Before It Melts: 5 Places to Go Sledding In Union County

Looking to catch the last of the snow before it melts away? Five parks in Union County offer perfect conditions for a fun day of sledding, while three parks offer cross-country skiing opportunities.

• Summit: Briant Park
• Westfield: Echo Lake Park at the “Summer Arts Hill” near Springfield Avenue
• Cranford Lenape Park – only hills that are not close to waterways
• Springfield: Meisel Park, in the detention basin area
• Garwood: Unami Park

“Fortunately, Union County was spared the worst of the storm, but school closures are still in effect today so it’s safe to assume that many young people will be out enjoying themselves in the snow,” Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh said. “Please be careful and dress warm.”

Sledding Safety Tips

To avoid tree hazards, sledders in Union County parks are strongly advised to avoid sledding devices that cannot be steered.

>> Related: UPDATE: Forecasters Issue Apologies As New Jersey Spared From ‘Snowmageddon’

Downhill skiing is strictly prohibited in all County parks, but cross-country skiing is permitted in the following parks:

· Ash Brook Golf Course in Scotch Plains

· Oak Ridge Golf Course in Clark

· Watchung Reservation in Mountainside

Skating on natural waterways in County parks is contingent on the availability of at least four inches of clear ice as measured by Parks officials in accordance with widely accepted safety standards. No waterways have met that standard so far this winter.

Union County’s indoor Warinanco Ice Skating Center will be open for business as usual on Wednesday, Jan. 28.

Watchung Stable and the Trailside Nature and Science Center will resume normal operations on Wednesday, January 28.

For a complete list of activities in Union County parks, click here.

Pictured: Youngsters go sledding in Union County’s Echo Lake Park, which offers a perfect hill for sledding.

Information and photo Tina Casey

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