Best Winter Activities to do in Mason, OH

Mason, OH is the largest city in Warren County and sits about 25 miles northeast of Cincinnati. This part of Ohio is the ultimate playground any time of year, but in the winter, it becomes magical. The area offers all kinds of outdoor activities to enjoy, even after the temperatures drop and the snow falls. If you prefer to stay inside where it’s warm and dry, you can still find many indoor things to do in the winter too. Take a look at some of the best winter activities in and around Mason.

Go Ice Skating

Ice skating is a beautiful way to spend a winter day in Ohio, and you can find both indoor and outdoor rinks nearby.

Snowflake Lake

Snowflake Lake in Kings Island becomes a winter skating wonderland during the holidays. The city turns the Royal Fountain into one of the largest skating venues in the area, offering unlimited skating during a timed session. It’s just $15 to skate, with rentals included if you don’t have your own skates. If you need to rent skates, make sure to arrive early for skate fitting before your time on the ice starts, so you don’t waste a minute.

Northland Ice Center

Take a trip down to Northland Ice Center in Cincinnati to get some skating time. This is a year-round ice rink with a regulation NHL ice surface. In addition, Northland offers figure skating lessons, ice hockey, and public skating times. You can even rent a party room and host an ice skating birthday party.

Visit the Cincinnati Nature Center

The Cincinnati Nature Center has activities going on all year round. You can head out on their nature trails and explore in the snow, or take a look at their schedule to find one of their planned activities that will work for you and your family.

Light in the Forest

The Light in the Forest event is a new winter tradition at the nature center. The staff lights up the forest, and guests can walk through to see the display of illuminated trees. There is also live music, a bonfire, and a historic home on the site decorated with nature-inspired decorations.

Bird Walks

The nature center hosts bird walks where you can walk in Rowe woods to observe the local birds.

Heritage Walk

The Heritage Walk is a 2.5-hour guided walking tour of the former Krippendord and Groesbeck estates.

The Cincinnati Nature Center offers fun for the whole family all year round. Become a member, and you’ll get to enjoy even more of the activities.

Go Skiing

Image via Flickr by xdfrog

While there are no slopes right in Mason, you don’t have to drive very far to enjoy a day of skiing, boarding, or snow tubing. Perfect North Slopes in Lawrenceburg, IN, is less than an hour away. This ski area has trails for skiers and snowboarders of all levels and snow tubing for everyone. If you’ve never skied or boarded before, you can sign up for a less or two, and if you are already experienced on the slopes, Perfect North has season passes, so you can go as many times during the season as you want.

Perfect North Slopes has 22 trails, two terrain parks, and a large beginner area. In addition, the mountain has two quad chairs that will take you to the top, three triple chairs, and six surface lifts for beginners.

When you need to get in out of the cold, the main lodge is home to Chow Corral serving up burgers, fries, and all kinds of snacks along with coffee and hot chocolate to warm you up. You can also find the Sip-n-Slide Snack Shack in the snow tubing area, which also has food and drinks.

Visit Great Wolf Lodge

Not every winter activity needs to take place outside. Great Wolf Lodge can make you forget all about the cold and snow with its indoor water park, playground, and fun activities for all ages. So book a stay at Great Wolf Lodge, or if you live nearby and want to go for the day, you can also get a day pass.

The water park stays at a constant 84 degrees and has rides for all ages. Don’t miss:

• Alberta Falls. The four-story tandem tube ride.
• Fort Mackenzie. The four-story interactive water fort and tree house with slides, buckets of falling water, and toys for the whole gang.
• Slap Tail Pond. The wave pool reaches up to five feet in depth. The rolling waves flow in every five minutes, offering a ride that feels just like the ocean.
• Coyote Cannon. The 40-foot drop into a whirling water basin. This ride has you dropping four stories in just a few seconds.
• River Canyon Run. A raft-riding adventure that sends you shooting around light curves and down to the water pool below.

Visit the Cincinnati Zoo

While many people only think of going to the zoo during the warmer months, it is fun to see how the animals live in the winter. The Cincinnati Zoo stays open all year round and even hosts the annual Festival of Lights during the holiday season. In addition, Dec. 31 is the annual Happy Zoo Year Celebration, where guests can ring in the New Year along with their favorite zoo animals.

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is home to over 500 different animal species. Many have unique adaptations to keep them warm during the cold winters, and they even enjoy the chilly weather. Stop by to learn about the different animal species and how they stay warm.

Purchasing tickets on the zoo’s website is easy and convenient. It’s open until 5 p.m. until Nov. 19 and until 9 p.m. through the holidays. After the holidays you can visit from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

These are our favorite winter activities in and around the Mason area. Do you have some other ways you like to spend time in the winter? Give us a call at Performance Honda and tell us all about it. We can check it out this winter and maybe even add it to our list.

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