Highbanks Metro Park Winter Sledding Hills & Eagle Watch Walks

About this adventure

Highbanks Metro Park is widely celebrated as Central Ohio's top natural winter sledding destination. Named for its monumental 100-foot shale bluffs towering above the Olentangy State Scenic River, the park features two distinct sledding hills near the Big Meadows Picnic Area: a wide, gentle bunny slope with plenty of soft runoff room designed specifically for toddlers and young beginners, and an exhilarating steeper hill that delights older children and adventurous parents. When snow conditions are right, park rangers monitor the hills, and families gather around parkside fire pits. Visitors can also hike the 2.3-mile Overlook Trail through towering snow-covered oak woods to gaze across the river canyon, where nesting pairs of bald eagles are frequently spotted hunting in winter. The heated Nature Center welcomes chilly hikers with live turtles and native Ohio serpent exhibits. Family Experience & Accessibility: • Stroller Accessibility: Paved parking lots and nature center pathways are cleared promptly; trails to the bluff overlook are unpaved dirt and best tackled with baby carriers during winter snows. • Nursing & Rest Spots: Heated Nature Center with comfortable bench seating, educational discovery books, and heated indoor restrooms with baby changing counters. • Age Suitability: Perfect for toddlers (on the kiddie sled hill) through teens and adults. • Sensory Tips: Boisterous outdoor cheer and crunching snow on the sledding hills; blissful silence and panoramic river vistas along the wooded bluff hiking trails.