Outdoor Winter Fun

Explore and experience the best that winter has to offer when you head outside to get some fresh air, action and loads of fun with your family and friends – snowballs optional. Check out these activities for outdoor winter fun in the Midwest:

Outdoor Winter Fun on a Sledding Hill

Get your inertia on and enjoy outdoor winter fun zooming down local hills on a sled or a tube. With over 70 sledding hills in Illinois, it’s an inexpensive way to enjoy a snowy, winter day with your friends and family. And with many hills just a short drive away in communities such as Carol Stream, Villa Park, Elburn and Yorkville, its an easy outing on your gas tank too!

Outdoor Winter Fun on the Trail

Take in winter’s breath-taking beauty while enjoying an exhilarating workout when you hit the numerous local country ski trails in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. For a variety of terrains and experiences check out locations like Wheaton’s Arrowhead Golf Course, the Morton Arboretum, Silver Springs State Park and Kettle Moraine State Forest just north of Lake Geneva.

Downhill Outdoor Winter Fun

Feel the need for speed? Just visit anyone of the Midwest’s downhill ski hills to get a rush of adrenaline, including Chestnut Mountain near Galena or Cascade Mountain, just north of Madison, WI – where kids ages 12 and under ski for free with a paying adult. Prefer to stay local, Villa Olivia in Bartlett and Four Lakes Village in Lisle offer family-friendly runs for even the youngest skiers.

Outdoor Winter Fun Hoofing It

Take a winter walk on the wild side by strapping on a pair of snowshoes and trekking through your favorite forest preserve, farm field or even vineyard during a Hike the Vines tour, which includes wine tasting, in northwest Illinois – can you say Galena Girlfriends’ Getaway?

Ice is Nice for Outdoor Winter Fun

Whether you prefer doing figure eights or slapping a puck across a glass-like sheet of ice, skating is a perfect way to spend an afternoon when the temperatures dip below freezing. So lace up your favorite pair of skates and head to a nearby rink like the newly opened Wheaton Park District ice rinks at the Central Athletic Complex or the Skating Ribbon at Maggie Daley Park™ in Chicago.

With all winter activities dress appropriately, monitor the weather conditions and make sure there is enough snow or ice for a safe outdoor outing. And while you are out having fun, why not treat yourself by earning points for all your winter gear purchases that can be used for cash back, event tickets and even gift cards? Earn Choice Rewards Points for every dollar charged having fun in the great outdoors with a DuPage Credit Union Visa® Platinum Rewards Credit Card.

Do you have any suggestions for other fun outdoor winter activities?  If so, please share below: