In-town public sled hills disappear

Though it is off the radar, sledding will always have its place as an all-ages family activity. And though there are plenty of places to sled and tube around the city limits of South Lake Tahoe, the last of the remaining free places in town have dried up.
And not for a lack of snow, either. Two sled and tube hill favorites have been removed from the public after recent projects leveled some of the property to make way for expansions.
A local's favorite has always been the sledding hill above South Tahoe High. But now the area above the football field has been fenced off as new buildings have taken root.

Meanwhile, the Lakeview Commons project replaced the sledding hill favorite at El Dorado beach. Once a place where families could sled with a backdrop of Lake Tahoe, the new expansion gives the beach a much-needed facelift but unfortunately has taken out the ability let loose on a toboggan or disc glider.
One sledding hill area, on the west side of Emerald Bay Road near the Lake Tahoe Airport, was drawing sledders and tubers but had become too dangerous because of the proximity to the road. In fact, motorists were illegally parking on the side and were at risk of getting hit, not to mention the hill was sitting too close to the road.
Nancy Kerry, spokeswoman for the city of South Lake Tahoe, said the South Lake Tahoe Police Department is strictly enforcing the no parking area along Emerald Bay Road.
"There is no parking. It's a two-lane fast highway and people pulled off randomly on the side of the road and then, as they sled down the hill, they could fly right onto the highway. It is a very dangerous location," she said.
Of course all legal forms of sledding on public property is done at the risk to the sledder themselves. The closest free sledding hill around South Lake Tahoe proper appears to be behind the Lake Valley Fire Protection building at Golden Bear Trail. Sledders have been known to take the slope, and the area hasn't been cordoned off nor, as far as locals know, discouraged.
Otherwise there are places outside of town where sledders and tubers can go, some require a fee. Among them are:
— Adventure Mountain at Highway 50 at the top of Echo Summit. Fee required.
— Hansen's Resort, 1360 Ski Run Boulevard. Fee required.
— Heavenly Mountain Resort, top of the gondola. Fee required.
— Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Slide Mountain Tubing Hill. Fee required.
— Sierra-at-Tahoe, fee required.
— Spooner Summit, corner of highways 50 and State Route 28. This is a highly popular free sledding area with a large hill and considered great for all skill levels. Parking in the area is designated and strictly enforced.
— Taylor Creek Sno-Park, Highway 89 north of Camp Richardson on the west side of Lake Tahoe. The hill is small but proves big fun for small children and grownups. No fee required. Parking enforced.