Cross Country Skiing & Snowshoeing in Cleveland: My Favorite Parks
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When I first moved to Cleveland over a year and a half ago, I was honestly surprised at just how much park space is available. I had no idea that this city is surrounded by beautiful forests, with many parks conveniently accessible from anywhere in the city. The underrated park system is one of the best I’ve seen and I have lived all over the country. I have been enjoying hiking and biking at these beautiful Metroparks in the spring and summer months, as well as leaf peeping and even winter walking when the temps are not sub zero. I was really surprised to find out that several of the parks provide groomed skiing trails and also offer cross country skis and snowshoe rentals.
What a great way to make the long winter season just a little more exciting. Anytime the forecast calls for a lot of snow, I am thinking about getting out my winter gear and having some fun in a gorgeous winter wonderland, Narnia-like setting. It beats the monotony of running on the treadmill or elliptical day in and day out.
I find it harder to stay motivated to workout when the weather is so cold and skies are gloomy, so having a fun activity to look forward to can help keep things exciting. Plus, running outside has been difficult this season with the record breaking cold temps and abundance of ice. Fortunately, winter sports are fun, burn a ton of calories, and are much safer than slipping on ice while jogging. According to this article by Intermountain Health, women can burn more than 700 calories and men more than 1000 snowshoeing at a 3mph pace! The deeper the snow and the hillier terrain, the more of a workout you will get. Also, I like to use trekking poles for a great upper body workout.
Snowshoeing
I fell in love with snowshoeing while living in beautiful Flagstaff (a cute 4 season mountain town in northern Arizona which gets a lot of snow!) several years ago. After moving to the Cleveland metro from Tampa, I was ready for some snow again. I was so pleased to find out I could still ski while living in a big city. It’s nice to be able to take advantage of the snow and enjoy some winter sports in the weeks following a major storm. I know many complain about the cold weather and snow, but I see it is as a fun way to change up my exercise routine! It gives me something to be excited about and breaks up the gloomy vbe of a very long, overcast winter season.
I love that several parks offer rentals. It’s so convenient to have the rentals available right on-site. Snowshoe rentals area available at: Big Met Golf Course, Seneca Golf Course, Hinckley Lake Boathouse, North Chagrin Nature Center, and Chapin Forest Pine Lodge Ski Center (Lake Metroparks).
Rentals are available when there are at least 4 inches of snow on the ground, but honestly, it is much more fun when there is at least 8 inches. Note that the parks ask you to avoid walking on the groomed cross country trails which obviously is common sense. Fortunately, we have our own snowshoes that we purchased a long time ago while living in the mountains of Arizona and let’s just say they have paid for themselves ten times over!
We snowshoed at Chapin Forest several times last year and even more this year as this season’s snow has been pretty spectacular. Fortunately, we get to snowshoe for free courtesy of owning our own equipment so not much to complain about. This place gets a lot of traffic so I try to time my visit soon after a storm.
Recently, we enjoyed snowshoeing at Big Met Golf Course and it was a wonderful experience. The most recent January 25th snowstorm dumped over 10 inches and it has been snowing on and off since then, so plenty of snow for fun adventures. We burned a ton of calories while enjoying the lovely ice cold scenery. In the past few weeks, it has been super cold (with wind chills of -10 at times) so bundle up if you plan on going out in the freezing temps.
Rentals available at: Big Met Golf Course, Seneca Golf Course, Hinckley Lake Boathouse, North Chagrin Nature Center, and Chapin Forest (Lake Metroparks).
Cleveland Metroparks Pricing: $10 on weekdays ($12 on weekends) for the first hour. $5 for each additional half hour. Kids are $5 on weekdays and $6 on weekends. Chapin Forest Pricing: $5 per hour ($3 kids under 12).
Cross country skiing
If nordic skiing is more your thing, then you can opt to rent or bring your own skis to Big Met or Seneca Golf Course, both part of the city Metroparks system. Chapin Forest in Lake Metroparks also offers ski rentals. I have skied several times at both Big Met and Chapin Forest. Both are great and have their individual positive and negatives.
Pine Lodge Ski Center at Chapin Forest features more difficult terrain, so it’s a better choice if you are an advanced skier. Some of the hills scare me here with all the twists and turns. Also, it’s hard to see the path ahead of you as the grounds are so forested. Very pretty though. Prepare for crowds on weekends. Lots of families, couples, and avid fitness enthusiasts (many with their own skies are out and about). I love the outdoor firepit that you can warm up by. Also, there is a nice indoor area where you can store your boots, cozy by a wood stove, and even purchase a few snacks.
The staff is super nice and will even help you figure out how to get the skis on (It took me a while to figure it out!) if you are a beginner. What I love most is that they offer lessons for beginners. You will learn a lot of valuable skills including: how to fall, getting up after falling (impossible if you haven’t learned how to do so properly!), stopping, turning, and more. Free with advance registration. For trail maps, info about lessons, and snow conditions, I recommend visiting the Chapin Forst website.
Big Met is a lot quieter and much of the terrain is more suitable for beginners. Because you are skiing on a golf course, the space is big and open, so you can see everything around you. The staff does a nice job grooming the trails here and they stay fresher longer due to the lower traffic. There are a few fun hills if you want a more challenging adventure. Just follow the moderate or difficult trails for a harder workout.
You will find easy, moderate, and difficult trail options. They are marked which is nice, whereas I often get lost at Chapin. I had much more fun skiing here especially in the week following the massive January 2026 snowstorm. They did a great job grooming the trails rather quickly.
Lessons are available for a $10 fee in January and February (more info on their site). I recommend checking the golf course website for details on current ski conditions and more.
Ski rentals are available at: Big Met and Seneca Golf course, Chapin Forest
Big Met/Seneca Rental pricing: $12 weekdays ($14 weekends) for the first hour, $7 for each additional hour. Chapin pricing: $10 for first hour, $5 for each additional hours. Kids under 12 pricing: $5 for the first hour, $3 for each additional.
What to wear
- Boots if you are snowshoeing (cross country ski rentals include boots)
- Windproof snow pants
- Hat and waterproof gloves
- A thick scarf
- A heavy coat
- I would wear Cuddl Duds or some other cold gear if the temps are cold enough as an extra layer
- Hand and foot warmers depending on your cold tolerance (find at stores like Walgreens)
Where to eat before your adventure
If you are heading out to Big Met, I recommend stopping at this cute Irish themed coffeehouse called Five Points. They have their own bakery and make the most delicious treats. Some of the enticing options include: blueberry muffins, jalapeno cheddar quiche, Irish soda bread, and even vegan banana bread.
I usually order this delicious Curry Cauliflower pastry if it is on the menu. The light roast coffee is delicious (and still very dark even though it’s light). The setting is cozy and comfortable, perfect for relaxing and fueling up prior to hitting the snow. Last time we visited they had a cute fireplace on the screen as we watched the snow fall down. It was as wintry as could be and the food was a delicious and filling treat before our snowy adventure.
Before hitting the trails at Chapin Forest, I recommend enjoying breakfast at an old-school diner called Kleifeld’s. It’s located on a small Main Street in Willoughby. This diner has been around since 1928, so you can enjoy that nostalgic retro vibe you don’t find much today. The food was decent enough and much cheaper than the insane pricing you see at most modern businesses today.
