Great sledding spots are a little bit like great fishing spots — no one wants to share their favorites for fear they’ll be overrun. Luckily, there are enough well-known and visible hills across the state that most folks can get their sledding fix somewhere. Here’s a list of free hills open to the public to get you started. If you are looking for more hills to conquer with your flying saucer sled, try contacting a city or town’s parks and recreation folks.

AUBURN

• Sherwood Heights Elementary School, 32 Sherwood Drive

• Pettengill Park, Pettengill Park Road, off Gamage Avenue

• Union Street Gully, Chestnut Street

 

BANGOR

• Davenport Park, corner of Maine and Cedar streets

• Essex Street Recreation Area (also known as Suicide Hill), Essex Street

BIDDEFORD

• Rotary Park, Main Street

 

BREWER

• Doyle Field, behind Brewer Auditorium, which is on Wilson Street

• Indian Trail Park, off North Main Street

 

CAPE ELIZABETH

• Fort Williams Park, 1000 Shore Road

 

CUMBERLAND

• Val Halla Golf and Recreation Center, 60 Val Halla Road

 

FREEPORT

• Mast Landing Elementary School, Bow Street, Freeport

 

GORHAM

• University of Southern Maine campus

 

HARPSWELL

• Harpswell Islands School, 308 Harpswell Islands Road (Route 24)

 

KENNEBUNK

• Old landfill (after the Kennebunk Recycling Center), Sea Road

LEWISTON

• Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary, Highland Spring Road

 

LISBON

• Route 196 (next to the Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union, 325 Lisbon St.)

 

NEW GLOUCESTER

• Pineland Farms, 15 Farm View Drive (off Route 231)

 

PORTLAND

• Eastern Promenade, overlooking East End Beach

• Payson Park, Ocean Avenue

• Riverside Municipal Golf Course, Riverside Street

READFIELD

• Maranacook High School, 2250 Millard Harrison Drive

SACO

• Clarks Hill, near Garside’s Ice Cream, Ferry Road

• Saco Middle School Recreation Area, Buxton Road

SOUTH BERWICK

• Powderhouse Hill, Agamenticus Road

 

SOUTH PORTLAND

• South Portland High softball fields, Highland Avenue

 

WATERVILLE

• Mayflower Hill, Colby College, Mayflower Hill Road (about 1/10 mile from the Mayflower Hill entrance to the campus)

 

WINDHAM

• Behind the East Fire Station, Falmouth Road

• Maine Correctional Center hill, River Road