Park district tells sledding, skating locations

Naperville Park District offers opportunities to enjoy winter sports at a number of locations throughout the community.

Skating areas typically open on or after Dec. 15; however, they can open only after a period of extreme cold.

Likewise, sled hills require a minimum amount of snow in order to open. Weather and conditions permitting, the skating season continues through Feb. 15 and the sledding season runs through Feb. 28.

The park district maintains winter skating rinks at five locations. The following ice rinks will be lighted and open until 10 p.m.:

• Centennial Park, 500 W. Jackson Ave.

• Nike Sports Complex, 288 W. Diehl Road,

• Commissioners Park, 3704 111th St.

The fourth and fifth rinks, located at Gartner Park, 524 Gartner Road, and at Meadow Glens, 1303 Muirhead Ave., are not lighted and close at dusk.

Hockey and broomball play is allowed only at the two boarded rinks at Centennial Park. A third rink at Centennial Park is for free skating only. No pucks or sticks are allowed on free-skating areas.

Sled hills are open when the ground is frozen with two or more inches of snow and when there is no visible grass. Wooden sleds, metal-runner sleds, skis, toboggans or snowboards are not allowed on Naperville Park District sled hills.

The district offers one location exclusively for snowboarding: Weigand Riverfront Park at 2436 S. Washington St. (no sleds are allowed on this hill).

The following sled hills are located in community parks or neighborhood parks. They have no concessions and close one hour after sunset, except Rotary Hill, which is lighted and open weekdays until 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m.

• Arrowhead Park, 711 Iroquois Ave.

• Brook Crossings, 1015 95th St.

• Country Lakes Park, 1835 North Aurora Road.

• Gartner Park, 524 W. Gartner Road.

• May Watts Park, 804 S. Whispering Hills Drive.

• Riverwalk Sled Hill at Rotary Hill, 441 Aurora Ave.

To check the status of skating, sledding and snowboarding areas, residents may access the district's Rainout Line in five different ways:

• Call the Rainout Line number at (630) 883-4242.

• Visit www.napervilleparks.org/cancellations, or go to our website and click on the Weather Cancellations & Closures tab.

• Opt in to receive email updates.

• Opt in to receive text updates.

• Download the free smartphone app.