Snow got you down? Here are 9 sledding and tubing hills, and 11 skating rinks around Wausau – Wausau Daily Herald

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WAUSAU – It’s winter in Marathon, Lincoln and Langlade counties of north central Wisconsin.

If you’ve got either snow, a slope or a slab of ice, and a kid of any age with cabin fever, that’s a recipe for some energy-burning fun — be it by sled, by snow tube, ice skate or by the seat of your snow pants.

If the elevation in your neck of the woods isn’t up to par, here’s our list of public slopes that might help achieve the toboggan-based velocity you’ve dreamed of.

We’ve also added details on outdoor and indoor ice-skating rinks that are now open for the season.

Nine key slopes in Wausau, Weston, Rothschild, Rib Mountain and Antigo

3-M Park sledding hill, 405 Park Blvd., Wausau, is located at the intersection of South Fifth Avenue and Park Boulevard. This sledding hill is open daily from sunrise to 11 p.m., when the snow cover permits. The hill is lit for night sledding, and lies in a natural amphitheater on the southwest side of Wausau.

Ramp building is not allowed, and sledders must wait until the area below them at the foot of the hill is clear to go. Admission is free.

Doepke Park Recreation Area sledding hill, 2200 S. Mountain Road, Wausau, has a new address of 151414 Highway N, but Google Maps has not yet been updated with their new address. The park’s small unlit sledding hills are located north of the ice rinks.

The park itself is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Shelter hours are from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with restrooms open from 5 a.m. to midnight. The park is typically only closed due to snow storms, or if the wind chill temperature is below -10 degrees.

For more information on any weather-related park closures, visit townofribmountain.org, or facebook.com/Town-of-Rib-Mountain-Wisconsin. Sledding is free at Doepke Park, and there are no posted sledding rules available onsite. For more information, visit townofribmountain.org/parks_doepke.

George Street Park sledding hill is a 6.5-acre park, which includes a sledding hill, located near the heart of the village of Rothschild. For more information, call the village of Rothschild’s municipal office at 715-359-3660, or go to rothschildwi.com.

Kennedy Park sledding hill, 6002 Alderson St., Weston, is a 38.8-acre park, which includes a sledding hill. Admission to sled down here is free.

For more information, call the village of Weston’s Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department at 715-359-6114 or 715-359-9988, email parks@westonwi.gov or visit westonwi.gov. Updates are posted at facebook.com/WestonWisconsin/.

Pleasant View Park sledding hill, 1221 Sumner St., Wausau, is located at the corner of 12th and Sumner streets (north of Kraft Foods, off of Townline Road). This sledding hill is open daily from sunrise to 11 p.m., when the snow cover permits. The hill is lit for night sledding, and looks west and south with views of the southern side of the city of Wausau and Rib Mountain.

Ramp building is not allowed, and sledders must wait until the area below them at the foot of the hill is clear to go. Admission is free.

Riverside Park sledding hill, 100 Sherman St., Wausau, can be found by taking First Avenue to Sherman Street, and then driving east and going to the end of the road on Sherman. The Riverside Park sledding hill overlooks the Wisconsin River, south of the dam, and has views of Fern Island across the river. It is open daily from sunrise to 11 p.m., when the snow cover permits.

Ramp building is not allowed, and sledders must wait until the area below them at the foot of the hill is clear to go. Admission is free, and this hill is not lit for night sledding.

Rotary (also called First Avenue) Sled Hill (located in the Railway Activity Park), 1011 First Ave., Antigo. This sledding hill has a steep side for more adventurous sledders, and a gentle sloping side for those wishing to take a nice long smooth ride. Users can access the top of the hill via a stairway that is cut into the hill on the north side.

As long as there is snow and favorable winter weather conditions, Rotary Sled Hill is open from 7 a.m. to dusk. This free sledding hill has lights, and they are set until 10 p.m. However, there are no restrooms available onsite.

For more information, call the city of Antigo’s Parks and Recreation Department office at 715-623-3633 (ext. 154 or 131), or visit antigo-city.org. Current Antigo outdoor recreational weather conditions can also be found at facebook.com/CityofAntigo/.

Scholfield Park sledding hill, 606 E. Randolph St., Wausau, is located on the north side of Wausau on the west side of the Wisconsin River. The park itself overlooks the Wisconsin River, above the dam on Wausau’s northwest side. This sledding hill is open daily from sunrise to 11 p.m., when the snow cover permits.

