Five winter fun activities to do this season
GARDNER ― Massachusetts is no stranger to below-freezing temperatures and several inches of snow, but the cold weather does not mean staying inside is the only option. There are many activities to pick from in winter time.
The Greater Gardner region offers several places to go cross-country skiing, hiking, or indoor ice skating. Don't forget to wear layers to keep warm and to enjoy the free hot chocolate that is offered at several of these locations.
Cold weather doesn't mean the whole family can't stay active — just bundle up and then pick from these places where you can make the most of winter's offerings.
Want to learn how to ski or snowboard?
If you are looking to learn how to downhill ski or snowboard, you don't have to look far. Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Princeton is only a 20-minute drive from Gardner, and offers a variety of recreational offerings.
Wachusett also has two terrain parks for those looking to practice their tricks and jumps. Hitchcock and Frannie's Folly offer snowboarders and skiers features such as a jump line, rails, boxes and wall rides, plus snow features and rollers.
The ski area offers several kid-friendly events where kids can ski with Princess Elsa or see local Magician Eddie Raymond does some tricks. To learn more about ticket pricing and upcoming family friendly events, visit the ski area's website at wachusett.com.
Not into skiing? Then try tubing
Nashoba Valley Ski Area is not just a place that offers skiing and snowboarding. It also has a hill in Littleton that is perfect to slide down on with an inflatable tube. The resort provides man-made snow for the tubing hill when there is not enough natural snow. Anyone who is 42 inches tall or older than 6 years old can use the tubing park.
The tubing park is open Wednesday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To learn more on tubing park ticket pricing — or about skiing at Nashoba Valley — visit skinashoba.com.
Horse-drawn sleigh rides in Princeton
A classic winter experience is riding in a horse-drawn sleigh through the snow, with a nice cup of hot chocolate and s'mores waiting to warm you up after the ride. If there is no snow don't worry — Cornerstone Ranch in Princeton also does wagon rides if there isn't any snow for sleighing. Cornerstone offers a 30-minute ride for a group of up to 12 people. Cornerstone is also known for its horseback riding.
To learn more about ticket prices and availability, visit the ranch's website at cornerstoneranch.org.
Two places for winter hikes
Most hiking trails are still open for winter, but the Bash Bish Falls State Park in the small town of Mount Washington is a trail that should be on every hiker's list.
Bash Bish Falls State Park is known for its 80-foot waterfall which in extreme cold freezes. The trail to see the frozen waterfall is a 0.6-mile rugged and strenuous round trip from the Massachusetts parking lot. Hikers can cross the state border to Taconic State Park in New York to start the hike there. The Taconic State Park hike is 1.5 miles roundtrip from the parking lot and the trail is easier to hike for beginners.
To learn more about both state parks and the location of the trails visit the park website at Bash Bish Falls State Park | Mass.gov.
If you want a hiking or skiing trails closer to home, Mount Watatic Reservation in Ashburnham is the place to go. The reservation's hiking trail is about 2.1 miles and takes about an hour and a half to complete. There are several ski trails and when it snows officials recommend hikers wear snowshoes.
To learn more about the natural landscape of Mount Watatic visit the reservation website at mountgrace.org.
Ice skating at Gardner Veterans Arena
Another New England winter classic is ice skating. The Gardner Veterans Arena is open to the public with skate rentals and a snack bar. The rink can be rented for events. Public skating with skate rentals is $12 per person. The arena is open to public skating built around the rental schedule.
To learn more about the public skating schedule and how to rent the facility for events visit the arena's website at Gardner – Gardner Veterans Arena – FMC Ice Sports.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Skiing, snowboarding, skating and hiking in Greater Gardner
