A Comprehensive Guide To Sledding and Tubing in Lake County
By: Jonathan Jones 01/03/2022
You can’t be the only one having a blast in the snow. Once the snow hits the ground, kids (and children at heart) gravitate towards any hill that has a slight incline to race their friends and family. It’s that time of year to inflate that inner tube or dust off that sled and zip through the snow. Never forget to "Feel the Rhythm! Feel the Rhyme! Get on up, it's bobsled time! Cool Runnings!" Here is a comprehensive guide to sledding and tubing in Lake County.
Are you looking for a touch of nature combined with hilly terrain? While you enjoy a splendid evening making twists and turns on the ice or following the cross-country ski trails, your kids can go out on the hills of this Libertyville hill. The mini-mountain is open from 6:30 am to sunset. Old School Forest Preserve, 698 N. St. Mary's Rd., Libertyville. 
A sign will be posted indicating whether the snow is deep enough to tube down for this Vernon Hills slope. Century Park Sled Hill has its venue lighted and is open until 9 pm. While your children enjoy the joys of cross-country skiing or ice skating while the kids enjoy the tubing. If your chills are multiplying, Century Park has warming shelters on Saturday and Sunday from 1-9 pm. Century Park Sled Hill, 1001 Lakeview Pkwy., Vernon Hills.
Just over the border into Wisconsin, Wilmot Mountain added a tubing hill to their repertoire. This tubing area extends to as long as 1,000 feet with a conveyor lift that takes you back to the top. In the daytime, you could reach speeds of 38 mph while at night, your tube can hit over 50 mph. There are two hills: a kiddie hill and a regular hill. During the winter season, this tubing area is open every single day of the week 4-10 pm Monday through Friday and Saturday, Sunday and Holidays from 9 am – 11 pm. Wilmot Mountain, 11931 Fox River Rd., Wilmot, WI.
This Libertyville slope is lit for you nighttime sledders and tubers. The park is also equipped with a warming shelter. During non-pandemic times, there is usually a concession stand. The park also has an area for ice skating and cross country skiing. Adler Memorial Park, 1500 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville.
You could tube from sunrise to sunset to your heart’s content at the Wadsworth Sled Hill near Village hall. The hill closes at 10 pm. Attendees are prohibited from tubing down the south side of the hill. Wadsworth Sled Hill, between Delany and Wadsworth Roads.
At this Round Lake hill, it caters to every type of tuber. Whether it be your first time sliding down the hill or you’re a crafty veteran, Hart’s Hill obtains a small hill and a large hill for your tubing pleasure. This incline is an unsupervised hill, but it has lights for the night tubers. Hart’s Hill is open daily from 9 am – 9 pm. Hart's Hill, 814 Hart Rd., Round Lake.
Just because it’s a beach location doesn’t mean you can’t have fun in the snow. Paulus has your winter fun with not only a hill for your tubing pleasure, but also an ice skating rink in this Lake Zurich location. The park is open daily but is not illuminated, so Paulus closes at dark. Paulus Park, 200 S. Rand Rd., Lake Zurich.
An area located right behind Grayslake Library is the Gelatin Factory Park sled hill. In mid-2018, the defunct Gelatin Factory standing on a 9.2-acre site was demolished and now a hill stands in the location for kiddies to achieve their winter goals. The hill stands at nearly 15 feet tall. Gelatin Park, between Library Lane, Railroad Avenue and Gray Court behind Grayslake Area Public Library, Grayslake.
Your kids have a great option of going down the sled hill at Lake Villa. The hill with an alias known as Caboose is lit every day weather permitting between the hours of 5:30 and 10 pm. Don’t be the caboose in the race for the bottom of the hill! Caboose Hill, 37908 N. Fairfield Rd., Lake Villa.
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Outside of Lake Bluff Park District Recreation Center is the beautiful Blair Park Campus. In the wintertime, you better believe Lake County residents grab their tubes and galoshes to slide down their tall hill. Blair Park’s hill is lit so you can have some nighttime adventures sledding and tubing in Lake County down the incline at rapid speeds until 9 pm. Blair Park, 355 W. Washington Ave., Lake Bluff.
Warren Township has two (2) designated sled hills located at 17801 West Washington St. No other slopes are maintained for sledding. Sledding is allowed when there is an adequate snow base during regular park hours, daily 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The hills are not supervised, and the user is responsible for determining if the conditions are appropriate for sledding and tubing in Lake County. DANGER: Use the hill at your own risk. Parents are responsible for children. Makeshift ramps or jumps are prohibited. Sledding is permitted only in designated areas, and on the sides of hill designated for sledding. Warren Township Sled Hill, 17801 W. Washington St., Gurnee.
This hill, formally known as Centennial Park, is located just south of the Park District of Highland Park's Centennial Ice Arena. Sliders are encouraged to stay within the fence as there are no supervision or warming facilities to the sled hill. Call the rainout line to make sure the hill is open at 847-579-9008. Danny Cunniff Park, 27 Trail Way, Highland Park.
The Lake County Forest Preserve incline is part of the Wauconda winter sports area. The hill is lit and open from 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. Want to practice your triple lutz? Lakewood has an ice skating rink located right next to the hill so you can kill two winter sports with one snowball. Lakewood Forest Preserve, between North Forest Preserve Road and Illinois Route 176, Wauconda.
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