Community Corner

Patch Guide: It's Time to Hit the Hills for Sledding

Learn where to find the best area snow sledding hills.

Sledding hill enthusiasts have had a long wait this winter. Finally, the hills are covered in snow and there are plenty of area snow hills, with beautiful scenery and many other amenities.

Sledders should exercise caution. According to the National Safety Council Tips for Safer Sledding and Tobogganing, the correct position for sledding is to lie on your back, or sit on the sled, with your feet facing down the hill.  Sledding head first increases the risk of injury.

Many area hills prohibit metal runners on sleds, and some prohibit snowboarding.

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Check out these area sledding hills:

Wauconda

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Lakewood Forest Preserve Winter Sports Area, at Fairfield and Ivanhoe roads,  offers a large, lighted hill.

Lake Zurich

Sledding is available until dusk at Paulus Park, 200 S. Rand Rd.

Island Lake

Converse Park, Rte. 176, west of N. Darrell Rd., offers a high, lighted hill.

Cary

Sled from dawn to dusk at Lions Park, Silver Lake Road, north of Three Oaks Road.

Algonquin

, 1001 Gaslight Dr., is a popular hill. High Hill Park and Nature Preserve, 501 Kirkland, has nice vistas. Spella Park, 2610 Harnish Drive, has great views, a fast hill, lights and a warming element.

Crystal Lake

The Crystal Lake Park District has something for everyone with four sledding hills. Veterans Park, Rte. 176 at Walkup Ave., has two hills – the Babe Ruth Hill is lighted and there is a smaller unlit hill south of the Nature Center.

Four Colonies, Sarasota Lane, south of Barlina Road, has a small sledding hill, ideal for younger children.

The fourth sledding hill is at Butternut Preserve, off Butternut Drive, east of Briarwood Road.

Palatine

Scenic sledding is offered at Margreth Riemer Reservoir, Wood, Quentin and Palatine roads; and at Robert "Dutch" Schultz Recreation Area, 512 Northwest Hwy.

Lake Bluff

Blair Park Sled Hill, 355 W. Washington, has lights and is open until 9 p.m. 

Lake Forest

There is no official sledding hill in Lake Forest, but many people use a hill at Deerpath Golf Course, 500 W. Deerpath, said Edward Gudas, program supervisor for park recreation for the City of Lake Forest. "It was a toboggan run at one point. It's sled at your own risk," he said.

Libertyville 

Adler Park, 1500 N. Milwaukee Ave., has a lighted sled hill. The park also has a warming shelter, concession stand and rest rooms.

There is a scenic sledding hill at Old School Forest Preserve, St. Mary's Road, south of Rte. 176

Buffalo Grove

Willow Stream Park, 600 Farrington Rd., offers an unsupervised sled hill that is lighted at the top, until 10:30 p.m.

Round Lake

Hart's Hill , a Round Lake Area Park District sledding hill, is located at 814 Hart Road. The lighted hill is open until 9 p.m._

Ringwood

The McHenry County Conservation District has a sledding hill at Glacial Park, off Rte. 31 and Harts Road.


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