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Dear Chicagoist,
The first snow storm of this season led me to wonder — are there any places in the city where one could go sledding? I'm fishing for something to do during snow storms while I "work" from home.
Signed,
Who says snow days are only for grade schoolers?
Hi there!
Ah, sledding. Reminds us of childhood snowy days, getting all bundled up to go out into the cold, out-of-control sleds, flying face-first into bushes and brambles.... Coordination, our friends, has never been a key Chicagoist trait. The hot chocolate afterwards, now that we can get behind.
Soldier Field's renovation brought with it some new landscaping, including a sledding hill to the southeast of the stadium. It's 33 feet tall with a 220 foot slope, and apparently when it doesn't snow enough the Park District makes snow for it, so you can sled all winter long.
The Forest Preserve has a few locations in city limits (and many outside) that are designated sledding hills, where sledding is allowed from 8 a.m. to sunset when there's enough snow. There are hills at Dan Ryan Woods at 87th Street and Western, Indian Road Woods at Central Avenue and Caldwell Avenue, and Jensen Slides Area at Devon and Milwaukee.
There's a hill called Cricket Hill at Montrose Harbor, east of Lake Shore Drive. It's not actually meant for sledding, but it's used that way quite actively anyway. Other parks with sledding hills include Horner Park at 2741 W. Montrose, Warren Park at 6601 N. Western, Cornell Park at 5473 S. Cornell, Stout Park at 5446 S. Greenwood, and Robichaux Park at 9247 S. Eggleston.
Evanston has James Hill, otherwise known as Mount Trashmore, at Oakton and Dodge. It's about 200 feet long at a 45 degree slope.
We'll probably forgo the sledding for warmth, but where would you send our friend sledding?
Image via shekay.
Wanna try the luge? Need some advice? Email ask(at)chicagoist(dot)com.
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The Palos Preserves near Palos Hill has some great tobaggon runs near the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, as well as some of the best xc ski trails around. Way up north, Chain O Lakes State Park in Spring Grove has excellent ski runs and xc ski trails--and a fantastic nature center/warming area with woodburning fireplaces and refreshment bar.
Good old totally flat Chicago. Sometimes I like to imagine how dramatic our city scape would look if there were actually some hills here and there.
Swan Pond in Riverside. If I was still eleven, anyway.
The sledding hill at Soldier Field is the biggest (littlest) load of crap designed to get a freakish stadium mod approved you'll ever see. Not only is it tiny, but who the hell is gonna commute there-with a sled no less-to take advantage of it?
It's laughable to recall the fanfare made for such a sad little lump when we were sold (literally) that eyesore (Soldier Field).
The Jensen Slides, alas, are closed.
Jensen Slides story
It's not super steep, but on Pulaski and Foster, there's Gompers Park. You go west on Foster on the north side of the street, there's a little hill and a lot of kids go sledding there. The patch of land is sloped from the sidewalk into that green patch of land. I have taken jr. high kids there and they had a blast.
The problem in Chicago, there really is no outdoor adventure areas. But indoor winter sports abound, Hockey, Basketball, Bowling, Roller Skating. To enjoy sledding you have to definitely venture out of Chicago!