Looking to get away this winter? Let us help you with that.
With all of the scuttlebutt surrounding the holiday season, sometimes what we all need is a nice vacation to a beautiful winter getaway.
Luckily, LINK nky has identified four places to escape over the holidays.
Hocking Hills State Park
Ohio
As one of the most popular state parks in all of Ohio, Hocking Hills provides some beautiful views of waterfalls and rock formations.
Whether you like hiking or camping, Hocking Hills has something for every nature lover. Some of the most popular hiking trails at Hocking Hills include Old Man’s Cave Trail, Ash Cave Gorge Trail, and the Conkle’s Hollow Rim Trail.
If you’re a bird watcher or photographer, Hocking Hills is a great place to go. The park is home to a wide variety of wildlife like deer, squirrels, and numerous bird species.
Great Smokey Mountains National Park
Tennessee
If you’d prefer to head down south, Great Smokey Mountains National Park allows you to get up close and personal with the Appalachian Mountains.
The park covers over 800 square miles of thick forests and mountains. It features some amazing biodiversity, of few of the animals you could run into while hiking include black bears, white-tailed deer, elk, boars and wild turkeys. The park has notable hiking trails like the treacherous Appalachian Trail, Clingmans Dome Trail, and Alum Cave Trail.
Besides hiking, the park is within close proximity to popular tourist destinations like Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, where you can shop or grab dinner and a drink.
General Butler State Resort Park
Kentucky
The closest option to Northern Kentucky, General Butler State Park, is located only a short drive down Interstate 71 from Boone County to Carrollton. Nestled along the Ohio River, General Butler State Park is great for outdoor recreation like hiking, fishing and bird watching.
Named after General William O. Butler, a general in the Mexican-American War and a Kentucky statesman, the 791-acre park was established way back in 1931. It’s also home to the Butler-Turpin State Historic House, also known as the Butler House — a Greek Revival style house constructed in 1859.
If you plan on staying overnight, the park has a 111-site campground and a 53-room lodge.
Winterplace Ski Resort
West Virginia
Wanting to shred the gnar? Winterplace Ski Resort in Ghent, West Virginia, has you covered.
The resort was first established in 1958 and is the southernmost ski resort in eastern the United States. It has become a popular destination due to its proximity to Interstate 77.
Skiing is the main attraction at Winterplace. The resort features 90 acres of skiable area, 28 trails, a terrain park and nine ski lifts. Its top elevation is 3,600 feet, with a vertical descent of 603 feet.
For snow tubers, the resort has a 16-lane facility that is the largest in West Virginia.
