PENINSULA — The Tree Farm Trail is a favorite winter destination in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This 2.75-mile loop trail attracts walkers, people on snowshoes and cross-country skiers. The setting of the trail is lovely year round, but takes on a special feeling in winter. The trail passes through parts of the Robert Bishop family tree farm that were acquired by the National Park Service. Trees planted as part of this Christmas tree farm now tower above visitors and create tunnels of green that become laden with snow.
The trail starts at the Horseshoe Pond parking area on Major Road in Peninsula. Horseshoe Pond is a small farm pond named for its shape and is a nice fishing spot. The National Park Service maintains a fishing platform for wheelchair access. A nonreservable picnic shelter is also available near the pond’s edge.
The trail itself follows farm lanes through the former Christmas tree farm. The trail is relatively wide, accommodating shared use for different winter activities and offering plenty of room for cross-country skiers to maneuver. The terrain is gently rolling. Short hills offer a challenge but are not overly difficult. The National Park Service does not groom trails for cross country skiing, but enough people use the trail so that it can feel groomed…