They say Chicagoans live for the summers: street festivals, beach time, warm nights, and long days. However, that shouldn’t mean that the winters are just for hibernation and feeling blue. There’s plenty of activities to do outside during the winter, so bundle up and embrace the cold and snow.

Snowshoeing

Photo courtesy of Red Oak Nature Center

Snowshoeing is basically hiking through the snow, but the wide feet of snowshoes allow hikers to go off into the wilderness without sinking through the snow. While you can snowshoe just about anywhere, there are a few beautiful trails to explore throughout the Chicagoland area. Northerly Island offers snowshoeing with views of Lake Michigan, Museum Campus, and the skyline. For those wanting a full escape from the city, the Palos Trail System offers miles of scenic forest for snowshoeing, but you have to bring your own. The Red Oak Nature Center along the Fox River offers $5 snowshoe rentals and 40 acres of forest to meander through, as long as there is at least three inches of snow.

Other places to check out include the Kettle Moraine State Forest in southern Wisconsin, the Indiana Dunes State Park in Indiana, and Starved Rock in Utica.

Cross-country Skiing

Cross-country skiing isn’t easy, but it’s a challenging workout. The Arrowhead Nordic Center in Wheaton, also known as the Arrowhead Golf Course, has both rentals and lessons available as long as there is a six-inch base of snow. Skiing here is along the groomed golf course as well as into the Herrick Lake Forest Preserve. Sagawau Environmental Learning Center in Lemont is another great place to learn to cross-country ski as well as skate skiing. The Nordic Center offers groomed and tracked trails for newbies and experienced skiers and is open the third week of December into the first weekend in March, weather dependent. 

Rock Cut State Park in Rockford and the Lakewood Forest Preserve both offer cross country ski trails.

Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding

Villa Olivia Ski Resort in Barlett photo by JunJun S. A

Sure, it may not be the mountains, but there’s plenty of resorts in Illinois and the Midwest for those wanting to hit the slopes without traveling across the country. Located just about an hour away from Chicago, Villa Olivia is a small local slope run by the Bartlett Park District. Lift tickets are only $40 on weekends and equipment rental goes up to $39. There are seven downhill runs and a small chair lift. For those wanting a weekend getaway, the Chestnut Mountain Resort in Galena is a seven-acre park with 19 slopes, a pool, sauna, and views of the Mississippi River. 

If you want even more of a getaway, venture to one of Michigan’s beloved ski and snowboarding resorts. Mt. Bohemia in Lac La Belle, Marquette Mountain, and Big Powderhorn are among the best in the Midwest. 

Sledding

Sledding is most commonly a past-time for kids, but who’s to say that adults can’t enjoy it as well? Palmisano Park in Bridgeport is a 27-acre Chicago Park District spot that is known for its epic views of the Chicago skyline. The Park District also runs the Soldier Field sled hill, which is small but fun for its convenient location. The city creates the snow here, so it’s always ready for sledders. Caldwell Woods used to be known for its toboggan slides, but it’s still a great place to go sledding. There’s also a fire pit here to stay warm between runs.

There are a ton of places to sled in the suburbs, but a few favorites are the Riverwalk Sled Hill in Naperville, James Park in Evanston, Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville, and Techny Prairie Park and Field in Northbrook.

Ice skating

Photo by Shutterstock

Millennium Park ice skating is quintessential Chicago, but that means it’s very often overrun with tourists. The nearby Maggie Daley Ice Skating Ribbon typically has a bit smaller of a crowd and is twice the length of a traditional skating rink. The ice skating ribbon opened in 2014 and is open throughout the season from November until March. Skate rental is $12 on weekdays and $14 on weekends. For those with little kiddos or ultra ice skating novices, the rink at the Lincoln Park Zoo is small and non-intimidating.

Curling

Photo courtesy of Kaiser Tiger

Did the Olympics have you yearning to become a curler? The sport is growing in popularity and a few Chicago spaces have installed rinks for the winter. Kaiser Tiger in West Loop has three curling rinks in its beer garden open throughout the week. Four players can play on the court at one time and it runs about $40 per half hour for one lane. 

The Gwen Hotel on Rush Street near Michigan Avenue also has a curling rink. The Gwen curling rink is open all week, weather permitting, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and cost is $25 per person for 30 minutes. The Gwen offers one craft winter cocktail with each admission — to stay warm, of course.