Now that the snow has finally arrived, we can share all our favorite places for hills, thrills, and spills to enjoy some winter fun! Don’t stay inside this winter, check out what our region has to offer:

Sledding

• Hold onto your hat as you fly downhill at Meyer Broadwalk Park. Enjoy the tubes for a day of high-speed wintry fun.
• At Swiss Valley you can test your skills on a 225-foot ski and snowboard hill. Then, take a break at the Chalet, featuring pub food, drinks, and weekend entertainment.
• Hit the slopes and adventure trails with skis or a snowboard, during day or night! Top off the fun at Timber Ridge Ski Area with a tubing park.
• With 20 runs to test your limits, Bittersweet Ski Area offers slopes for skiers and snowboarders of all levels to test their limits.
• If you can handle the thrill, speed down Echo Valley‘s legendary steep drop on a tube or toboggan.
• With cross-country skiing, 25 miles of dog sledding trail and a 219-site campground, Fort Custer Recreation Area is welcoming to all winter outdoor enthusiasts.
• As Lake Michigan’s ice begins to break, South Haven celebrates at the Ice Breaker Festival with ice sculptures, chili, a cardboard sled race and more. Join them on February 1, 2020.
• Ready to race? A winter wonderland awaits at Dr. T.K. Lawless Park with inner tubes, sledding runs, and seven miles groomed for cross country skiing.

Snowshoeing

For thousands of years, snowshoeing has been essential for those traveling through snowy conditions. Native Americans across Michigan developed innovative designs that are still used today like the Ojibwe pointed toe design. With this latest dumping of snow in our region, there’s no better time to enjoy Michigan’s great outdoors while embracing the rich regional history of snowshoeing. Study these five recommendations and check out some local trails we’ve tracked down:

• Featuring three lakes, the Kalamazoo River, and more than 40 miles of trails, the Fort Custer Recreation Area offers many trail options for you to step into.
• With a linear trail running 34 miles long through picturesque woods, wetlands, and pastures, the Mike Levine Lakelands Trail State Park near Pinckney is an easy-to-navigate option for those of you who may struggle with directions.
• Serving up vast views of Lake Michigan, Saugatuck Dunes State Park’s four trails traverse over two and a half miles of snow-covered sand dunes that are over 200 feet tall.
• The largest state park in the Lower Peninsula, the Waterloo Recreation Area, showcases a cutting-edge and sustainable 22-mile DTE Energy Foundation Trail that’s groomed often.
• Known for its quiet serenity and scenic lake, Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve’s five miles of trails are also popular for lovers of wildlife watching.

Cross-Country Skiing

If you’re slip-sliding into the weekend and have an itch to get out and cross-country ski, we’ve got the lowdown on some of the best locations in the region. ‘Tis the ski-son for some adventure. Ski you on the trails!

• To enjoy all of the new snow we got this week, head on over to Milham Park for wide-open hills that are steep enough to have fun.
• Fred Russ Forest Park in Cass County is another must-ski place with three groomed skiing trails winding through mature forests and stunning views of the Dowagiac Creek.
• Ski over to Spring Valley Park to enjoy the 186 acres of park space with no shortage of natural beauty.
• West Lake Nature Preserve in Portage boasts 110 acres of wetland bog and winding trails that open to provide a panoramic view of West Lake.
• Portage’s Schrier Park has a variety of trails known to provide a perfect cross-country skiing adventure. It’s also the southern terminus for five park facilities that provide an expansive amount of fun.

Ice Skating

With snow falling all around us, there’s no better time to practice your double axel! We’ve found a few local skating spots for you to slip and slide on over to this weekend.

• If you like to be outside but prefer a roof over your head to keep the snow out of your eyes, check out John and Dede Howard Ice Arena in St. Joseph. There, the outdoor rink beckons with a warming house and a hot cup of cocoa. Check out the arena’s website for important COVID-19 information.
• The Rink in Battle Creek is the perfect spot to get some energy out and swirl around. With COVID-19 precautions in place, the public open skate is available, and the ice is ready for you to show everyone what you’re made of.
• If you’re not overly confident on the ice and just want to watch others twirl their hearts out, the City of South Haven has a live ice rink cam for you to get in on the action. However, we suggest getting out on the ice and giving it a shot. The outdoor rink recently opened for the season, and safety measures have been taken to protect staff and guests during the pandemic. Skate on over to South Haven and enjoy ice skating, Lake Michigan, and walking around downtown for a full day of family fun.

Ski Hills

Even if the holidays have come and gone and we think “Frosty the Snowman” should be allowed on the playlist until the snow disappears in March (or May if we’re being realistic.) Enjoy the great outdoors that Southwest Michigan has to offer by taking advantage of this list of the greatest places to enjoy downhill sports this winter:

• Hold onto your hat as you fly downhill at Meyer Broadwalk Park. Enjoy the tubes for a day of high-speed wintry fun.
• At Swiss Valley you can test your skills on a 225-foot ski and snowboard hill. Then, take a break at the Chalet, featuring pub food, drinks, and weekend entertainment.
• Hit the slopes and adventure trails with skis or a snowboard, during day or night! Top off the fun at Timber Ridge Ski Area with a tubing park.
• With 20 runs to test your limits, Bittersweet Ski Area offers slopes for skiers and snowboarders of all levels to test their limits.
• If you can handle the thrill, speed down Echo Valley‘s legendary steep drop on a tube or toboggan.
• With cross-country skiing, 25 miles of dog sledding trails, and a 219-site campground, Fort Custer Recreation Area is welcoming to all winter outdoor enthusiasts.
• Ready to race? A winter wonderland awaits at Dr. T.K. Lawless Park with inner tubes, sledding runs, and seven miles groomed for cross country skiing.