location: (Map It) 1505 Front St in Toledo, Ohio
- Phone: 419-407-9717
- Web: click here
The Ribbon at Toledo’s Glass City Metropark features seasonal roller skating or ice skating along a loop trail. It has some rolling hills and soft curves. Ice skate rentals are available. During warm weather it’s normally free to rollerblade, kick scoot, and balance bike The Ribon.
Admission to Snow Trails varies.
- Open: Call below for the snow report
- Location: (Map It) 3100 Possum Run Road in Mansfield, Ohio
- Phone: 419-774-9818
- Web: click here
Snow Trails in Mansfield offers winter Ohio skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing fun.
Tobogganing in Ohio at Cleveland Metroparks at Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville, Ohio
Tickets are required for the Tobogganing at the Mill Stream Run Chalet.
- When: Winter, weather-permitting, through late February
- Phone: 440-572-9990
- Where: (Map It) The Chalet at Mill Stream Run Reservation at 16200 Valley Pkwy. in Strongsville, Ohio.
- Web: click here
Ohio’s tallest and fastest toboggan chutes are at the Chalet in Cleveland Metropark’s Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville, Ohio.
Adventure-goers can experience the icy thrill of tobogganing. The twin toboggan chutes plunge down a 70-foot vertical drop and travel along 700 feet of ice, reaching up to 50 miles per hour. The refrigerated ice chutes can operate with or without snow below 50 degrees.
The chutes are fun for all ages as the toboggans are transported effortlessly by the Chalet’s lift system. Gloves are required to ride the chutes; all riders must be 42″ or taller. Guests can warm up by one of the Chalet fireplaces between toboggan runs while enjoying a hot chocolate from the snack bar. The Chalet also features a loft with a view of the chutes.
Tobogganing is available annually through late March, on Fridays from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
The Toboggan Chutes are located in the Cleveland Metroparks Chalet Recreation Area, 16200 Valley Parkway, Mill Stream Run Reservation, between routes 42 and 82 in Strongsville. Guests can call the Chalet at 440-572-9990, option #6, for operations updates in case of warm or inclement weather. Click here for more information on holiday hours, admission, and season passes.
Tickets are required for the Ma & Pa’s Horse-Drawn Sleigh Rides in Northeast Ohio.
- When: Annually from December 1 through the end of February
- Where: (Map It) Main Market Road, (State Route 422), Troy Township, Ohio
- Phone: 440-548-5521
- Web: click here
Ma & Pa’s Horse-Drawn Sleigh Rides in Northeast Ohio: How does “Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh” sound? The excursion begins at Ma and Pa’s 1820 log cabin, where you will find various rustic items, such as chainsaw-carved bears, log furniture, and hunting and fishing gear, as well as everything for the rustic home. Then, out into the woods, one of their draft horses will pull one of two old-fashioned sleighs, wandering out into an open field where the horses often stop during the evening rides so that guests can gaze up into the star-filled sky. When the trip has ended, visitors are welcomed back to the cabin for hot chocolate or maple coffee and cookies baked by Ma herself!
At RiverScape Metropark
Admission to ice skate at the Metroparks Ice Rink is approx. $7/person (plus approx. $3/skate rental)
- When: Winter, weather-permitting, through February (click link below for the schedule)
- Phone: 937-274-0126
- Where: (Map It) 237 E. Monument Ave. in Dayton, Ohio
- Web: click here
Offering season-long, family-friendly experiences for skaters of all ages, the MetroParks Ice Rink has beautiful views of downtown Dayton’s scenic Great Miami River. It is the region’s largest outdoor ice-skating rink.
Season passes are available: passes include season-long admission and skate rentals for up to five people, and individual passes cover the same costs for one person. Season pass holders may also receive discounts at the RiverScape Café.
Visitors can stay warm while purchasing admission under the MSD Warming Zone. The Kettering Health Network Comfort Tent, presented by Butler Heating and Air Conditioning, is adjacent to the rink and provides skaters and observers a warm place to take a break from the winter weather. Additionally, warm snacks and beverages will be available at the RiverScape Café.
