Over the hill and loving it

Story by Alan Hamari | Photos and videos by C.T. Kruger

The Siskel and Ebert of suburban Milwaukee sledding hills are back.

Wait, that sounds a little too professional.

The Abbott and Costello of suburban Milwaukee sledding hills are back.

That’s better.

Fresh off an award-winning series* rating the sledding hills in Brookfield, Elm Grove and the North Shore over the last two years, I was joined by my buddy Isral DeBruin — no longer a NOW Newspapers employee, but we still like him nonetheless — as we tackled sledding hills in our southern and western communities on a recent sunny December afternoon.

While this is by no means a definitive list of hills in the area, we still found a fair amount of variety among the hills in Hales Corners, New Berlin and West Allis that offer something for all, from young kids to daredevils.

Enjoy, and happy sledding!

(*Editor’s note: We did not actually win any awards.)

Ratings

= Perfect for little kids

= Still not too scary

= A little steeper, but still family-friendly; you can get some speed and get longer runs

  = You’re moving pretty quickly and even hitting a jump or two

  = Evel Knievel would have loved this one

Whitnall Park

• ADDRESS: 5879 S. 92nd St., Hales Corners
• WHERE’S THE HILL: The main hill is right next to the golf course clubhouse; a smaller hill for little kids sits farther north.
• PARKING: plenty in a large lot right off of 92nd Street; street parking also is available
• RESTROOMS: Yes, but the clubhouse is only open winter Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
• ALAN’S TAKE: Whitnall was the best hill we went to this year … and maybe the best one we’ve been at in the last three years. It was crowded on our trip there over Christmas break, but with good reason — the massive hill provides something for every sledder, from young kids to daredevils. Whitnall, which also has a toboggan run, is well worth the trip.
• ISRAL’S TAKE: Whitnall Park’s sledding hill is the most interesting sledding hill I have ever seen. A large section of the hill has a terrace design, offering a ride that alternates between steep drops and short plateaus. With everything this hill has to offer, you’ll doubtless be there for several hours. When your toes start to go numb, step inside the clubhouse to warm up by the fire while enjoying some snacks. (Note the clubhouse hours above.)
• RATING:

Calhoun Park

• ADDRESS: 5400 S. Calhoun Road, New Berlin
• WHERE’S THE HILL: There are two, and both can be accessed via the park’s south entrance on Calhoun Road
• PARKING: plenty between the north and south lots
• RESTROOMS: none that are open in winter
• ALAN’S TAKE: Our first stop of the day proved to be a lot of fun, especially the smaller, steeper southern hill. I had to slam the brakes on a couple of times because I was moving so fast at the bottom of the hill. And kudos to the park for setting up a backstop with snow fencing on top of it so people don’t careen into traffic on Calhoun Road.
• ISRAL’S TAKE: Calhoun Park’s south hill does indeed provide some serious speed, while the north hill is gentler and more kid-friendly. That variety makes this a good destination for sledders of any age. This hill is a bit no-frills, but quite solid nonetheless.
• RATING: 

Valley View Park

• ADDRESS: 5051 S. Sunny Slope Road, New Berlin
• WHERE’S THE HILL: right next to the parking lot
• PARKING: sufficient, but a little crowded on weekends
• RESTROOMS: nope
• ALAN’S TAKE: Another fun run, this one had a couple of jumps on it that jarred my tailbone a little bit. There are lights here, so nighttime sledders are in luck. Also, the parking lot is at the top of the hill, so you’ll have to haul all your gear — and your kids — back up when you’re done.
• ISRAL’S TAKE: This hill is spacious, so crowding isn’t a concern. The runs vary in length, texture and speed. One particularly noteworthy feature is a small ridge that runs across much of the hill, offering an unavoidable but enjoyable bump in the ride.
• RATING:

La Follette Park

• ADDRESS: 9418 W. Washington St., West Allis
• WHERE’S THE HILL: more or less in the middle of the park, right next to the main building
• PARKING: street parking only
• RESTROOMS: no dice
• ALAN’S TAKE: Thrill-seekers need not apply at this hill. La Follette offers a gentle slope that would be great for parents with young kids, but not very exciting for anybody else.
• ISRAL’S TAKE: Unless you live within walking distance, skip this hill. Any time it would take you to drive here would be better spent traveling to Whitnall Park. The runs on La Follette’s small sledding hill are relatively short, slow and uninteresting.
• RATING: