While some cities nationwide have curtailed sledding on their local hills out of liability concerns,
that’s not the case locally.
"We really haven’t talked about getting rid of sledding," said Bowling Green Parks and
Recreation Director Michelle Grigore. "Certainly it’s a source of injuries like skateboarding or
swimming or even playing on a playground. But it’s so well-loved, I don’t think we’d ever consider
getting rid of sledding."
According to a recent Associated Press report, a number of cities across the United States have cut back
or outright banned sledding. Between 1997 and 2007, 20,000 children each year were treated for
sledding-related injuries, and cities like Omaha, Nebraska and Sioux City, Iowa lost multi-million
dollar lawsuits brought by people injured while sledding. The city of Paxton, Illinois, outright removed
its own sledding hill in 2013 over concerns that sledders could collide with trees growing from it.
Both Grigore and Bowling Green’s City Attorney, Mike Marsh, pointed out that under the Ohio Revised Code
there is "recreational immunity" for public recreation amenities in the state, including
sledding. The city of Bowling Green offers one publicly-available sledding hill, Conneaut Hill, at the
intersection of Conneaut Avenue and Haskins Road.
"As long as we make our property available for public recreation, and we do our best to keep it in
good maintenance, repair, people assume a certain liability" for their activities on the property,
said Grigore.
"Now, if we were to charge people to sled down our hill or something like that," said Marsh,
"then we might lose our immunities. But for strictly free activity that somebody goes and assumes
that risk, right now under Ohio Law and under Ohio decision, there’s recreation immunities for us."

Pemberville Mayor Gordon Bowman noted that the village doesn’t see liability concerns over sledding
"as a major problem."
"We don’t have an awful lot of areas for kids to sled in. There’s a ravine or a draw, we call it the
valley, between the Lutheran Church and the elementary school, and that’s the only place that’s really
suitable for sledding. And it’s a very short distance – it’s a probably a differential of about 12 feet
from the top of it down to the bottom. But that kids are welcome to sled there, that’s no problem."

Perrysburg Public Works Director Jon Eckel noted that they also have not considered cutting back on
sledding.
"We have two areas we provide for sledding and, of course, they’re geared towards smaller
kids," he said. Those areas are located at Rivercrest Park and Orleans Park.
"They’re both safe," he said. "They’re designed for smaller kids and safety."
Eckel noted that, over the years, a popular sledding destination for local children was the steep bluffs
of Fort Meigs, but the state historical site has tried to curtail that.
"Obviously there is a concern for certain aspects of that," he said, "and I understand,
given the fact that those hills are for historical value, not for sledding."
Bowling Green State University spokesman David Kielmeyer also said that institution has no restriction on
sledding on their grounds, which feature some hilly areas.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources spokesman Eric Heis also noted that there are no plans to restrict
sledding at Mary Jane Thurstin State Park, just over the county line from Grand Rapids – indeed, in an
email he stated that "Ohio has snow sledding hills in 41 of the 74 state parks."
He also pointed to the Ohio Revised Code, which notes state parks "do not assume responsibility for
any personal or property injuries by any act of a recreational user."
However, he cautioned that the parks remind parents, guardians and adults "to keep an eye on
children when they are sledding, skating or enjoying other winter pursuits."