Area sledding hills ready, waiting for snow

FAMILY FUN | Parks, preserves are the places to be once the snow flies

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November 11, 2007

BY CELESTE BUSK cbusk@suntimes.com

Sledders take heart, you don't have to leave the Chicago area to enjoy the sport.

There are plenty of places to go sledding from Cricket Hill at Montrose Harbor to the Lakewood Winter Sports Arena in north suburban Wauconda. Many of the local forest preserves permit sledding at nearly all of their hills,, and several districts offer designated sledding sites.

Stay safe while sledding

When it comes to sledding in the Chicago area, for safety's sake, hit the slopes at designated forest preserve sites where supervised and unsupervised sledding hills are regularly policed by officials for rocks, ruts and other obstacles. Here are some safety tips from local sledding experts:

* Remember, when snow melts and refreezes you have ice, not snow, and it's slippery. So be careful, and no goofing around.

* Keep hands, feet and clothing within the sled because if they get caught under the sled it will stop abruptly and you'll go head over heels into the air.

* Hang on to the sled or the person in front of you.

* Do not sled alone. Have a friend with you at all times.

* Layer warm clothing and wear scarves, hats, and mittens to protect from frostbite. Take time out and go indoors to warm up. Have a hot chocolate. Then head back out.

* You can still get sunburn in cold weather. Wear sunscreen.

* Wear bright colors so people can see you.

But not every hill is a good sledding spot. Keep an eye out for trees and other obstacles. Seasoned sledders say those who try to pioneer unsupervised backwood runs are flirting with danger. At high speeds, sledders can lose steering and braking control and risk crashing into trees, fences and rocks.

While there isn't any snow on the ground yet, it's never too early to start planning. To get you started, here are some sledding destinations in the Chicago area:

CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT: While the DISTRICT DOES NOT DESIGNATE SPECIFIC SLEDDING AREAS, MANY FAMILIES GO TO AREA PARKS, A PARK DISTRICT SPOKESWOMAN SAID. ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR HILLS IS CRICKET HILL ON WILSON, EAST OF LAKE SHORE DRIVE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL (312) 742-PLAY.

FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF COOK COUNTY: With a whopping 67,700 acres of preserve, there are many hills for sledding. Some of the sledding highlights include: Ned Brown Meadow (south of Golf Road and east of Interstate 290); Morrill Meadow (107th and Mannheim, Palos Hills); Miller Meadow (First Street, just south of Roosevelt, Maywood); Westchester Woods (Cermak Road, a half-mile east of La Grange Road, Westchester), and Turtlehead Lake (13600 S. Harlem, Orland Park). For more information, call (708) 366-9420.

FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY: The district has 57 preserves with 23,000 acres, but does not have a dedicated sledding area. Visitors are welcome to sled at their own risk. Sledding is prohibited at Mount Hoy, but when there is at least three inches of snow on the hill, Mount Hoy offers snow tubing. It's also prohibited at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville, and other areas may be restricted as posted. The District's Visitor Services answers questions about regulations. For more information, call (630) 933-7248 or go to www.dupageforest.com.

LAKE COUNTY FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT: The sprawling district has 20,777 acres with plenty of hills. Old School Forest Preserve (St. Mary's Road, south of Illinois 176, Libertyville) and the Lakewood Winter Sports Area (Illinois 176 and Fairfield, Wauconda) are designated sledding hills. The Lakewood site is lighted and open until sunset daily. No sleds with metal runners or snowboards are allowed. For more information, call (847) 367-6640 or go to www.lcfpd.org.

MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT: The county has 11,000 acres of conservation district. There is one designated sledding hill at Glacial Park, just off Illinois 31, north of Illinois 120 in unincorporated Ringwood. For more information, call (815) 338-6223 or go to www.mccdistrict.org.

WILL COUNTY FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT: This district has about 13,000 acres. There is a sledding hill at the Plum Creek Nature, 27064 Dutton, Beecher (708-946-2216). For more information, call (815) 727-8700 or go to www.fpdwc.org.

KANE COUNTY FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT: The district has 8,500 acres. Sledding hill are located at Oakhurst (on Fifth Avenue, approximately � mile east of Farnsworth, Aurora); Fabyan (south of Geneva on the Fox River, with entrances on both Illinois 25 and 31). For more information, call (630) 232-5980 or go to www.kaneforest.com.