Naperville Hours For Sledding, Boarding, Skating

NAPERVILLE, IL — It's been a little too cold lately for some of us to enjoy outdoor winter sports. As the halfway point of the season approaches, consider taking the kids for a sled run or two. The season will be over before you know it. Here are a few free ways to get outside thru March. We recommend calling the rainout line to double check if your venue is open at 630-883-4242.

SLEDDING

Naperville sled hills recently opened with the first snow of the season, and will remain open as long as the grass isn’t visible. Wooden sleds, metal-runners, toboggans or snowboards are not allowed on Naperville Park District sled hills.

The following sled locations close at dusk:

• Arrowhead Park, 711 Iroquois Avenue
• Brook Crossings, 1015 95th Street
• Country Lakes Park, 1835 North Aurora Road
• Gartner Park, 524 W Gartner Road
• May Watts Park 804 S. Whispering Hills Drive
• Rotary Hill, 440 Aurora Ave.

Warm up Saturday and Sunday afternoon at the Riverwalk Cafe near the base of the Rotary Park Sled Hill, weather permitting. Cafe hours will vary throughout the season, depending on sledding conditions. Its menu includes hot coffee, tea, hot chocolate, soft drinks, chili, snacks, beer and wine.

SNOWBOARDING

The Weigand Riverfront Park at 2436 S. Washington St. is open only to boarders. No sledding allowed.

ICE SKATING

Napervilles skating areas are only open after a period of extreme cold. The Naperville Park District asks people to refrain from accessing the ice when skating areas aren't open. Earlier this season, damage was done by eager skaters which caused a delay in the ice making process. The season will go until Feb. 15.

The following rinks are lighted and open until 10 p.m.

• Centennial Park, 500 W. Jackson Ave. (hockey and broomball is allowed at two boarded rinks)
• Commissioners Park, 3704 111th St.
• Nike Sports Complex, 288 W. Diehl Rd.

The following rinks are not lighted and close at dusk:

• Meadow Glens, 1303 Muirhead Ave.
• Gartner Park, 524 W. Gartner Rd.
• Rotary Hill 440 Aurora Ave.

These rinks are designed for recreational use only, and are not maintained at professional skating standards. The statuses of park district ice rinks can be checked online or by calling 630-883-4242.

FREE NATURE DISCOVERY DAYS

Knoch Knolls Nature Center is home to Nature Discovery Days by the park district. Adults and kids can drop in any time between 10:30 and 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays in January and February and on Sundays in March. There's also a bonus discovery day on Presidents Day, Feb. 19. No registration required, but kids must be accompanied by an adult.

There's a chance these places won't be open when schools are closed for a snow day. Check out this notification guide for districts 203 and 204.

Did we miss anything? If there's a stash of snow you'd like to share, send an email to Naperville@patch.com and we'll be sure to add it to the list. We made a similar guide to outdoor activities through the Oswego Park District, which includes ice fishing and snow shoeing.

Image: Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press