Ramp building is not allowed, and sledders must wait until the area below them at the foot of the hill is clear to go. Admission is free, and this hill is not lit for night sledding.

Sylvan Hill Winter Recreation Area snow tubing hill, 1329 E. Sylvan St., Wausau, is located north of Horace Mann Middle School, and east of 13th Street.

According to the Wausau and Marathon County Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department, “Sylvan has the longest runs and steepest drop of any tubing hill in Wisconsin.” The park’s west hill has a vertical drop of 133 feet, while the park’s east hill’s vertical drop is 120 feet.

Altogether, the slope has two wire tows to get you up to the top, and offers six runs down to the foot of the hill. All six runs are lit for night tubing. The first tow is three straight runs, while the second tow is three curvy runs.

A heated chalet, with fireplace, tables, chairs, restrooms and concessions is available for public use when the hill is open, and Sylvan Hill also includes cross-country ski trails and snowshoe trails.

This season’s regular public tubing hours are 6 to 9:30 p.m. Fridays, 1:30 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays, and 1:30 to 5 p.m. on Sundays until March 8.

All of Sylvan Hill’s public hours are based upon how conditions and staffing permits. If at any time the combined air and wind temperature falls to -15 degrees or colder, the hill will be closed. Information on trail conditions can be found by calling 888-575-7669.

Public tubing fees cost $10 per session for ages 14 and older, and $7.50 per session for ages 13 and younger (and all ages must be at least 42-inches tall).

Visitors must obey the tow operators and Sylvan Hill staff, stay seated in the tube on the tow line, and should not be rough housing on the tow line or hill. Tubes are provided at the hill, and visitors are responsible to launch their own tube at the top of the hill.

Building ramps, double riding on tubes, the use of personal sledding, tubing, boarding or skiing equipment, and the use of alcohol or tobacco and vaping products is not permitted on the tubing hill.

Visitors will get a new tube when they get to the front of the line, and tubes must be turned in to those at the front of the tow line at the bottom of the hill after each run.

For more information, call 715-261-1550 on weekdays or 715-870-1592 during evenings and weekends, email parkforestry@co.marathon.wi.us, call their 24-hour visitor information hotline at 888-575-7669, or visit co.marathon.wi.us/parks.asp or facebook.com/wmcprf/, for any updates. You can also call Sylvan Hill directly at 715-573-2424.

The status of the slopes will be updated when more information becomes available.

Did we miss a public sledding or tubing hill? We’ll share this list throughout the season, so recommendations are welcome. Email details on your favorite slope to Jason Zell at jzell@gannett.com.

Outdoor ice-skating rinks open in Wausau, Weston, Rib Mountain and Merrill

As weather allows, the following city of Wausau outdoor ice-skating rinks are open to the public at no admission charge during the 2019-2020 winter skating season. Regular hours are from 5 to 8 p.m. on weekdays, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays:

The 400 Block, 401 N. Third St.: This park sits in the center of Wausau’s historic River District, in downtown Wausau. Skate rental is available at Shephard & Schaller Sporting Goods, across the street from the rink. The rink includes a warming house, benches and music provided over a sound system.
Marathon Park, 1201 Stewart Ave.: This ice rink has boards and nets for hockey play. A warming house is also provided.
Thom Field, 1600 N. 13th St.: Thom Field is on the east side of Wausau, and can be accessed off 13th Street, north of Stark Street. It includes on-street and off-street parking, benches, and a renovated warming house.

Please note that all Wausau outdoor rinks have lights that are on timers for night ice-skating. Warming houses are not staffed, and are only open during the posted skating hours. Hockey is only permitted on the outdoor rink in Marathon Park. If at any time the combined air and wind temperature falls to -20 degrees or colder, the outdoor rinks will close.

The village of Weston has one outdoor ice-skating rink — open to the public at no admission charge — at Kennedy Park, 2201 Neupert Ave. A warming house with restrooms are available from 5 to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and from 1 to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and school holidays. The warming house may close due to low attendance, or if the weather is too cold or too warm that would cause melting or snow on ice. Updates are posted at facebook.com/WestonWisconsin/, and rink rules are posted onsite in the warming house.

The Kennedy Park ice-skating rink is typically open from the last week of December through February, according to Shawn Osterbrink, director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry for the village of Weston. For more information, call 715-359-6114 or 715-359-9988, email: parks@westonwi.gov, go to westonwi.gov, or visit the village of Weston municipal office at 5500 Schofield Ave., Weston.

