Sledding

Snow-covered hills abound all over Maine. You need only a sled and the company of family and friends to enjoy this fun and free winter activity. Hop on your sled and go, and in no time your carefree childhood memories of racing down the hills will return with a smile. Just about every city or town has a popular sledding hill favored by local enthusiasts. Ask around and you’ll be sure to find that special spot.

For more official sledding entertainment, visit the Camden Snow Bowl in the scenic Camden Hills overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Here you’ll find the Jack Williams Toboggan Chute, a 400-foot wooden run built in 1936, and the only one of its kind remaining in New England. Rent your toboggan and then take it for one of the wildest rides of any kind in Maine. You’ll drop 70 vertical feet and scream all the way as your sled rumbles down the icy chute at speeds up to 45 mph before shooting out across Hosmer Pond. The annual U.S. National Toboggan Championships are hosted here each February, a 3-day winter festival that draws up to 10,000 spectators and participants.

Maine is the home to two sled makers. Paris Manufacturing in South Paris has been building sleds since 1861. If you sledded as a youngster it’s very likely you used a colorful wooden sled made here. Almost 150 years later the family business is still hard at work making an array of sleds, snowboards, foam sliders, inflatable tubes, wooden toboggans and snow toys for customers all over the world. The Camden Toboggan Company has been building quality sleds in their small wood shop in Camden since 1993. The toboggans are individually handcrafted from native ash, have stainless steel fastenings, and water resistant vinyl pads.