Where to Go Sledding in Farmington and Beyond

After last winter's nearly snow-less winter, the past week has given many local residents a chance to finally dust the cobwebs off their sleds and toboggans and check out some local hills.

Are you looking for a place to sled other than your own yard? Here's a guide to some of the favorite sledding spots in the surrounding area:

West Hartford

Beachland Park in Elmwood has a sledding hill that's steep at the stop but finishes on a flat field. Wolcott Park has a "bowl" that also ends on a flat field.

Elizabeth Park has two sledding hills, but the better one is on the Hartford side of Prospect Avenue.

Bugbee School is another popular place for sledding for young families. The hill is short but quick and has a long ride onto the baseball field. Sledders sometimes build their own ramps, which are great on an inner tube.

Buena Vista Golf Course permits sledding, and is a local favorite with several starting points and hills of varying steepness.

The steepest hill is at Rockledge Golf Course off South Main Street. It's a favorite for those with snowboard-type sleds. Rockledge has marked trails that are perfect for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing as well.

Farmington

The Farmington High School hill is the most popular place for sledding in town. With a huge space and a steep incline, it accommodates dozens of children. Parents wait at the top and keep a watchful eye to make sure kids don't sail right onto Route 4. Winding Trails is also open for sledding. A section of the enormous Sportsplex hill near the soccer fields is designated for younger children. Sledding is free to members; for non-members it's $4 for children, $6 for adults. Winding Trails also offers spectacular groomed trails for cross-country skiing. 

Avon

Avon Middle School offers is an ideal sledding location for children from Avon and surrounding towns. A slightly steep hill next to the baseball field in the front of the school draws tubers and sledders. Although Avon Middle School is located along West Avon Road, one of the busiest main roads in town, parents need not worry about the safety of children sledding on the hill. The crest of the hill is far removed from the street and the slope flattens out toward the bottom, extending flat for over 200 yards before the fence alongside the road.

Simsbury

Simsbury Farms Golf Course has one of most well-known sledding spots in town.  Drive up the main entrance to the golf course, continue on to the right when you get to the main building and park in back. The sledding hill is directly behind the parking lot.