Snow Trails Winter Resort

First time we have been to snow trails. Very happy with the experience. Everyone was super friendly and very helpful.

3.5 stars. I’m not a avid skier, but I try to go a couple times a year. This was my first visit to snow trails and it was a solid experience. The hill is small with limited options, but they manage to operate a fun ski experience despite it’s simplicity. I would say it’s good for tubing, beginners and some intermediate levels but generally I would think we’ll skilled patrons would get bored quickly.
The lodge was quite nice — it was large and accommodating. I was pleasantly surprised with my «mount Mansfield» sandwich. It was basically a club, but it was quite satisfying. I also found the prices to be reasonable considering many ski resorts jack up prices big time. I felt this lodge put out decent quality for a fair price.
Since Ohio skiing is, well, not that great but snow trails offer a fun time without driving too far. But if you travel more than 2 hours to visit here, you are missing out on better options.

This review is strictly for the bar, not the skiing. Which is fun. Really fun. It’s the bar that everyone get’s excited about the winter for, because let’s face it peeps, we’re in Mansfield. When I was there they had a really good band playing. It kind of seems like the type of place that you might see a fight or someone puke at any moment. It was definitely a people watching extravaganza!

I’m on the fence about giving this 4 stars.
I like Snow Trails, It’s where I got started. And if you are looking for a hill to really learn the basics, its a fantastic hill.
But, that’s just what it is, a hill. There really aren’t any amazing paths, its like a open hillside with snow. Not a whole lot of challenge, unless you go to the terrain section.
The Lodge is really what sells it for me. They have a nice fireplace that seems to always be crowded, a nice bar, and tons of places to sit.
I guess I just like lots of different paths on my trails, and I don’t feel like Snow trails provides that for me. But like I said there are plenty of other reasons to find yourself here.

So after many years of Snowboarding at Mad River Mountain a friend and I decided to try Snow Trails. We got there early on a Tuesday morning not knowing what to expect. We got geared up and went to get lift tickets, except the ticket office was closed and we had to ask a passerby where to get tickets and we were directed to the Guest Services desk. We then proceeded to try the various lifts and hills that were open. The groomed snow was hard and slow making it hard to cut or switch edges at first. The runs felt shorter than mad rivers and although the entirety of the «Mountain» was covered there where a couple of lifts that were not open. There were no real glades to speak of and overall the day felt rather repetitive and lack luster. The music being played on the PA system was geared towards a much older crowd (i’m in my early 30’s). I know being in Ohio we do not have a large amount of options but given the choice between MRM and Snow Trails I think my time as a Snowboarder would be better spent at MRM. I’m not saying it was a horrible experience, I’m just stating I don’t think Snow Trails is the place for me.

I will begin by saying that I am not from Ohio originally. I am from California and I grew up skiing Vail, CO every February with my extended family. Spoiled, right?
Anyway, my husband and I moved out here about a year and a half ago and a few weeks back we found out that we could ski right here in Central Ohio. Being the outdoor adventure folk we are, we could not pass up an opportunity to go skiing an hour from our house! We never had that luxury in California!
Snow Trails is awesome. We had so much fun! There aren’t many runs and you can see clear to both ends of the park from anywhere on the mountain, but it’s a blast. Now, I cannot fairly compare Snow Trails to Vail. The Snow Trails black diamonds were comparable to Vail’s blue squares, and Snow Trails’ blues are comparable to Vail’s green run. But that’s OK! Snow Trails keeps their mountain face beautifully groomed, there are six (?) lifts which means little to no wait time on any given one, and the staff are friendly and helpful.
We rented our equipment, and the process was quick and painless. They have some decently high end gear, and for us casual (though fairly skilled /​experienced) skiers it was perfect. We also hit the lodge for lunch, and though it was crowed, they catered to my vegan needs, which wins them mucho brownie points!
The hubby and I are definitely looking forward to hitting Snow Trails again. What a way to get out of the daily grid in CBus and feel like you are on a winter vacation!

Ok… I know we don’t have mountains here in Ohio, but it’s a GREAT place for beginners and I can get my fix every weekend, as it’s only an hour away from Columbus.
The staff at Snowtrails (from the bartenders in the lodge, to the lift operators, instructors, etc) are as friendly as can be!
Oh…and Justin (a snowboard instructor) is the absolute BEST!!! He’s super patient and had me riding like a pro (ok​.pro is a bit of an exaggeration!) in no time at all. They also have a fabulous kids ski program (Cricketots and Cricketeers) the staff is friendly, accomodating and wonderful! I can’t say enough great things about Snowtrails!

I think its great that I can snowboard close to home. Admittedly, there’s not a lot of vertical, but the slopes are well groomed, the terrain park is carefully kept-​up and when I hit the lodge for a beverage – it feels like I’m out West. There’s usually different events each weekend both on and off the snow. It keeps it interesting and makes me want to go out more often.

I’m taking off one star for an inexcusable thing that they did.
They took their main run, and scraped all the snow off the skiing side to build big ramps for snowboarders on half the hill. Had they had tons of snow this would have been ok, however after only half an hour of skiing in the AM last saturday, the skiing side was already cut down to dirt, crud and other nasties that ruin your ski bases.
However the snowcat operators that spent the first two hours of opening grooming a snowboarders paradise didn’t seem to care.
That, combined with all of the lifts not opening at 9am when they opening, therefore severely limiting terrain access for the first hour of operation, was bad.
that was a bit disappointing guys, cater to skiers too!

Since Clearfork closed, Snow Trails gets 5 stars by default. Where else are you going to ski?
Of the two, I preferred Clearfork because it was less crowded with bratty little kids. Also, as a grad of Lexington High School, I saw too many people I knew there. Sometimes, you just want some anonymity, especially when you don’t sport the newest gear and fall down a lot.

Out of the two ski/​board resorts within a two hour drive of Columbus, I’d take Snow Trails any day. It’s got more of that je né sais quoi, that alpine wintery, rosy cheek, feel good, wood burning, feel good. Gorgeous buildings with a psuedo town center, clean bathrooms (with hooks!), and mindfulness of melting snow from boots in the lodges. Two great bar rooms for apres ski and a toasty indoor firepit. Plus, the lift attendants seem like they’ve just taken a couple runs themselves so they genuinely want you to experience the same exhilaration.