...one of the coolest things to do in PA in one of the coolest places in PA.
Recent temperatures may have had many piling on extra layers while pining for sunny summer days, but the frigid air has also made the return of the beloved Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide possible after it was cancelled for the 10th year in a row in 2024, due to above average temperatures.
Building of the slide began over the weekend, with an opening date of 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan 31, according to a post on the Eagles Mere Volunteer Fire Company website.
The post was met with immediate enthusiasm, with one commenter reminiscing, “I was about 15 and I’m 51 now. I’ll never forget it.”
“I realize now that my experiences in Sullivan County were truly once in a lifetime as a kid. This slide was one of them,” she continued.
“Great childhood memories! I hope to bring my family to experience,” another commenter posted.
In 2024, the slide was not able to be constructed due to warm weather, with the temperature reaching a high of 48 degrees fahrenheit on the day the depressing announcement was made.
The anticipation of the community to the slide’s return is mirrored by the fire departments that benefit from the event.
“I’m excited that we’re having it back. It’s one of our most important fundraisers,” Mike Gavitt, president of the Eagles Mere Volunteer Fire Company said.
Assistant Chief Mark Carl echoed Gavitt, noting that they are in the process of raising funds for the replacement of a 30-year-old tanker.
“This will be a big help, but it doesn’t even scratch the surface of the funds needed for a capital project of this size,” Carl said.
Nine fire companies take rotating shifts operating the slide, which acts as a fundraiser for those involved, including Eagles Mere, Forksville, Muncy Valley, Hillsgrove, Laporte, Eldredsville, Shunk, Dushore and Mildred.
“This is the first time we’ve been able to do it in 10 years, so we’ve lost a lot of our long-time members, so it’s been up to the new generation to pick up the reins,” Carl said.
While attendance is dependent on the weather and how long the slide runs for, Gavitt said he estimates easily 5,000 people visit during a good season, with its popularity drawing crowds from far and wide.
“We’re getting people from Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Connecticut and New York,” he explained.
“I can remember years ago it was a big deal, but now with social media and the news outlets covering it, it’s just exploded,” he said.
And those visiting cover all age ranges. “I’ve seen as young as six months to as old as 100,” Gavitt said.
“Basically, you’re like a kid, sled riding, walking back up the hill and going again,” he said.
With the increased social media coverage and anticipated turnout, Carl asked that visitors come with patience and understanding.
“We will do our absolute best to get everyone down the slide, but there may be some limitations on how quickly we can do so,” he said.
Fortunately, as busy as the attraction can be, its safety record is impressive.
“I started as a teenager, so I’ve been helping with it for 30 years, and there’s never been an accident on the toboggan itself, that sled has never come off the track,” he said while noting that accidents involving slips on the ice, etc. have happened here and there.
While the famous snack shack will still be located at the top of the hill, the warm-up room and ticket booth will be at the bottom of the hill, which Gavitt said can be accessed via Clay Avenue.
Attendees are also encouraged to park along Pennsylvania Avenue, he advised.
Opened in 1904, the slide is built of more than 1,000 blocks of ice on Lake Avenue, and requires an ice thickness of 12 inches for maximum safety.
Speeds along the downhill thrill ride can reach up to 45 mph propelling riders 1,200 feet, halfway across the lake.
The founder of the slide, Capt. E.S. Chase, got the idea for the project in January 1903 while watching his grandchildren play along the lake when one of them asked him why he couldn’t build a “real good” toboggan slide down the slope of Lake Avenue, according to www.eaglesmeretobogganslide.com, the official website for the event.
As word quickly spread of the idea, a holiday was declared in the town, with many arriving at the site eager to build the slide, utilizing hand saws and wagons and bobsleds full of ice blocks being pulled by horse teams to the edge of the lake.
When originally opened, the cost to use the slide was 10 cents, while today, up to five patrons can reserve a toboggan for a one hour slot with a guaranteed two rides for $40.
The slide has continued to endure through the highs and lows of history, including a mild 1929 winter when the slushy ice on the lake required builders to work throughout the night to construct the slide.
Even the depths of the Great Depression could not melt away the excitement of the slide, which only ceased operation during WWII, before being resurrected as a volunteer project in 1945, according to the website.
“I’m looking forward to it, it’s been a long time coming,” Gavitt said about the fundraiser’s return, himself and Carl both noting the wider benefit the slide brings to the surrounding community’s small businesses.
“Please come out, support us and have a good time,” Gavitt said.
For more information about the toboggan ride and its history, please visit https://eaglesmeretobogganslide.com/index.html.
And for the most accurate, up to date information, check out the Eagles Mere Volunteer Company’s Facebook.
