Thrills of the hills: Where enthusiasts can go for sledding fun, but safety cautioned

Sledding brings back fond childhood memories for Ward 6 Ald. Kristin DiCenso.

"We went sledding at Pasfield Golf Course every time it snowed," DiCenso recalled. "As the youngest of five, any free activity was a good one. We would all pile onto the toboggan and ride for as long we could."

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DiCenso said her dad, coach and teacher and Springfield Sports Hall of Famer "Auggie" DiCenso, never missed a trip down the hill, either.

"He was the biggest kid out there," DiCenso said. "And I loved taking my son (sledding) when he was younger."

Pasfield, at Lawrence Avenue and Chatham Road, and Centennial Park, at Bunker Hill Road and Lenhart Road, have the Springfield Park District's two designated sledding hills.

Lynn Saputo, the park district's director of recreation and marketing, said while it isn't uncommon to find people sledding in other parks, Pasfield and Centennial Park are maintained "for safety and review."

With Springfield School District 186 students looking at a five-day break – classes were canceled Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for a storm that dropped more than 10 inches of snow on the city – the parks have become popular destinations.

None of the park district's lagoons were open for ice skating, according to its website Thursday. Southwind, Washington and Lincoln parks all have lagoons for ice skating when permissible, Saputo said.

Park district maintenance crews are "constantly checking" hills at Pasfield and Centennial "to make sure at any given time they're ready for the public to sled on them," Saputo said. Personnel have put snow fencing and hay bales to "catch" sledders and block trees, she said.

The parks are open from dawn until dusk, Saputo added.

Sledders at other parks – like Duncan (formerly Douglas), Bunn or Bergen – "do so at their own risk," Saputo said, "We cannot guarantee those areas for safety. One can argue there are 10 or 20 places you might be able to find a decent hill to go down in any one of our parks, but when you talk about sled hills and preparation, these are the two we program."

Just north of Springfield, said Williamsville school superintendent Tip Reedy, sledders can enjoy hills at "Mount Williamsville," which is visible from Interstate 55, and at Lake Williamsville Dam.

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"They're good hills," said Reedy, who has plied both of them. "'Mount Williamsville' is ginormous. It's more of a problem getting back up it."

A popular sledding spot in Lincoln is the Elks Golf Club,1020 County Road 1525 E., particularly hills on holes No. 13 and 16.

In Jacksonville, two hills vie for attention, said Mayor Andy Ezard: Mac Hill off Routt Street and the YMCA Hill between the Sherwood Eddy YMCA and Mound Street.

World-famous restaurateur and James Beard Award winner Kevin Boehm (Boka Group), who grew up in Springfield, said Pasfield was also his "go-to" place.

"I remember prematurely celebrating a particularly nice run down the hill," Boehm said when reached Thursday, "only to have my legs taken out from me by my sister, Missi, when I turned around."

Sister Kathleen Tait also had fond memories of Pasfield, up to a point.

"I remember the fun of the ride down the hill and bailing before we got to the creek," said Tait, the Springfield Dominicans' director of mission advancement.

Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder recalled heading over to Pasfield or Bunn for late toboggan runs after getting off work at the Esquire Theatre.

"There's no age limit on sledding or fun," Langfelder said.

Contact Steven Spearie at 217-622-1788, [email protected] or twitter.com/@stevenspearie.

Safety tips for sledding

• Make sure children wear helmets.

• Dress warmly. Wear a hat, gloves or mittens, snow pants and boots.

• Be courteous of other sledders.

• Stay off frozen ponds and creeks.

• Only sled with responsible adults.

• Don't sled alone or after dark.

Source: Springfield Park District

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois weather: 2 places to sled in Springfield IL area