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.

  1. Twin Sister Falls - Cuyahoga Valley National Park

© Gabe Leidy Photography 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.

  1. Lakewood Park - 14532 Lake Avenue, Lakewood

Erik Drost/Flickr 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.

  1. Blue Hen Falls - Cuyahoga Valley National Park

© Gabe Leidy Photography 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.

  1. Lakeview Park - 1800 West Erie Avenue, Lorain

© Gabe Leidy Photography

© Gabe Leidy Photography 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.

  1. Cleveland Harbor West Pier Lighthouse - 6500 Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, Cleveland

© Gabe Leidy Photography

Carol Vinzant/Flickr 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.

  1. The shores of Port Clinton - Lake Erie

© Gabe Leidy Photography 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.

  1. Lakefront Reservation - near 6100 West Memorial Shoreway

Jen Goellnitz/Flickr

LASZLO ILYES/Flickr 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.

  1. Lorain Impoundment Lakeside Landing - 401 Lakeside Avenue

© Gabe Leidy Photography 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.

  1. Miller Road Park - 33760 Lake Road, Avon Lake

© Gabe Leidy Photography 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.

  1. Cascade Park - 170 Cascade Drive, Elyria

© Gabe Leidy Photography 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!

  1. Sheffield Lake Beach - 4110 Lake Road, Sheffield Lake

© Gabe Leidy Photography 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?

© Gabe Leidy Photography

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.

Erik Drost/Flickr

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.

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.

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.

Carol Vinzant/Flickr

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.

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.

Jen Goellnitz/Flickr

LASZLO ILYES/Flickr

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!

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.

Need to get out of the house? This enchanting lakefront hike is a stunning way to beat the winter blues.

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