It seems that snow is in the forecast again. Of course, sledding is on the mind of most kids in the area! For me, as a tween/teen, it was always thrilling going out on fresh powder, seeing how fast* or far my friends and I could go, and loving being outdoors. Of course, at a younger age, I was just hoping to not get hit by another sled! It depended on my age and readiness.
Below is our list of recommended Northern NJ sledding areas near us in Union, Essex, and Morris Counties:
- South Mountain Reservation - for starters, we're lucky to have South Mountain Reservation! While its official address is in West Orange, it also borders Livingston, Millburn, Maplewood, Short Hills, and South Orange.
- Berkeley Heights
- Thomas Hughes Elementary School, Berkeley Heights
- Chatham
- Municipal Building, Chatham
- Clark
- The Pit Ball Field, Clark
- Cranford
- Memorial Field, Cranford
- Lenape Park (avoid proximity near water), Cranford
- Garwood
- Unami Park, Garwood
- Kenilworth
- Galloping Hill Park and Golf Course, Kenilworth
- Livingston
- Cedar Hill, Livingston
- Hillside School, Livingston
- Riker Hill Art Park, Livingston
- Madison
- Madison Golf Club, Madison
- Maplewood
- Delia Bolden Elementary School, Maplewood
- Memorial Park, Maplewood
- Mountainside
- Echo Lake Park, Mountainside
- New Providence
- Lucent Hill, New Providence
- Scotch Plains
- Kramer Manor Park, Scotch Plains
- Scotch Hills Golf Course, Scotch Plains
- South Orange
- Cameron Field, South Orange
- Flood's Hill, Meadowland Park, & The Baird, South Orange
- Springfield
- Meisel Avenue Park, Springfield
- Summit
- Briant Park, Summit
- Jefferson Elementary School, Summit
- Summit Community Center (behind it), Summit
- Union Township
- Hoffman Park, Hampton, Union Township
- West Orange
- Redwood Elementary School, West Orange
- Francis A. Byrne Golf Course, West Orange
- Westfield
- Tamaques Elementary School (behind it), Westfield
*While sledding is extraordinarily exciting and fun, it comes with certain hazards. It's best to take some precautionary measures. Here are some of our recommendations (revised from a 2017 post by Elizabeth Moglia Jackson and Andrea Spaar):
- Avoid areas with oncoming cars.
- Be sure child won't slide into a street with oncoming traffic.
- Avoid sledding near bodies of water, such as lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.
- Be mindful of rocks and boulders in the area.
- Wear proper snow gear, such as weatherproof & waterproof pants/bibs, coats, gloves/mittens, and helmets.
- Watch out for other sleds.
- Ask your child, if they are feeling too much cold on any part of their body. End it early if it's getting to be too much for them.
- Be cautious of ice.
- Help your child pull up the sled, if they are young or just tired.
- Be mindful of your child's steering ability on a hill.
- Consider your child's size, length and slope of hill.
- Enjoy!
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