The town of Rib Mountain has a lit ice hockey rink and a freestyle ice-skating rink at Doepke Park Recreation Area, 2200 S. Mountain Road, Wausau. The park changed to a new address of 151414 Highway N, but Google Maps has not yet been updated with their new address.

Both rinks are generally open from now until March 1, depending on the weather. A warming shelter — available for rental — and restrooms are also provided. Skating is free at Doepke Park, and the rink rules are posted onsite.

The park itself is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Open shelter and rink hours are from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with restrooms open from 5 a.m. to midnight. The park is typically only closed due to poor ice conditions, snow storms, or if the wind chill temperature is below -10 degrees.

For more information on any weather-related park closures, go to townofribmountain.org, or facebook.com/Town-of-Rib-Mountain-Wisconsin. For more park information, go to townofribmountain.org/parks_doepke.

The city of Merrill has outdoor ice-skating rinks in several locations: one on the corner of Memorial and Sixth Streets, one at Normal Park, 600 N. Center Ave., another at Lions Park, 210 W. Third St., and one at the Merrill Area Recreation Complex, 1100 Marc Drive. All outdoor rinks are open to the public at no admission charge. For more information, call Merrill’s Parks and Recreation Department at 715-536-7313, or go to merrillparkandrec.com. Updates can be found at facebook.com/Merrill-Park-and-Recreation-148362058530043/.

Dan Wendorf, Parks and Recreation Department director for the city of Merrill added that “rinks are open from dawn until dusk, typically. Normal Park has an attendant who will typically extend the hours on weeknights until around 8 p.m., and open the warming house at Normal (Park) on the weekends from 1 to 4 p.m.”

Indoor ice-skating rinks available at Marathon Park, and in Merrill

Indoor ice-skating rinks are available at Multi-Purpose buildings 1 and 2 in Marathon Park, 1201 Stewart Ave., Wausau, which includes skate rentals, changing rooms and restrooms, concessions when hockey games are being played, and music provided over a sound system.

Regular indoor public skating hours are normally 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, through March 6, and are 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, and 2 to 5 p.m. Sundays, through Feb. 19, with the exception that these regular hours could occasionally be canceled due to schedule conflicts or special events.

Advance notice of any such conflicts or special events will be posted at the indoor rinks. However, the indoor rinks will never close due to cold temperatures, as both rink buildings are heated.

Indoor ice-skating admission costs $3 for ages 17 and younger, and $4 for adults. Bonus cards for 10 discounted visits are available, and season passes are available.

Around 70 pairs of single-blade skates are available to rent, and range in size from a child size 10 to an adult size 13. Most of the skates range in size between 4 to 8.

For more information, call the Wausau and Marathon County Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department office at 715-261-1550 from on weekdays, 715-870-1592 during evenings and weekends, email: parkforestry@co.marathon.wi.us, call their 24-hour visitor information hotline at 888-575-7669, or you can go to co.marathon.wi.us/parks.asp or facebook.com/wmcprf/, for any updates.

Merrill also has an indoor ice arena at the Smith Center, 1100 Marc Drive, with public skating hours from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Fridays, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 1 to 3 p.m. on weekdays. Admission costs $4, and skate rentals are $2.

For more information, ice times and schedules, call 715-536-7313 or 715-536-6187, or go to merrillparkandrec.com. Updates can be found at facebook.com/Merrill-Park-and-Recreation-148362058530043/.

Other ice-skating rinks:

There are ice-skating rinks, located in Peaceful Valley Park, 420 Field St., Antigo, that have access to a warming house, and are free and open to the public once freezing conditions are present.

This park includes a lit hockey rink, a covered ice rink in the Heinzen Pavilion, and a large skating rink connected via an ice path to Heinzen Pavilion’s covered rink. Hockey pucks and sticks are only allowed on the hockey rink, according to the city of Antigo’s Parks and Recreation Department office.

The warming house itself has restrooms and a heated room for putting on skates, is open from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and is available to the public during those hours – unless there is a reservation. Reservations cost $50 per Antigo resident, or $75 per non-resident. Warming house reservations can be made by calling the Antigo Parks and Recreation Department office at 715-623-3633 (ext. 154 or 131), or at antigo-city.org. Current Antigo outdoor recreational weather conditions can also be found at facebook.com/CityofAntigo/.

The status of the rinks will be updated when more information becomes available.

Did we miss an outdoor or indoor public ice-skating rink? We’ll share this list throughout the season, so recommendations are welcome. Email details on your favorite rink to Jason Zell at jzell@gannett.com.

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