This newsletter covers December 2016 and January, February 2017 and is exclusive content for subscribers to our mailing lists. I’ll discuss interesting winter outdoor activity including one of my favorite hikes of the year.
Bob Platt, Trekohio.com
trekohioblog@gmail.com
Deer Hunting
Deer gun season is scheduled for Monday November 28 through Sunday December 4, 2016 and the weekend of December 17,18, 2016. Muzzle-loader season is set for January 7-10, 2017. Archery season continues till Feb 5, 2017. Deer hunting is permitted on certain public lands on limited dates with a proper permit. This includes parts of Wayne National Forest, most state forests, select parts of select state parks, most state wildlife areas, and select county parks.
If you’re a deer hunter, here’s wishing you good luck with your hunt! If you’re not a deer hunter, you should avoid public hunting areas during gun season as a courtesy to the hunters and for safety. Take a look at our Ohio Deer Hunting Season 2016-2017 for further deer hunting information.
Winter Events Calendars
- Christmas Events – colorful light displays, Christmas meals, visits with Santa, crafts, and more all around the state
- Winter Solstice Events – events for the shortest day of the year, including “lighting the serpent” at Serpent Mound
- Winter Hiking Calendar – winter hikes around the state in January and February
- Dog sled racing at Punderson State Park – scheduled for January 14,15, 2017
- Ohio Maple Syrup Events – Maple syrup events start in February. I’ll update the calendar for 2017 some time in December 2016.
Hocking Winter Hike
We love winter hiking and the biggest and IMHO best is the annual Hocking Hills Winter Hike. This year the hike is scheduled for Saturday January 21, 2017. The hike attracts thousands of hikers, with over 5,000 hikers participating in one recent year. The hike officially starts at 9 AM, but the main parking lot fills fast, so we try to arrive earlier (around 8:15 AM). Usually, ODNR lets people begin hiking around 8:30 AM. Don’t worry, if the lot is full, you’ll still be able to hike. You’ll just have to park at an overrflow lot and take a bus to the starting point.
The hike starts by winding through Old Man’s Cave – a scenic gorge complex featuring frozen waterfalls, and cliff walls festooned with giant icicles. This is the most scenic but also the most crowded part of the hike. Then a three mile hike to Cedar Falls along the gorge rim and past Rose Lake (which is usually, but not always frozen). The crowd usually thins out, and you can enjoy views of snow covered forest.
At Cedar Falls, you’ll view another frozen waterfall and then stop for lunch in the picnic area. For a small donation, hot navy bean soup, cornbread, and hot cocoa is available. Port-A-Potties are located at one end of the picnic area. Then another 3 miles to Ash Cave. On the way, you’ll follow a creek through forest and past a fire tower (Smoky the Bear usually makes an appearance at the fire tower).
Ash Cave is the end of the hike. A creek plummets over the top of a large sandstone recess cave. Often the drizzling water from the falls freezes at the base of the cave, forming a giant “snow cone” of blue ice.
Latrines are available at Ash Cave, and there’s usually donuts and hot chocolate for sale at the parking lot. At the parking lot, hikers queue to catch a bus back to the starting point. Depending on crowd size, waiting times for a bus can run anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. The buses return to the Old Man’s Cave parking lot, and also take hikers to overflow parking areas.
If you’re new to winter hiking, read our article Gearing Up for Ohio Winter Hiking Season to get information about gear and clothing. Remember to wear layers of clothing and waterproof shoes. You’ll remove layers when moving (especially going uphill). But you’ll want to be dressed warmly at the end when you’re standing and waiting for the bus. You can see our posts about previous Hocking Winter Hikes here.
Winter Sports
Interested in trying some winter sports. Cuyahoga Valley National Park offers snowshoe hikes. See our Winter Hiking Calendar for dates. Geneva State Park has showshoe and cross-country ski rentals at their lodge. Mill Stream Run Reservation (near Cleveland) has two toboggan chutes. Finally, many state, county, and local parks offer sledding hills and trails for cross-country skiing. Check our guide (by county) for details.