Sledding is a winter pastime nearly as old as time itself. Although gravity provides the trip downhill for free, the trudge back up can be a good way to get some winter exercise in the great outdoors, while also having fun at the same time. Sleds are fairly cheap and commonplace in most sporting goods stores and even supermarkets. In desperate conditions, even a makeshift homemade sled suffices. With winter almost here, Zephyrus dove headfirst into the snowbanks to find the best sledding hills in Edina.

Creek Valley Elementary School has a fantastic hill, located just above its soccer fields. The terrain is fairly even in slope, without any major dips or divots. Additionally, the Edina Nordic Ski Team typically covers part of the hill in snow, and students from Creek Valley build small jumps. Creek Valley’s sledding hill and playground is used regularly by neighborhood kids, so the surface can get icy without regular snowfall. The hill sometimes gets a little busier, but is generally quiet enough that everyone can fit.

Edina High School is also built on top of a great hill. This hill is significantly higher and somewhat steeper than the others on the list. It is also the least used, meaning that any sledder is almost guaranteed a patch of powder to call their own. The construction in the area doesn’t interfere with the best part of the hill, only the far side. There’s a staircase on the hill that’s usually shoveled and salted, making it much easier to make it back to the top. Its close proximity to the school–just a few feet from the back door to the hill–is great for students that want to run out of class and into some snowy wintertime fun at the end of the school day.

Countryside Elementary School has perhaps the widest sledding hill in Edina. The extra-large hill can accommodate an abundance of sledders. The parking here is a little further away than at some of the other locations, so it can be a bit of a trek for smaller sledders. Conveniently, there’s a staircase located roughly in the middle of the hill. The school’s two playgrounds are built at the top and bottom of the staircase, offering another activity for those who may get tired of sledding. The hill at Countryside is the gentlest of the hills featured on the list, and has plenty of space at the bottom to avoid sliding into the street.

The Normandale Park hill is the most treacherous, but is plenty of fun nonetheless. This hill is covered with trees, adding the risk of a collision and the challenge of swerving around. The hill itself is fairly tall and a pleasant pitch, but the road at the bottom is far enough away that there’s no risk of sledding into it. Additionally, there’s a warming house at the park’s ice hockey rink, only a short walk away.

No matter where you choose to go, sledding is an easy and fun wintertime activity that every Minnesotan should have the chance to enjoy. With the first snowfall behind us and more soon to come, there’s no better time than now to get out and enjoy the great outdoors in your own backyard.