The Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry is preparing for a busy winter season at Como Lake Park with the installation of new lighting and fencing at the Park’s popular sled hill along with preparations to the Park’s ice skating rinks to get them ready for the first freeze. Both features are located near Como Lake Park’s James Depczynski (“Jimmy D.”) casino, which will have warming fires ready to receive chilled winter sports enthusiasts during the cold season.

“The new fencing and lighting on the sled hill at Como Lake Park will give visitors a clearly defined sledding area that can be open even after dark, and with the casino close by sledders will be able to warm up whenever they need to,” said Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Forestry Daniel J. Rizzo. “Ice skating will also be available, weather permitting, right across the parking lot on two big rinks. Once the weather provides some snow for sledding and a solid freeze for the skaters, we should be in business.”

Approximately 50 feet in height, the sled hill at Como Lake Park has been a favorite for generations of sledders who come to enjoy the hill’s roughly 200 foot slope. The hill is about 100 feet wide at the top, making it similar in size to other sled hills located in Erie County Parks at Sprague Brook, Akron Falls and Ellicott Creek. For the more adventurous, bigger sled hills are located at Elma Meadows and Chestnut Ridge Parks, which also offer a wide variety of winter seasonal activities themselves. Chestnut Ridge Park also features the popular toboggan runs. Como Lake Park is one of only two Erie County parks to offer ice skating and is the only park with two rinks to enjoy; Akron Falls Park offers one rink.

Rizzo added, “Winter is a great season to be outdoors, and with 10,000 acres to explore the Erie County Parks system has plenty to do for people looking to explore nature, enjoy some seasonal activities, or just make great memories with family and friends.” Winter activities begin at the parks after sufficient snowfalls build a recreational base and freezing temperatures remain long enough to freeze the ice rinks.

For more information on each park and the winter activities available there, visit http://www2.erie.gov/parks/ .