Over the weekend we got several inches of fresh snow around here (finally!), so we were keen to go sledding. We were wondering if we could sled in any of the state parks, so I went on an early morning expedition to scope out any possible sledding spots in a couple of the state parks closest to us.
First up was the Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion Historic Site, where we had recently been on our First Day Hike. I was the only person there and had the place all to myself! I wandered around the grounds taking some photos of the newly fallen snow. It seems like it only takes a day (or just a few hours!) before all that soft white snow gets brown-ish, or trodden on, or melts, so I really enjoyed being the first one to enjoy the snow at this location. The sun was still low in the sky and for a while it was a clear, sunny day ... then it clouded over ... but not before I got a few photos of the bright blue sky.
In terms of sledding locations, there is a nice wide and sloping lawn next to the old mansion and it would be ideal for sledding ... however it ends at a 6ft drop to either water or rocks, depending on the tide ... which is considerably less ideal! I was somewhat confident that we would stop in time so it was a tempting option, but I was also a bit hesitant about sledding on the grounds of the mansion, as I had never seen people engaged in "active pursuits" there and I wasn't really sure if it would be considered OK, so I decided to move on.
Next up was Odiorne Point State Park. By the time I got there it was already quite busy with other people enjoying the snow. Mostly snow-shoers and cross-country skiers on the trails. It didn't take me long to realize that Odiorne Point is a pretty flat park, with very little to offer for sledding. The only "hill" is an old bunker, which actually has a very steep slope which would give a sled a good amount of speed. However the only part of this "hill" that is free of vegetation ends at a concrete slab and a picnic table ... so that was a no-go as well.
I didn't spend long at Odiorne Point and at that point I gave up (at least temporarily) on the notion of sledding in a state park and we headed out to one of our local "stand-by" sledding locations instead. I am still curious though if any of the parks slightly further afield (Pawtuckaway, Kingston, Northwood Meadows, etc) might offer some sledding options. Does anybody know if those state parks have places suitable for sledding? If so, feel free to leave suggestions in the comments below!
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