We'll never forget the look of startled pleasure on the snow-dusted face of our son, Abram, then three, when my husband and I first took him down a toboggan run. A classic winter thrill, a trip down one of these chutes--formed from wood, fiberglass or banked snow--provides a longer, faster ride than you're likely to find at your local sledding hill. Unlike skating or skiing, this sport requires no athletic ability or expensive equipment. And, because most toboggans accommodate four riders, it's truly an activity families can do together. For an evening of pure thrills, visit Lake Placid, New York for the best nighttime tobogganing in the area.

LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK

At this winter sports haven, you start from a 30-foot-high platform to fly down one of the twin wooden chutes, each 166 feet long, before being launched onto frozen Mirror Lake. These runs are especially exciting at night, when lights line the run. A visit to the warming hut breaks the chill of the Adirondack winter air. The site of the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games, Lake Placid also offers skiing, snowboarding, ice-skating, bobsled, sleigh rides and the Olympic Museum. Two-hour sessions are $5 for adults and $3 for kids; toboggan rentals are $5. Call 518-523-2591.

Joan Huyser-Honig is a freelance writer in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated July 2005.