Discover Mohican!By: Ken McEntee

Ohio’s Mohican region is known as the camp and canoeing capital of Ohio during the summer, but a winter visit can be just as compelling, according to Miranda Burrell, executive director of the Mohican-Loudonville Visitors Bureau.

“It’s actually my family's favorite time to visit,” Burrell said. “The hiking trails are open including the Lion’s Falls Trail. When it starts to get cold, Lion’s Falls forms into a huge heap of ice and everybody always loves to see that.”

Burrell said the Mohican trails are quiet and peaceful.

“There are hiking trails around Ohio that can get crowded,” she said. “Here you may pass a couple people on the trail, but you have your space. It’s quiet — you can hear the snow crunching under your boots and many of our trails go close to the Mohican River, so you can hear the river trickling. It’s very peaceful. The Mohican Trails Club is good at winterizing our trails. We have a couple bridges that they cover with chicken wire to make them no-slip. They are very conscientious of doing trail maintenance even in the winter.”

When your hike is finished, you can warm up and wind down at one of the area’s many restaurants.

“We have two wineries — The Ugly Bunny Winery, in Loudonvlle, and the Sunny Slope Winery, in Big Prairie — that are great places for indoor events or just hanging out,” Burrell said. “Most of our local restaurants offer some sort of entertainment Saturday evenings.”

The historical Loudonville Opera House — also known as the Ohio Theater — offers evening movies and other events.

“They also have a live Christmas show in December that's very popular and is super affordable,” Burrell said. “Shopping is big in our area, and we also have a variety of special events that help to make Mohican a wonderful winter destination.”

It starts during the holiday season.

All the downtown Loudonville businesses offer deals during this time this year, and something new is a Christmas market.

The Mohican Christkindlmarkt is a celebration of the region’s rich German heritage and holiday traditions. Inspired by old-world Christmas markets, the festive event, to be held on the first two Fridays and Saturdays in December, in Loudonville, brings the warmth, charm and spirit of the season to the heart of Mohican.

On the first two Saturdays and Sundays of December, Malabar Farm, in Lucas, will hold candlelight tours of its Big House — the one-time home of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield.

After the holiday season ends, the special events will continue, Burrell promised.

The annual Loudonville WinterFest, featuring ice sculptures along Main Street, will take place Saturday, Jan. 10, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“The festival has food trucks and demonstrations,” Burrell said. “Many local businesses sponsor ice sculptures that are pre-carved and on display for the whole weekend. There's a very cool model train expo.”

On Saturday, Jan. 30, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Landoll’s Mohican Castle, in Loudonville, will host the Princess Ball. The event offers the chance to treat your little princess or prince to an enchanting evening filled with royal elegance, laughter and heartwarming memories that will last a lifetime.

When it’s time to wind down after a day of activities, the Mohican area offers a wide variety of lodging options.

“We have many different types of rentals in the area — anything from little cabins to very large cabins,” Burrell said. “There's a location down here that has tree houses. We have a historic bed and breakfast. We have a castle and the state park lodge. There are so many options for people who either want to stay in and sit around a fire drinking hot cocoa at the lodge or people who want to get out and hike along the trails.” 

For more information about Mohican lodging, dining, events and activities, visit DiscoverMohican.com, or call the Mohican-Loudonville Visitors Bureau, at 419-994-2519.