Five Best Sledding Hills

By Harrison Keegan

There’s only one thing to do on a snow day—throw the sled in the trunk and head to your favorite hill. Although the Ozark Mountains are glorious, anyone who has driven in the cities here knows that good urban sledding hills aren’t the easiest things to find. But there are still some prime sledding spots, and we scoured the region to come up with the five best places in 417-land to put sled to snow and just let loose.

1. Lake Springfield Park
5324 S. Kissick Ave., Springfield
Why it’s cool: When you enter Lake Springfield Park on East Lake Springfield Park Road, take your second right at the Hilltop Pavilion. East of the playground you will find the hill with the best combination of length and steepness on this list. It is one of those hills that is so fun to go down that it almost makes you forget about the long walk back up. There are no trees to avoid, and it has some pretty solid ramping potential if you spend a little time packing snow in the right spots. Also, the lake provides some great scenery. For younger kids, the hill gets much shorter and more gradual as you move north.

2. Neosho High School
511 Neosho Blvd., Neosho
Why it’s cool: If you are wondering why there are so many cars in the Neosho High School parking lot on snow days, it’s not because the students are banging on the doors demanding to turn in their homework. Just south of the football field is one of the most popular sledding hills in 417-land. It is wide enough to accommodate plenty of sleds and long enough for an enjoyable ride. The street below the hill is usually blocked off when it snows due to slickness, but this also makes sledding a lot safer.

3. Pat Jones YMCA
1901 E. Republic Rd., Springfield
Why it’s cool: Sometimes things that have one purpose for 350 days of the year transform when there is snow on the ground. The soccer basin and jogging track just east of the Pat Jones YMCA is one of those spots. The basin has three wide hills that empty onto the soccer fields below. The north side of the basin is the best hill. It is wide and steep but not very long—ideal for quick, short runs. The hills around the soccer basin are good for everyone, fast enough for big kids and short enough for smaller ones.

4. Carver Middle School
3325 W. Battlefield Rd., Springfield
Why it’s cool: The long, steady slope just west of Carver Middle School is the type of hill that makes you want to pile up three deep on a sled and just coast. The hill goes on forever, ending at a walking trail about 100 yards down. This is a good hill for younger kids or anyone who wants to enjoy a leisurely ride. Plus, nothing beats going to school on a snow day just to go sledding.

5. Doling Park
2600 N. Robberson Ave., Springfield
Why it’s cool: On the northwest side of Doling Park is a hill that presents a variety of challenges. Not only does it require dodging a few trees, but it also forces you to bail off your sled at the end to avoid going right into the park’s creek, all while avoiding the rocky outcrops on the face of the hill. The payoff, however, is the best jumps of any hill on this list. There are quite a few smaller ramps near the top and a big one at the end that is likely to put some air between your sled and the snow.