Best Places For Sledding, Outdoor Winter Fun In Illinois

Around northern Illinois, the month of December didn't exactly feel much like winter, particularly in the Chicago area. After all, there was hardly any snow. However, as 2019 rolls in, it was only a matter of time before the region gets blanketed with a heavy snowfall. That means families and students will want to head outside to enjoy the winter weather.

To help you out, Patch has assembled a list of several places around the region where you might want to go to sled or enjoy snow tubing or sledding provided we get some snow.

SOUTH SUBURBS:

• 50-Acre Park

Where: Evergreen Park, 91st Street and Rockwell Avenue

• Kasey Meadow Park

Where: Hickory Hills, 8047 W. 91st Place. Features steps for easy accessibility. No metal runner sleds. Hill closes at 9 p.m.

• Centennial Park

Where: Orland Park, 15600 West Avenue and Fun Drive

Offers free sledding, ice skating, sledding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.

• Swallow Cliff Woods North

Where: Palos Park, West of LaGrange Road, Calumet Sag Road/Route 83

Lighted hill; requires at least six inches of snow cover

• Lake Katherine Nature Center

Where: Palos Heights: 7402 Lake Katherine Drive

Lake Katherine doesn’t have a sled hill, but families are invited to pull their little ones around the trails on a sled. Snowshoe rentals are also available for $5 at the front desk in the main building.

• Pioneer Woods

Where: Willow Springs, 107th Street, 1/2 mile west of LaGrange Road.

WILL COUNTY AND KENDALL COUNTY

Plainfield

• Plainfield Park District Recreation and Admin Center/Boy Scout Park - 23729 W. Ottawa Street
• Cumberland Park (Cumberland subdivision) - 6901 Gallatin Drive
• Norman Greenway (aka Daisy Dog Park) - 13214 S. Blakely Drive
• Community Park at Grande Park: 26333 Grand Park Boulevard in Plainfield

Lockport

• Dellwod Park - Route 171 and Woods Drive

Shorewood

• Cene's Four Seasons Park - 25520 W. Seil Road
• Shorewood Park - Route 59 between Amendodge and Seil Road

Oswego

• Prairie Point Community Park - 4120 Plainfield Road
• Northampton Park - 310 Northampton Drive
• Chesterfield Park and Lake - 139 Chesterfield Drive
• Ogden Falls Park - 375 Ogden Falls Blvd.

Beecher

• Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve - 27064 S. Dutton Road

Wilmington

Forked Creek Preserve Butcher Lane Access - 32736 S. Butcher Lane

Yorkville

• Harris Forest Preserve - 10460 Route 71
• Jaycee Pond - 410 W. Center St.

File images John Ferak/Joliet Patch Editor