Winter can be a time where you want to bundle up by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa and hibernate until Spring, but don’t miss out on what Ohio offers in winter. Here in Delaware County, there are some phenomenal places for winter hiking and outdoor play. Preservation Parks of Delaware County have created green spaces and top-notch facilities, and our family heads to these locations as often as possible. Here are our top 3 choices for winter hikes in Delaware, Ohio.
Blues Creek Park is a little known green space that is located in Ostrander, Ohio. One of our favorite hikes here is the lovely and flat Shagbark Loop Trail located within the park’s 138.4 acres. We find this hike to be family-friendly and easy to do, even in winter. This trail provides you with a variety of areas to see and is jogging stroller friendly. Traversing on this trail takes you from meadows to mature woods where many animals and birds can be seen. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the Shagbark Hickory trees lining this beautiful hike.
Blues Creek Park has a delightful sledding hill, and we are always glad when Ohio dumps us a little snow so we can head over there for some winter fun. The sledding hill located in the center of the park doesn’t just offer fun sledding but also has stunning views of large areas of beautiful scenery.
Amenities:
The bathroom facility is heated in winter and has flushing toilets. They have provided a baby changing table in the women’s restroom for families. The doors on the restrooms are unlocked during their open hours.
- Parking is ample in this park.
- Playground
- Covered picnic shelters
Blues Creek Park Location: 9627 Fontanelle Rd. Ostrander, Ohio 43061
Hours: Winter 8:00 am-7:00 pm
Gallant Woods Park is an old-growth woods located in the NW Delaware county and is one of our top places to head for excellent winter hiking. Their meadows, restored prairies and wetlands, and woods make viewing of nature here … absolutely perfect. Wildlife sightings vary, and you can listen for wood thrush and barred owls in the woodlands, Eastern bluebirds in the prairies, and watch for plentiful deer within the park’s borders. We enjoy going to programs here to call in owls during winter. Make sure to check their program guide to see if they are offering something while you are adventuring here.
Taking your family out to the sledding hill here is phenomenal after a good snow. We came here in January and spent a whole afternoon. Sledding on this hill brought screams of delight and tears of laughter as we enjoyed the winter afternoon.
After your outside play or hike, head over to Gallant Farm to warm up and take in the sights of this Depression era farmhouse; you truly can spend the whole afternoon here enjoying Gallant Park!
Amenities:
The bathroom facility is heated and has flushing toilets. They have provided a baby changing table in the women’s restroom for families. Doors on the restroom are unlocked during their open hours.
Parking is ample in this park.
Playground
Covered shelter
- Restrooms, drinking fountain, running water
- Six picnic tables
- Electricity in shelter
- Charcoal grill
- Playground
- Horseshoe pit
Winter Hours: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. (November 1 – February 28)
Gallant Woods Park Location: 2150 Buttermilk Hill Road, Delaware, OH 43015
Deer Haven Park is one of the best places to hike in winter! While this is a small park it has big park amenities! Deer Haven is alive with bird, deer, and amazing habitats that make this location a great central Ohio place to hike. There are 1.5 miles of trails, but within this small park, it has the diversity you look for in larger parks. Our favorite hike is taking the Bent Tree Trail to the Grass Trail onto the Tree Swallow Trail where we connect up to the trail in Havener Park and then onto the Gravel Connector Trail back to Deer Haven Park. (You combine two parks into one hike) They have a visitor center where you can view birds, find clean bathrooms, and speak to the on-staff naturalist.
In the winter, they offer hot cocoa and coffee in the full-service visitor center to help you warm up after your hike through the woods. There is NOTHING like coming indoors after your trek to sit and watch the birds at the feeders or enjoy walking through the beautiful center.
Amenities:
The facility offers viewing windows, animal habitats, a library, games, and bathrooms.
The parking lot can be pretty full in this park.
Hours: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. (November 1 – February 28)
Location: 4183 Liberty Road, Delaware, OH 43015
Want to read more about Deer Haven Park? Click here
No matter where you roam in Ohio, these 3 winter hikes in Delaware, Ohio, should not be left off your list of winter hiking and exploration.
Happy Adventures,
Brandy
A personal recommendation for after your hike is a trip to visit Delaware for some hot chocolate: 6 Best Places for Hot Chocolate in Delaware, Ohio.
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