Eight thrilling Chicago area sledding spots
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Girl sleds on Cricket Hill. Photo: Courtesy of Colin McMahon.
We hope these next few days of snow can create fun sledding memories for you.
💠Monica's thought bubble: Reader suggestions for spots to sled brought me back to my childhood when snowstorms meant rummaging through the garage for a sled (or a garbage bag over cardboard) and begging our parents to take us to Gompers and Cricket Hill for winter magic.
Here's our list of top sledding spots:
Cricket Hill: This gentle man-made hill near Montrose and the Lake offers plenty of parking but requires some hiking to get to the top. Great for younger kids.
Gompers Park: There's no parking lot at this popular sledding spot so spots on Foster Avenue go fast. But so do the sleds that race down the sloped lawn that travels through the park down to the river.
Grant Park Horse Statue: "When we lived in Printer's Row, my son and his friends would go sledding at what we called 'the Horse Statue' (Logan Monument) at 9th and Michigan." — Karen D.
Warren Park: It's "the only real choice ... It's even marked as a sledding hill! And as a bonus, my kid's cross country team trains there in the fall, giving them a proverbial leg up in the competition." — Jamie T
Mount Trashmore: Located in Evanston's James Park, it "was always a fun time for me in the late '60s/early 70s … The little house for hot chocolate while you rub your frozen toes was always a welcome break from crashing your sled into your friends." — Jill G.
Taylor and Barrie Parks: Located in Oak Park, these offer nice hills and "sled libraries" where visitors donate and leave gear for others to borrow. — David H.
Soldier Field sledding hill: There is nothing better than taking in the skyline before crashing down a steep sledding hill on a plastic saucer. The Soldier Field sledding hill is a hidden gem.
- The 220-foot slope is pretty straightforward, but the breathtaking views of downtown plus Lake Michigan are worth the trek to the Museum Campus. Also, parking is available.
- Reader Steve J. agrees, noting that "hay bales line the run to keep kids out of the shrubbery, and there are actual steps up the back side if you don't want to walk back up the hill itself."
- Beware: They only allow plastic sleds.