Located in the Midwest region of the United States, Detroit, Michigan, is the only major U.S. city whose southern riverfront faces south to Canada. Detroit is surrounded by the Great Lakes and this can make for some pretty cold and snowy winters. Since the month of February is still wintry, winter sports will feature prominently on your list of things to do while visiting Detroit.
Skiing
Pine Knob Ski & Snowboard Resort, located between Detroit and Flint, boasts the best runs and fastest lifts in Southeast Michigan (see Reference 2). Challenge yourself on the harder of the 25 Alpine Valley slopes or on the resort's snowboarding terrain park. If cross-country skiing is more your style, you can head to the trails in the Downriver Linked Greenways or the many trails of the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.
Ice Skating
You can head to one of the many Detroit area parks for an outdoor skate on a frozen lake. On Kent Lake at Kensington Metropark, you'll find separate, natural rinks for skating and hockey. You can skate in the evenings as the skating areas are well lit.
You'll find an outdoor family ice skating rink at Metro Beach Metropark in the west play-field. If you get cold, head to the warming room nearby. Campus Martius was designed to be the central square of the city and it provides a venue for ice skating during the winter months in the downtown core of Detroit.
Sledding
Grab your sled or toboggan and race down the beginner to advanced hills at Kensington Metropark. The “bunny hill” designated for young sledders features padded trees as a safety precaution. Waterford Oaks Park transforms itself into a toboggan run in the winter, where you can experience the thrill of whisking down a 55-foot vertical drop on “The Fridge”. Every February, Campus Martius Park hosts the Motown Winter Blast. This weekend festival features musical acts, a winter carnival, free ice skating and a 200-foot snow slide.
Parks
The state parks surrounding Detroit host many winter activities, including snowshoeing and ski classes, ice fishing instruction and evening hikes through the snowy countryside. You can go cross-country skiing at Maybury State Park which features 1,000 acres of woodlands, gently rolling terrain and open meadows. Dress warmly and go for a wintery walk along the water's edge at Detroit's RiverFront Conservancy.
Indoor Activities
A trip to Motor City, during any month of the year, would not be complete without a visit to its automobile-related museums and installations such as the Alfred P. Sloan Museum, the Automotive Hall of Fame, the Henry Ford Estate and GM World at GM Global Headquarters.
For a different kind of indoor fun, you can head over to Plex Indoor Paintball for some military-style play or Garden Bowl for a few games of bowling.
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