Sledding and Tubing in the winter is really fun- reduces stress for adults and provides an energy outlet for kids and teens. This provides locations to go locally and within a relatively short drive from the Boston area.
1. Larz Anderson Park, 23 Newton Street, Brookline – Great for Sledding and Ice Skating plus they have a snack shop and bathrooms. Has large and small hills.
2. Prospect Hill Park – 322 Totten Pond Road, Waltham, MA 02451. Great sledding with some steep terrain.
3. Flagstaff Hill in Boston Common – 248 Tremont Street, Boston – Sledding and Ice Skating – Near Kid Friendly Restaurants.
4. Sugar Bowl at Jamaica Pond – Jamaicaway and Perkins Street, Boston – Sledding with an inverted hill.
5. Corey Hill Outlook – Summit Avenue in Brookline – Steep Hills with Great Views. Probably not for young children.
6. Spy Pond Park in Arlington
7. Malden/Melrose – Hill off Main Street just past Malden Center Train Station
8. Needham High School – 609 Webster Street, Needham – Memorial Hill – For younger children.
9. Puddingstone Park – 174 St. Alphonsus Street, Boston – Sledding
10. Stanley Ringer Playground – 50 Webley Street, Boston – For younger children.
11. Amory Park – 45 Amory Street, Brookline – Sledding and Tobogganing
12. Alexander Kemp Playground – 8 Waterhouse Street, Cambridge – Sledding for younger children.
13. Fellsmere Park – Fellsway East – Malden, MA 02148 – Sledding
14. Arnold Arboretum -125 Arborway Way, Boston – Sledding – 350 foot hill
15. Tufts University – Davis Square – College Avenue – Somerville – Sledding is allowed on the President’s Lawn
16. Leo J. Martin Golf Course – 190 Park Road, Weston – Kick Sledding, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, ice skating.
Tubing – A Short Drive From Boston
1. Amesbury Sports Park – 12 South Hunt Road, Amesbury, MA 01913 – Thursday Through Sundays. Three hills. Main hill with six lanes open Thursday and Fridays. On weekends, two additional lanes on a steeper hill are open as well as a hill for toddlers. You can also ride the frozen rapids on weekends which is group sledding on a rubber boat. Open Thursdays and Fridays 3:30pm to 9pm, Saturdays from 10am to 9pm and Sundays 10am to 7pm. Three hour passes are $24 and 5-hour passes are $32. There are lifts to get to the top of the hill.
2. Ski Butternut – 380 State Road, Great Barrington, MA – Seven lanes with a lift. Two hour passes are $18 or $99 for the season. Open Saturdays from 10am to 8pm and Sundays from 10am to 5pm. Located on the far left side of the main parking lot.
3. Nashoba Valley – 179 Great Road, Littleton, MA 01460 – There are 15 lanes and four lifts. Open during the week from 1pm to 10pm and on weekends from 9 am to 10pm. Two hour passes are $28. Must be 6 years old and 42 inches tall.
4. Ski Ward – 1000 Main Street, Shrewsbury, MA – Open daily with six lanes and three lifts. Monday- Friday – open 4-8pm, Saturdays open 10am to 8pm and Sundays 10am to 5pm. Two hours passes during the week are $22, on weekends $24. Must be 6 years old and 42 inches tall.
5. Berkshire East – 66 South River Road, Charlemont, MA 01339 – Three lanes, one lift. Tickets 12 and older – $20, Under 12 are $15. Passes are for 2 hours and go on sale 15 minutes in advance. Time slots are 10am – noon, noon to 2pm and 2-4pm. Open 10am to 4pm on weekends. Must be 42 inches tall.