Celebrate snow! Experience your parks on cross-country skis and snowshoes!
For up-to-date conditions and to find out if Pine Lodge Ski Center is open, call the Winter Sports Hotline at 440-256-2118 x4178 or check Twitter or Facebook. We update the sports hotline daily (even hourly as snow conditions change).
If your adventure includes cross-country skiing, there are opportunities across the county starting with Chapin Forest Reservation where we rent skis and snowshoes, groom the trails and turn on lights for you at night. If you have “been there and done that” and want to experience the peace and solitude that exists throughout winter, you might check out three other areas groomed for skiing. Click here for Chapin Forest Reservation Cross-country Skiing & Snowshoeing Trail Map.
In south/central Lake County we groom nine kilometers at the south entrance of Girdled Road Reservation–some of it flat, but also some challenging terrain. Each park offers a different experience and, with the spotty nature of snowfall, it may be possible to ski in one park while grass is still showing at another. Click here for Girdled Road Reservation Cross-country Skiing & Snowshoeing Trail Map.
Rental equipment is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Equipment cannot be reserved. A driver’s license is required as a deposit with all rentals.
Classic skis and skate skis available. Rental includes skis, boots and poles.
Rental includes snowshoes and optional poles.
Call the Nature Center for details at 440-256-1404.
Address: 10381 Hobart Rd., Kirtland, Ohio 44094
Through mid-March, with appropriate snow conditions:
The ski center is open and staffed only when weather, snow accumulation and conditions warrant. Before visiting the ski center, call for daily ski conditions, snow accumulation report and to confirm the center is open for the day.
Address: 8668 Kirtland Chardon Rd., Kirtland, Ohio 44094
Snowshoes must stay on property. Call the Nature Center for details at 440-256-1404.
Lake Metroparks will continue to groom trails for skiing this winter season at both Chapin Forest Reservation and Girdled Road Reservation (south entrance) as in the past. One mile of trail at Chapin Forest will be illuminated every night from dusk until the park closes (take a hike under the lights if conditions are not optimal for skiing!).
To see current, live conditions outside of Pine Lodge, click here.
If you are looking for an adventure that can be dialed back a notch, then perhaps snowshoeing is for you. All it takes is three or four inches of snow and a good pair of boots and you can experience winter at its best. At Penitentiary Glen Reservation and Chapin Forest Reservation, we rent snowshoes and have designated marked trails for you to follow. Snowshoes rented at Penitentiary Glen Reservation must stay on property, but snowshoes rented at Chapin Forest Reservation may be taken offsite. You may want to explore our other parks and trails across Lake County. Some favorites include Indian Point Park (upper lot), Jordan Creek Park, Pete’s Pond Preserve, Hell Hollow Wilderness Area, Hogback Ridge Park, Big Creek at Liberty Hollow and Skok Meadow at Girdled Road Reservation. Each of these parks has something different to offer from scenic overlooks to shale cliffs coated with ice. Anywhere you hike in the summer is a great place to snowshoe in the winter. Many of the parks in central Lake County benefit from great lake effect snowfalls.
Two trails have been created to provide a backcountry snowshoe (or hiking) experience to explore 3.5 miles of accessible areas within Girdled Road Reservation. To find the snowshoe trails: Enter and park at the south entrance/lot (12926 Radcliffe Rd.); travel (north) on the main trail (groomed for skiing, please avoid stepping on ski tracks) and look on the left side for a sign that reads “Backcountry Snowshoe Trail.” The first trail is a one-mile loop marked with colorful ribbons. Continue north on the main trail 50 yards to a second snowshoe trail on the right. This is a 2.5-mile out-and-back trail (also marked with a sign and ribbons).