The sun is shining, the mountains of snow in the parking lots are melting and the wind blowing between residence halls is less bitter these days as Spring descends on Ashland, Ohio and the Ashland University community. 

Especially with the implications of the Coronavirus pandemic, Spring is a time for people to get outside now more than ever. The outdoors provides natural social-distancing and is finally feasible again now that the weather is improving. 

Students can find a variety of places both in Ashland and in surrounding communities to enjoy the upcoming warmer weather.

Kingwood Center Gardens 

Kingswood Center is located in Mansfield, Ohio near the Ashland University College of Nursing. This site offers acres of colorful flowers to admire in the garden, a duck pond where guests can feed the ducks and a large mansion that can be explored inside. The grounds are expansive and there are trails to navigate for light hiking also. 

Freer Field 

Within walking distance of the Ashland University campus, Freer Field is a park that features a paved walking path, wooded trails for hiking and biking and a grassy center for picnicking, playing catch and stargazing. 

“It’s very open,” Hannah Hill, a junior majoring in Graphic Design said. “I like to walk and sometimes have picnics.”

People can often be found here walking their dogs and going for jogs. The park is also home to the Ashland Hot Air Balloon Festival and is open to the public. 

Ashland’s Main Street

While not typically listed as an outdoor location to visit on a nice day, Main Street in Ashland is easy to walk and features locally owned shops, bars, restaurants and coffee shops that give the city its small-town feel. 

The main strip also features a small park to stop and relax in the midst of a walk. There are benches as well as a small garden and a couple of trees to provide shade on the warmer spring days. 

Mohican 

While a bit of a drive from the city of Ashland, Mohican is a large state park that offers a variety of outdoor activities. Located in Ashland County in Loudonville, it offers hiking trails, fishing, biking and camping, as well as canoeing and kayaking when warmer weather arrives. 

Mohican has made a name for itself in the state of Ohio as famous for outdoor activities. If students are willing to make the trip, it can provide hours of springtime fun on a sunny day. 

Brookside Park

Located in Ashland, Brookside park has a large variety of activities that the community can partake in and is perfect for families. Brookside park features tennis courts, mini golf, a playground, an amphitheater, basketball courts and Yoder’s Red Barn Ice Cream. 

The park is often busy with families as well as college aged students utilizing the courts and enjoying ice cream on a warm spring day. 

As the weather heats up and the flowers start to bloom, people of all ages can find the springtime enjoyment they are looking for close to home.