Recent temperatures may have had many piling on extra layers while pining for sunny summer days, but the frigid air has also made the return of the beloved Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide possible after it was cancelled for the 10th year in a row in 2024, due to above average temperatures.
Building of the slide began over the weekend, with an opening date of 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan 31, according to a post on the Eagles Mere Volunteer Fire Company website.
The post was met with immediate enthusiasm, with one commenter reminiscing, “I was about 15 and I’m 51 now. I’ll never forget it.”
“I realize now that my experiences in Sullivan County were truly once in a lifetime as a kid. This slide was one of them,” she continued.
“Great childhood memories! I hope to bring my family to experience,” another commenter posted.
In 2024, the slide was not able to be constructed due to warm weather, with the temperature reaching a high of 48 degrees fahrenheit on the day the depressing announcement was made.
The anticipation of the community to the slide’s return is mirrored by the fire departments that benefit from the event.
“I’m excited that we’re having it back. It’s one of our most important fundraisers,” Mike Gavitt, president of the Eagles Mere Volunteer Fire Company said.
Assistant Chief Mark Carl echoed Gavitt, noting that they are in the process of raising funds for the replacement of a 30-year-old tanker.
“This will be a big help, but it doesn’t even scratch the surface of the funds needed for a capital project of this size,” Carl said.
Nine fire companies take rotating shifts operating the slide, which acts as a fundraiser for those involved, including Eagles Mere, Forksville, Muncy Valley, Hillsgrove, Laporte, Eldredsville, Shunk, Dushore and Mildred.
“This is the first time we’ve been able to do it in 10 years, so we’ve lost a lot of our long-time members, so it’s been up to the new generation to pick up the reins,” Carl said.
While attendance is dependent on the weather and how long the slide runs for, Gavitt said he estimates easily 5,000 people visit during a good season, with its popularity drawing crowds from far and wide.
“We’re getting people from Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Connecticut and New York,” he explained.
“I can remember years ago it was a big deal, but now with social media and the news outlets covering it, it’s just exploded,” he said.
And those visiting cover all age ranges. “I’ve seen as young as six months to as old as 100,” Gavitt said.
“Basically, you’re like a kid, sled riding, walking back up the hill and going again,” he said.
With the increased social media coverage and anticipated turnout, Carl asked that visitors come with patience and understanding.
“We will do our absolute best to get everyone down the slide, but there may be some limitations on how quickly we can do so,” he said.
Fortunately, as busy as the attraction can be, its safety record is impressive.
“I started as a teenager, so I’ve been helping with it for 30 years, and there’s never been an accident on the toboggan itself, that sled has never come off the track,” he said while noting that accidents involving slips on the ice, etc. have happened here and there.
While the famous snack shack will still be located at the top of the hill, the warm-up room and ticket booth will be at the bottom of the hill, which Gavitt said can be accessed via Clay Avenue.
Attendees are also encouraged to park along Pennsylvania Avenue, he advised.
Opened in 1904, the slide is built of more than 1,000 blocks of ice on Lake Avenue, and requires an ice thickness of 12 inches for maximum safety.
Speeds along the downhill thrill ride can reach up to 45 mph propelling riders 1,200 feet, halfway across the lake.
The founder of the slide, Capt. E.S. Chase, got the idea for the project in January 1903 while watching his grandchildren play along the lake when one of them asked him why he couldn’t build a “real good” toboggan slide down the slope of Lake Avenue, according to www.eaglesmeretobogganslide.com, the official website for the event.
As word quickly spread of the idea, a holiday was declared in the town, with many arriving at the site eager to build the slide, utilizing hand saws and wagons and bobsleds full of ice blocks being pulled by horse teams to the edge of the lake.
When originally opened, the cost to use the slide was 10 cents, while today, up to five patrons can reserve a toboggan for a one hour slot with a guaranteed two rides for $40.
The slide has continued to endure through the highs and lows of history, including a mild 1929 winter when the slushy ice on the lake required builders to work throughout the night to construct the slide.
Even the depths of the Great Depression could not melt away the excitement of the slide, which only ceased operation during WWII, before being resurrected as a volunteer project in 1945, according to the website.
“I’m looking forward to it, it’s been a long time coming,” Gavitt said about the fundraiser’s return, himself and Carl both noting the wider benefit the slide brings to the surrounding community’s small businesses.
“Please come out, support us and have a good time,” Gavitt said.
For more information about the toboggan ride and its history, please visit https://eaglesmeretobogganslide.com/index.html.
And for the most accurate, up to date information, check out the Eagles Mere Volunteer Company’s Facebook.
