Toboggan runs in Indiana, Ohio and more winter sport fun
Tobogganing down a snowy track was once a winter rite of passage in Chicagoland. In the Forest Preserves of Cook County alone, five toboggan runs exhilarated riders of all ages.
The six parallel 376-foot-long toboggan chutes at Swallow Cliff Woods in Palos Township even earned the telling nickname “Terror Hill” for their nearly 100-foot vertical drop. With a name that originates from the Algonquin word for sled, dabôgan, the sport of racing down an ice-coated chute on a runnerless wooden sled offers a wintertime thrill like no other.
Then one by one, Cook County’s toboggan tracks were shuttered and eventually dismantled, marking the end of an era of wintry fun in Chicago. These days, visitors to Swallow Cliff Woods climb the former toboggan tracks’ 125 steps for a decidedly less-thrilling reason: exercise.
“The (Forest Preserves) removed the last two toboggan slides we operated, at Dan Ryan Woods and Swallow Cliff, in 2007, although they’d been closed for use by the public since 2000,” said Carl Vogel, Forest Preserves spokesperson. “The main factors were the high expense of maintenance and repair to facilities that were decades old, concerns about safety and liability and relatively limited use due to the required equipment and specific temperature and snow conditions for use.”
One good, old-fashioned toboggan hill still stands, albeit a 160-mile (approximately 2 ½-hour) drive from Chicago, in northeast Indiana: Pokagon State Park’s two toboggan chutes, the last of their kind in the state, whisk riders down a 90-foot vertical drop for a breathtaking one-fourth-mile ride through the snow-blanketed woods.
Located in Angola, Indiana, Pokagon State Park, the state’s fifth oldest, offers endless opportunities for outdoor recreation during all four seasons.
In the snowy months, families from across the Midwest flock here to Indiana’s winter playground to ice fish or skate the park’s two lakes, snowshoe or cross-country ski 13.7 miles of trails that wind among its 1,200 acres or test their courage on the timeless toboggan run.
“Tobogganing at Pokagon is a wintertime tradition for so many families,” said park ranger Nicky Ball. “Grandparents who once tobogganed here as little children are now enjoying the same ride with their grandkids.”
Named after 19th-century Potawatomi chief Leopold Pokagon and his son, Simon Pokagon, the park is situated on land that once belonged to Potawatomi. The 1821 Treaty of Chicago ceded this land — and 4 million surrounding acres — to the federal government at the cost of 3 cents per acre, forever changing the tribe’s hold in the Great Lakes region.
The park contains an unparalleled variety of ecosystems — deciduous woodlands, fens, marshes, meadowlands, pine groves and swamps — plus campsites, cabins and a charming circa 1927 inn.
When Chapter 556 of the Civilian Conservation Corps, a voluntary public work relief program launched as part of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Depression-era New Deal, arrived at Pokagon in 1935, they planted trees and carved out nine scenic trails that are still in use.
During the spring and summer months, the crew was busy building the park’s stone and log structures, including the Gate House and Saddle Barn. When the winter months left the young crew of 18- to 23-year-old men snowbound, they set out to build a toboggan track atop a hill just outside their camp for the sheer joy of it.
Chapter 556 couldn’t keep the fun to themselves, and in 1938, the park manager decided to open the toboggan hill to the public. In 1940, a second track was added. At first, the chutes were chilled manually, with park employees packing the tracks with snow before use; in 1970, the tracks were refrigerated, so no snow is necessary for operation.
“We call it our ‘winter roller coaster.’ That first big drop will take your breath away,” Ball said. “I can’t help but think that the young men of the CCC who built this beloved attraction would be happy to know that over 100,000 people ride their toboggan track every year.”
On our annual mission to embrace the cold months of the Midwest, my 12-year-old daughter and I hit the road from Chicago for a late winter weekend mother-daughter escape to Pokagon State Park: We hiked the 2.2-mile Trail No. 2 along the snow-covered hills and through a hardwood forest, skated on the frozen lake and held box turtles in our hands at the on-site Nature Center, where displays showcase the animals that call this corner of Indiana home.
