Morning at Oglebay Park After Work
Picture this, I’m just getting off a 12-hour overnight shift, and I’m barreling towards my hometown, Wheeling, West Virginia. I pull into the small pull-off along the guardrail near the falls at Ogelbay Park on February 11th, 2026. The morning is a little chilly under normal circumstances but, honestly felt like a heatwave compared to the consistent below negative temperatures of the previous weeks. It was roughly 10:30 in the morning by the time I made it, and my friend from high school was already parked and waiting.
Ogelbay’s Trails
The trails at Oglebay, some paved, others stairs or rocky slopes, hold a wild invitation that always reminds me of childhood. Sadly, the trail from the Schenk Lake area to the waterfall was destroyed in the devastating 2025 flash flood that wreaked havoc on many small West Virginia river valley towns.
However, Oglebay Park still offers roughly 4.5 miles of paved walking trails and 8 miles of unpaved hiking trails.
What is there to do at Oglebay Park
In the winter months, Oglebay transforms into a powder-covered playground. You can frequently catch winter sports in action like skiing and snowboarding. The Winter Festival of Lights turns the park into a six‑mile sparkling trail of displays. The frozen trails and landscapes create a quiet, magical world perfect for photography, hikes, walks, and taking in the crisp air.
Beyond winter, Oglebay Park is a year‑round destination blending natural beauty with resort-scale amenities. The 1,650-acre park includes a golf course and driving range, gardens, museums, glass blowing demonstrations, paved paths for gentle walks, hiking trails, animal encounters at the Good Zoo, and much more. There’s something for every pace, interest, and season.
Ogelbay: What’s New?
There is a new stair set down to the falls which means safer access to the area. This is a great addition since most people who would have accessed the area from the now unusable trail would have to fight the hillside for any time in nature. Stairs mean a little bit of natural exposure, without fighting that hillside to make-up for the trail devastation.
So, I stopped and bought squirt guns and non-toxic food coloring for the occasion. Nessa brought the bottled waters. We filled them up with water and non‑toxic food coloring. We proceeded to spray the slowly melting waterfall an arrangement of speckled colors. Had Vanessa gone sooner, and not waiting for me it probably would have turned out more vibrant. The experience was definitely one of my new core memories. This was top-tier in my book and something I’m definitely going to have to recreate in the coming winters.
The Good Zoo and Beyond
Oglebay’s Good Zoo is nationally accredited and home to more than 50 species from red pandas and otters to cheetahs and exotic birds. Providing a perfect family‑friendly day trip critter moments included.
Winter Water Safety Tips
Small safety memo my friend didn’t listen when I said the ice was thin. If you can see the flow of water over ice melt, don’t step on it! Just do not, without proper cold weather, shallow water equipment. She found out the hard way that winter edges are slippery, and she took an early exit. Both of our cars were within a stone’s throw of us or she wouldn’t have tried anyway, safety first even when being a little risky. Hypothermia isn’t an ancient myth, it’s an equal‑opportunity spoiler.
Oglebay in Winter Is Worth the Trip
If you think winter means stillness, you’re right. It also means layers of life under snow and ice. Changing natural spaces temporarily is winter’s favorite game.
Moss-covered rocks by the falls now slick with ice.
The frosted tree limbs along the trails might just be in full bloom or still covered in the orange hues autumn brings.
Oglebay Park brings nature, adventure and quiet beauty together in a package that’s worth a roadtrip in any season.
Seeing this waterfall is incredibly accessible, you can view it directly from the road or even from your car.
