Home slopes: 10 sledding options close to town

When snow cancels school, there is nothing kids want to do more than going sledding. The issue is that very same snow that shuts schools makes it very difficult to reach the snowplay areas at Mount Rainier and Olympic national parks.

So what do you do?

There are plenty of good places, close to home, where children and grownups can make some runs down a hill.

While the most recent now is now washed away or reduced to slush by the ensuing rain, here are some locations that are worth keeping in mind for the next time Old Man Winter visits the South Sound:

1. Alling Park

South 61st Street and Sheridan Avenue, Tacoma

This small neighborhood park has some good hills for South End residents. There is plenty of room for families on the hill behind the playground area. The large field in the middle of the park makes for a safe runout area.

2. Bigelow Springs Park

930 Bigelow Ave. N.E., Olympia

The hillside in this park in the north end of town is one of Olympia’s favorite sledding sites when the snow flies. It has a large open hillside that makes for a safe sledding location. The hillside also provides great views of East Bay, when you need a break between runs.

3. Capitol Campus

Capitol Way South and14th Avenue Southeast, Olympia

The best area is on the Jefferson Street Southeast side of the park. The hills aren’t large, and there are some trees, but it’s good access.

4. Carson Elementary School

8615 184th St. E., Puyallup

Small hills surround almost half of the school’s playfield. Plenty of room for tamer runs while the daredevils leap over handmade jumps until they split their plastic saucers. Be aware of drainage grates and wood curbing surrounding the field’s makeshift track.

5. Fircrest Recreation Center

555 Contra Costa Ave., Fircrest

There is a small hill in the northeast corner of the park, near the intersection of Delmonte Avenue and Spring Street. The gradual slope is good spot for young children or kids trying out a snowboard or something similar for the first time.

6. Jane Clark Playfield

North Orchard and North 39th streets, Tacoma

There is a small hill on the 39th Street side of the park. It has a large, flat runout area. This would be best for small children. They won’t build up a lot of speed, they can easily walk back up the hill and this smaller location will keep them away from crowds at bigger parks.

7. Point Defiance Park

North end of Pearl Street, Tacoma

The bowl at the entrance has a nice big hill. There are some trees at bottom as you move further into the park. People are no longer allowed to use the upper slope along the exit road. Metro Parks has replanted the area, but it’s also a safety issue because vehicles come around a blind corner on the exit road.

8. Sunrise Park

505 Bing St. N.W., Olympia

This park near Capital High School and Jefferson Middle School features a large grassy hill that makes for good sledding. The runout area at the bottom is open.

9. Vassault Park

North Narrows Drive and North 37th Street, Tacoma

There is plenty of room for sledding here. There is a large, wide hill on the Narrows Drive side of the park. It has a flat runout area, and there are no obstacles. There also is a smaller hill for young children.

10. Wright Park

Sixth Avenue and South I Street, Tacoma

The best hills are behind the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory on G Street. There are plenty of places to sled, some with trees on the hill or in the runout area. Some of the hills are tiered, to give riders an option for larger or smaller runs. There is another hill at the corner of I and Division streets.

Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640
jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure

WATCH OUR FOR THOSE TREES!

When you head to a park with lots of trees, be wary of falling branches, warned Nancy Johnson, Metro Parks Tacoma spokeswoman. “Following a storm like this, many trees will experience weakened branches. Wright Park, for example, is littered with many more branches than normal right now,” she said. “If it becomes windy, an even greater number of branches will be falling.”

Johnson pointed out that weather like this affects the healthiest of trees and park visitors should be mindful of the area and weather conditions to avoid unforeseen injuries from falling limbs.