Recreation activities at the rink include curling and broomball. To learn more about these programs, visit metroparks.org/icerink.
Skating lessons for children, teens, and adults are held at the rink throughout the season and cover basic skills that will have participants moving comfortably on the ice. Access to Nature Scholarships are available to qualifying families who wish to participate in skating programs. Provided by the Five Rivers MetroParks Foundation, these scholarships are for those of all ages and pay for part of the cost of fee-based programs. Visit metroparks.org/scholarships to learn more and apply. To register or view a list of available lessons, visit metroparks.org/skating.
The Valentine Re-Mailing Program From Loveland, Ohio, is a special stamping for free, but proper postage to envelopes must be applied.
- When: January 1st through February 14th
- Location: (Map It) Loveland Area Chamber of Commerce in Loveland, Ohio
- Phone: 513-683-1544
- Web: click here
Valentine Re-Mailing Program From Loveland: Send your Valentine’s stamped with a romantic cachet and postmark from Loveland, Ohio. Prepare your Valentines, affixing proper postage, address, and return address, and include them in a larger envelope addressed to The Valentine Lady, 514 W. Loveland Ave., Loveland, OH 45140.
All of the Valentine Ladies, past and present, members of the sweetheart court, and Loveland Area Chamber of Commerce staff members will affix the special cachet bearing our signature slogan, “There is nothing in this world so sweet as love.” After the special cachet is stamped upon the Valentine envelopes, they are taken to the Loveland Post Office, where they are hand-canceled bearing the passionate postmark from Loveland, OH. Please don’t wait until February to send your Valentine’s!
Photo credit: Ingemar Svala Photography
Vermilion Ice A Fair is free.
- When: February 7, 2026
- Location: (Map It) Downtown Vermilion, Ohio
- Phone: 440-963-0772
- Web: click here
Main Street Vermilion’s Ice A Fair features 50 ice sculptures created by Elegant Ice Creations, narrated trolley tours of Vermilion’s historic district, shopping, dining, ice carving demonstrations, and more.
The event starts at 11am. When the sun goes down, the sky lights up at 6pm with Fire and Ice in the center of downtown. A giant, skillfully carved chimney of ice stands in the center of downtown. Will the fire that burns inside topple the ice, or will the melting ice douse the flames? Enjoy the suspense, beauty, and spectacular fire dancing performance set to music for this traditional final to the day’s events; you won’t want to miss it.
The Medina Ice Festival is free.
- When: Always Presidents Day Weekend – February 20 – 23, 2026
- Location: (Map It) The historic square in downtown Medina, Ohio
- Phone: 440-717-1940
- Play Video: click here
- Web: click here
Medina Ice Festival in Medina, Ohio: Brrrrr. If you have “cabin fever” and want to spend some time outside in the middle of a northeast Ohio winter, you must stop in the historic town square in Medina, Ohio, for their annual ice festival. There, you will see a small downtown that seems straight out of Norman Rockwell’s painting. You will also see beautiful artwork made from ice as carvers compete in crafting ice sculptures. Enjoy an ice garden, an evening with a fire set to an ice tower, and photo ops galore. Don’t worry; there are plenty of lovely little shops to duck into and warm up a bit.
Tickets to Burning Snowman Fest in Port Clinton start at approx. $30/person (21 and over only).
- When: Always the last Saturday of February – February 28, 2026, from Noon – 8pm (Snowman burns at approximately 7pm)
- Location: (Map It) Docks Beachhouse at 252 W. Lakeshore Drive in Port Clinton, Ohio
- Phone: 419-357-6247
- Web: click here
Burning Snowman Fest in Port Clinton, Ohio: Light fire to winter and burn a giant Snowman. The all-day event features live music by local and regional bands, craft brews, ice sculptures, fire dancers, hot tubs, hobo fires, and plenty of s’mores and hot chocolate. The climax is the burning of a giant paper snowman to call for spring. The music festival is the centerpiece of a citywide event designed to make Port Clinton a “hot” destination. Bars and restaurants around town will have special music and themed events to coincide with the festival.
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