11 Places Around Cleveland That Transform Into Mesmerizing Ice Gardens In The Wintertime
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Nikki Rhoades
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Greater Cleveland is a beautiful community, overflowing with stunning landscapes and charming man-made features. However, the winter can seem to dull the excitement of living in such a wonderful region. The truth is, though, that the very weather that keeps us cooped up indoors also reshapes the landscape in a truly splendid way. Nothing beats cabin fever like a tour of the area’s loveliest natural ice sculptures.
As the only national park in Ohio, Cuyahoga Valley National Park promises to hide spectacular landscape. It's 32,000 acres are only made all the more splendid by winter's arrival. The Twin Sister Falls Trail is a rather difficult hike, but it's well worth it in the winter when its hidden waterfall freezes over.
Lakewood Park, characterized by gorgeous views of Lake Erie and downtown Cleveland, includes 31 acres of public park land. It's Lakefront Promenade offers a stunning way to observe natural ice sculptures along the Lake Erie Shore.
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Blue Hen Falls Trail offers a fairly short half-mile hike to one of the loveliest waterfalls in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This gently flowing waterfall often ices over in the winter, though if it's warm enough you'll still see a bit of movement in the water.
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Lakeview is perhaps the most beautiful park in Lorain. This 20-acre coastal park features a sunset terrace, public beach, and historic rose garden. However, it becomes an entirely new landscape in the winter months. It's coastal views are dotted with a frozen layer of dormant flora, and the ice sculptures that Lake Erie waves create are out of this world.
When the conditions are right, icicles will form on the campus of this stunning lighthouse. Under rare circumstances, like in the case of a particularly windy December storm in 2010, the entire building may find itself encased in ice.
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This delightful Lake Erie Island is commonly as the Walleye Capital of the World and a summer getaway for Northern Ohioans. Its shoreline and spectacular landscape attract thousands of tourists each summer, but the incredible power of Lake Erie's waves create an unbelievably surreal landscape each winter.
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Explore the trails of Edgewater's Upper and Lower Parks or the campus of Wendy Park. This gigantic reservation is overseen by the Cleveland Metroparks, and its campus is endlessly captivating. The lakefront trails in this stunning reservation will leave you in awe.
This 15-acre lakefront site is stunning in the winter. Its beach, which is petite, yet perfect for summertime picnicking, becomes a winter wonderland as the waves crash over the vegetation and discarded branches from tumultuous late autumn storms.
This charming lakeside park is petite (at only 14 acres), but its beauty is almost unreal. Locals love watching the sunset here each summer, but the truth is that it's even more beautiful in the winter months. Hues of red and yellow reflect off of the multitude of icicles that form on the shoreline, treating onlookers to an incredibly dreamy view.
The East and West branches of the Black River come together in this enchanting 135-acre park. Its views of the river will take your breath away, but the frozen features of the West Falls will leave you speechless. It's only a short hike to reach this pretty place!
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This park is itsy bitsy, at just under 3 acres, but its frozen beauty is unsurpassable. Its fishing pier and shore structures create surreal ice sculptures that you have to see in-person to believe.
There is so much ethereal beauty right here in Greater Cleveland that our landscape almost always looks like a painting. Which lovely destination will you be exploring first?
Need to get out of the house? This enchanting lakefront hike is a stunning way to beat the winter blues.
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