It's snowing in the SouthCoast: Here are five places to go sledding when it's over

Seth Chitwood, The Standard-Times
Updated ·3 min read

NEW BEDFORD — With the SouthCoast expecting to get 6 to 8 inches of snow today, this only means one thing: sledding. When the storm is over and the roads are safe to drive on again, it’s time to grab the sled and head out for a winter adventure.

Sledding has been around since the 1860s, it peaked in popularity when inventor Henry Morton of South Paris, Maine, create the hand-painted wooden sled with metal runners. Sledding became a phenomenon, with children (and adults) sledding anywhere they could find a steep and frozen hill during the winter.

Here‘s a Top Five list of popular sledding spots in the SouthCoast area:

A man enjoys himself as he makes his way down Potato Hill in Westport.
A man enjoys himself as he makes his way down Potato Hill in Westport.

Brooklawn Park (New Bedford)

The 85-acre park is on the hill behind Wilks library, another go-to sledding attraction featuring plenty of places to choose from with your sled. The park was originally a country estate built by New Bedford Quaker, Daniel Ricketson, in an attempt to escape hectic city life.

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It would attract literary legends such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. You can see a bust of Daniel Ricketson in the lobby of the Wilks library, an easy walking distance from the slopes, where they have curbside pickup from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and open access to the library (for only 30 minutes) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “We can always tell who the sledders are,” said Karen Stefanki, manager of the library.

Dartmouth Middle School (Dartmouth)

Located behind the school, the small hill along a chain link fence parallel to the parking lot is a perfect place to have some fun. It’s also the perfect place for “younger” sledders who want to enjoy some speed with little risk of losing control. It’s a short but fun slide.

Sledders drag their rides back up the hill during a session of sledding at Potato Hill in Westport.
Sledders drag their rides back up the hill during a session of sledding at Potato Hill in Westport.

Clasky Common Park (New Bedford)

The bronze statue of a Spanish-American War fighter stands tall overlooking his fellow sledders at the top of this trendy sliding spot. (And some beautiful residential New Bedford architecture around the park’s perimeter.) Located on Purchase Street in the Acushnet Heights Historic District, there’s plenty of room to gain some speed and distance.

Potato Hill (Westport)

Potato Hill has a moderate incline, a lengthy hill for travel, and attracts an influx of people. For an easy find, take the Hixbridge exit off of Route 88 until you reach the hill off Cadman’s Neck Road. Even though the hill is actually on private property, they do allow sledding. However, be mindful of parking as police have towed cars in the past.

A young girl is all smiles as she makes her way down the hill at Potato Hill in Westport.
A young girl is all smiles as she makes her way down the hill at Potato Hill in Westport.

North Park (Fall River)

Home to the famed "Seven Hills," North Park is where you'll roar down from the top for maximum thrills. The park also has a skate park, baseball field, and playground.

Located next to Morton Middle School in Fall River, there are entrances at President and Highland Avenue and Hood Street. There’s tons of available parking depending on how far you want to pull your sled.

Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on twitter:@ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Sledding spots in Fall River, New Bedford and Westport