31 Best Sledding Hills Around Chicago (2024)
When you’re a kid, there’s nothing better than a day of sledding. Whether it’s a snow day after a heavy snowfall, or a just a weekend with a few inches of snow during the winter season, we’ve found the best places to go sledding in the Chicago area. We’ve made sure to include some favorite sledding hills that work for the whole family, so there are some smaller hills for younger children and some steeper slopes for bigger kids. So put on your snow pants, grab some plastic sleds, and find a great sledding hill for some winter fun. Don’t forget to sip some hot chocolate after!
City of Chicago
Caldwell Woods
W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL 60646
Managed by the Forest Preserves of Cook County, Caldwell Woods on the Northwest side of Chicago is a great place for the whole family to go sledding. The hill is conveniently located next to a parking lot, and there are two sets of stairs to walk back up. There aren’t any trees or roads at the foot of the hill, so kids have a long way to stop. It isn’t overly steep, and my 3-year-old managed the hill fine, but she’s also a bit of a dare-devil. There is lighting at night, and it is right next to Superdawg Drive-In, one of the best hot dog stands in Chicago.
The hill is lit and staffed when the ground is frozen at there are 3 inches of snow at the following times:
- Sunday – Thursday: 10am – 7:30pm
- Friday-Saturday: 10am – 8:30pm
Call 847-647-2240 for sledding hill status.
Warren Park
6601 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60645
This popular spot in the West Ridge neighborhood of Chicago has a great hill for sledding, a warming house, and an ice rink with free ice skating. They have ice skate rentals available for a fee, but you need to bring your own sled or inner tube for sledding!
Gompers Park
5100 N Ridgeway Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
Located in the North Park Neighborhood of Chicago, Gompers Park has several small hills that make it a great spot for introducing little kids to the joys of sledding! There’s also a playground and picturesque views of the Chicago river.
Horner Park
2741 W Montrose Ave Chicago, IL 60618
Horner Park is a busy park managed by the Chicago Park District, complete with soccer fields, baseball diamonds, and a popular sled hill! There’s a large parking area, bathrooms, a playground, and lots of cute restaurants nearby.
Oz Park
2021 N Burling St, Chicago, IL 60614
A local favorite, this Lincoln Park tribute to the Wizard of Oz has a small sledding spot that is great for younger kids. Parking isn’t quite as easy here, but there is street parking and plenty of public transit options nearby.
Cricket Hill
4500 N Lake Shore Dr Chicago, IL
While it’s not an officially sanctioned sledding spot, the large hill by Montrose Harbor is a popular sledding hill for locals. An added bonus is that there are beautiful views of Lake Michigan from the top of the hill.
Soldier Field
1410 S Museum Campus Dr Chicago, IL 60605
Did you know you can go sledding in downtown Chicago? There are 35 acres of parkland behind Soldier Field, and some of that land contains a 200-foot hill for sledding. The park district makes snow if there isn’t any, so there’s usually a sure sledding hill right in the downtown area. Call 312-235-7000 to check beforehand.
Dan Ryan Woods
S Western Ave & W 87th St Chicago, IL 60620
The Dan Ryan Woods is part of the Cook County Forest Preserves in the Beverly neighborhood. The hill is lit and staffed when the ground is frozen at there are 3 inches of snow at the following times:
- Sunday – Thursday: 10am – 7:30pm
- Friday-Saturday: 10am – 8:30pm
Call 773-233-3766 for sledding hill status.
Humboldt Park
1440 N Humboldt Blvd Chicago, IL 60622
Humboldt Park is a large park with little sled hills for novice sledders. It’s also right near the beautiful Garfield Park Conservatory, so you can warm up around some gorgeous plants after playing in the snow.
Palmisano Park
2700 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60608
This unique spot was once a limestone quarry, then a garbage dump, and now it’s a park and sledding hill! It’s affectionately called “Mount Bridgeport” by locals, and it’s a pretty steep slope so, for safety reasons, this hill may be best for big kids.
North/Northwest Suburbs
Danny Cunniff park
2700 Trail Way, Highland Park, IL 60035
Century Park
1401 Indianwood Dr, Vernon Hills, IL 60061
Old School Forest Preserve
28285 N St Marys Rd, Libertyville, IL 60048
James Park
Techny Prairie Park and Field
1401 W. 1700 Techny Road, Northbrook
Centennial Park
100 S Western Ave Park Ridge, IL 60068
West Suburbs
Westchester Woods
10159 Cermak Road Westchester, IL 60154
The hill is lit and staffed when the ground is frozen at there are 3 inches of snow at the following times:
- Sunday – Thursday: 10am – 7:30pm
- Friday-Saturday: 10am – 8:30pm
Call 708-447-0090 for sledding hill status.
Waubonsie Lake Park
998 Kautz Rd, Aurora, IL 60504
Oak Brook Park District
1450 Forest Gate Rd, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Berens Park
493 N Oaklawn Ave Elmhurst, IL 60126
Barrie Park
1011 S Lombard Ave Oak Park, IL 60304
South Suburbs
50 Acre Woods
S Rockwell Ave Evergreen Park, IL 60805
Centennial Park
15600 West Ave, Orland Park, IL 60462
Goodenow Grove
17540 W. Laraway Road Joliet, IL 60433
Swallow Cliff Stairs
Sag Valley Trail, Palos Park, IL 60464
The hill is lit and staffed when the ground is frozen at there are 6 inches of snow at the following times:
- Sunday – Thursday: 10am – 7:30pm
- Friday-Saturday: 10am – 8:30pm
Call 708-839-5617 for sledding hill status.
Kasey Meadow Park
Commercial Sledding/Tubing
Alpine Hills Adventure Park
4402 Larson Ave, Rockford, IL 61108
Alpine Hills Adventure Park is a 5-acre snow park in Rockford, about an hour away from Chicago. They have snow tubing and a separate area for snowboarding.
Grand Geneva
7036 Grand Geneva Way, Lake Geneva, WI 53147
The Grand Geneva Resort is a gorgeous resort in Lake Geneva with lots of opportunities to enjoy winter sports! They have down hill skiing, cross-country ski trails, ice skating, sledding, and more! There are lots of cute restaurants and other fun things to do in Lake Geneva as well.
Wilmot Mountain Ski Resort
11931 Fox River Rd, Wilmot, WI 53192
Wilmot Mountain Ski Resort is a ski and snowboard resort about a 60 minute drive from Chicago that has snow tube runs as well!
The Rock Snow Park
7011 S Ballpark Dr, Franklin, WI 53132
The Rock Snow Park in Franklin, Wisconsin has the usual skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing. But, they also have glow tubing which looks super fun!
Villa Olivia
1401 W Lake St, Bartlett, IL 60103
Villa Olivia is a resort in Barlett, Illinois that has skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing in the winter.
