Taughannock Falls State Park

Sledding & Ice Skating

Rice Hill is located on the north side of the park, off of Rice Road (directions). There is a parking area at the top of Rice Hill, and a pull-off area at the bottom. At the top, there's a warming hut with a wood stove and two shallow ponds that can freeze for ice skating. Given sufficient snow in the winter, the sledding down Rice Hill can be quite nice. Off to the north of the Rice Hill area, there are a collection of multi-use trails that you can run, hike, cross-country ski or snowshoe on.

Here's a summertime view from Route 89's parking area at the bottom of the hill. When I was a kid, I remember parents with trucks and cars would ferry kids from this bottom parking area up to the top of the hill off Rice Road. After the rope tow was taken out of service, this was the next-best way to make it back to the top of the hill for another sled run!

Related Article: Rice Hill should probably be named after the Chase family