With all of the snow we’ve received this winter, conditions are perfect for sledding. Here is a guide to the best sled hills around Chicago and the suburbs.
Remember to check the weather and hill conditions before heading to your destination.
Buffalo Grove
Willow Stream Park
600 Farrington Drive
The sled hill is lighted until 11 p.m. and the winter sports area will be open until March 1, depending on weather conditions. For more information, visit their website.
Chicago
Caldwell Woods
W. Devon Ave. & N. Nagle Ave.
This lighted hill is staffed and open Sunday–Thursday 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For sledding hill status, call 847-647-2240. Visit their website for more details.
Dan Ryan Woods Visitor Center
S. Western Ave. & W. 87th St.
This lighted hill is staffed and open Sunday–Thursday 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For sledding hill status, call 773-233-3766. Visit their website for more details.
Soldier Field
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1410 Museum Campus Drive
Located to the north of the stadium’s south parking lot, this hill is one of the steepest on this list. It is unsupervised and free parking is available in the Burnham Harbor Lot.
Warren Park
6601 N. Western Ave.
This hill can get a little crowded so choose your sledding time wisely. It has stairs to make the climb to the top a little bit easier. Visit chicagoparkdistrict.com for more information.
Evanston
James Park
Dodge Ave. & Mulford St.
Sledding is allowed only on the small and intermediate hills. For more information, visit their website.
Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Deer Grove #4 and #5
N. Quentin Road, north of W. Dundee Road
The sledding hills are open from 10 a.m. to sunset daily because they are not lighted. Call 847-437-8330 for hill status. Visit the website for more details.
Pioneer Woods
107th St., east of S. Willow Springs Road/Flavin Road
The sledding hills are open from 10 a.m. to sunset daily because they are not lighted. Call 708-838-5617 for hill status. Visit the website for more details.
Thaddeus S. “Ted” Lechowicz Woods
N. Central Ave., north of N. Elston Ave.
The sledding hills are open from 10 a.m. to sunset daily because they are not lighted. Call 847-647-2240 for hill status. Visit the website for more details.
Westchester Woods
W. Cermak, east of S. Manheim Road/S. La Grange Road
This lighted hill is staffed and open Sunday–Thursday 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Friday–Saturday 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For sledding hill status, call 708-447-0090. Visit the website for more details.
Glenview
Flick Park
3600 Glenview Road
The sled hill is lighted and open until 10 p.m. nightly. Call 847-724-3337, Ext 24 after 10:30 a.m. for hill conditions or go to www.glenviewparks.org.
Johns Park
2101 Central Road
The sled hill is lighted and open until 10 p.m. nightly. Call 847-724-3337, Ext 25 after 10:30 a.m. for hill conditions or go to www.glenviewparks.org.
Highland Park
Danny Cunniff Park
2700 Trail Way Street
The hill is located toward the back of the park, south of Centennial Ice Arena. For information on conditions, visit pdhp.org.
Lake Bluff
Blair Park Campus
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355 W. Washington Ave.
The hill is lighted until 9 p.m., sledding conditions permitting. Visit lakebluffparks.org for more details.
Lake County Forest Preserves
Lakewood Winter Sports Area
27277 Forest Preserve Road
The hill is lighted and open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. For conditions, check the status map at lcfpd.org/sledding/.
Old School Forest Preserve
28285 St. Mary’s Road
The hill is open from 6:30 a.m. to sunset. For conditions, check the status map at lcfpd.org/sledding/.
Lake Zurich
Paulus Park
200 S. Rand Road
For more information on the sled hill, visit lakezurich.org.
Mundelein
Diamond Lake Sports Complex
26630 IL-83
The sled hill is open daily: Monday–Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday–Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. When the hill is open, the lights will come on after dusk. For more information, visit mundeleinparks.org.
Northbrook
Techny Prairie Park
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1750 Techny Road
The hill is lighted and open until 9 p.m. Visit www.nbparks.org for hill status.
Wood Oaks Green
1150 Sanders Road
Wood Oaks is open from dawn to dusk. Visit www.nbparks.org for hill status.
Vernon Hills
Century Park
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1401 Indianwood Drive
The hill is lighted until 9 p.m. daily. For weather conditions, call 847-996-6616 or go to www.vhparkdistrict.org.
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Aliyah Armstrong is an intern at Better with a passion for arts and entertainment reporting. A senior in Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, she is also minoring in Sociological Studies. Aliyah supports the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Black Youth Project 100, an organization that aims to create justice and freedom for all Black people.