We stayed at the historic Potawatomi Inn, where we spent the evening reading and chatting with other visitors before a stone fireplace. We dined on Hoosier-style pork tenderloin and Wick’s Sugar Pie, the official pie of Indiana, in the inn’s wood-paneled, canoe-themed restaurant.
We also raced together on a toboggan down the track a total of 10 times. My daredevil daughter marveled as her 48-year-old mom lugged our unwieldy, 35-pound, rented wooden sled 90 feet up a wooden staircase to the launchpad and found my initial fear hilarious. On the first two rides down, my screams — which morphed into joyful laughter as we winded to a stop — may have reached the ears of our friends and family back in Chicago.
The ride lasts about 30 seconds, and the toboggans can reach speeds up to 42 mph.
Pokagon State Park’s toboggan hill is open weekends, late November through the end of February, and will only close when air temperatures drop below zero. Since the tracks are refrigerated, balmier temps don’t affect operation.
Toboggans rent for $20 per hour, and they hold up to four people.
Though a roaring fire warms up tobogganers between rides, dress warmly — gloves are required to ride — and remember to secure your winter hats on tightly: I noted several flying into the air as tobogganers merrily zoomed down the slick chutes.
Pokagon State Park
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1. Villa Olivia (Bartlett): Just a short drive from Chicago, Bartlett Park District’s Villa Olivia is ideal for a weekend getaway this winter. The popular snow tubing hill sends riders cascading across the snowy landscape, including a nighttime option, while snowboarding lessons provide a way for kids and adults alike to try out a new sport — or perfect their well-honed abilities. Tickets for tubing start at $30, providing two hours of zipping down the hill, then returning via a conveyor lift for as many thrills as possible. 1 hour from Chicago, bartlettparks.org
2. Iverson Park Winter Sports Area (Stevens Point, Wisconsin): Head to central Wisconsin for a smorgasbord of winter fun, from racing down two 300-foot-long toboggan slides to exploring a trio of sled and saucer runs at this city-run park. Snowboarding, ice skating and trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing round out the offerings, and with inexpensive toboggan rental fees ($6 for 30 minutes; $12 per hour), it can serve as a fun escape for budget-minded travelers. 4 hours from Chicago, stevenspoint.com
3. Alpine Coaster at Aerie’s Resort (Grafton, Illinois): The October addition of Aerie’s Alpine Coaster sends riders flying down a 4,000-foot track of gravity coaster on a two-person sled reaching up to 25 mph. Single rides are $18 for adults and $13 for children, and three-ride packages let families enjoy more thrills at a discount. Before you ride, take in scenic views of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers and the St. Louis skyline on the Grafton SkyTour on your way to the top of the hill, and then unwind at the resort’s cozy lodging for a restorative winter weekend. 5 hours from Chicago, aeriesresort.com
4. Bubly Tubing Park at Mad River Mountain (Zanesville, Ohio): Zip and zoom through Ohio’s largest tubing park, located approximately one hour northwest of Columbus at Mad River Mountain ski resort. Two carpet lifts — which carry riders up a gentle slope on moving walkways — bookend the tubing hill, and $34 passes get you two hours of snowy rides. 5 hours from Chicago, skimadriver.com
5. The Chalet at The Mill Stream Run Recreation Area (Cleveland): Just a stone’s throw from Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, The Chalet features Ohio’s tallest, fastest toboggan runs. The two 700-foot, refrigerated ice shoots are open through late February — no snowfall required. Reservations — and gloves or mittens — are required, but once visitors are checked in during their reservation time, the passes ($14 for adults, $12 for children) are good all day. 5½ hours from Chicago, clevelandmetroparks.com
Amy Bizzarri is a freelance writer.
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