The hill behind the Peteetneet Academy is one of Payson's favorite free sledding spots, a broad, fun slope tucked right behind one of the most beautiful historic buildings in Utah County. In winter it fills with families sledding and tubing, and in summer the same hill becomes a water-sliding spot, giving this corner of Payson a year-round role as a neighborhood playground. That it sits behind a genuinely grand 1901 landmark only adds to the charm.

The Peteetneet Academy itself is worth knowing about. Built in 1901 in a striking combination of Victorian and Romanesque Revival styles by architect Richard C. Watkins, it served as an elementary school until 1988 and is named for the Ute Chief Peteetneet. Today it houses the Peteetneet Museum and Cultural Arts Center, home to a Daughters of the Utah Pioneers museum, the Payson Historical Society, the Peteetneet Arts Council, and a busy schedule of community art and dance classes. Public tours run Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., which makes it easy to pair a sledding afternoon with a look inside a beautifully preserved piece of Utah history.

The sledding hill is free, unsupervised and bring-your-own, the way neighborhood hills should be. The slope is broad and welcoming, good for families with a mix of ages, and its setting on the museum grounds means there's parking and a handsome backdrop for the day.

As with any sledding hill, a little caution goes a long way. Speeds build quickly once the snow packs or ices over, and this is a landscaped historic property with trees, walkways and the building itself around the edges, so a clear look at the runout and an adult keeping an eye on younger sledders both matter. Respecting the grounds and the historic building keeps the hill open and welcoming.

Winter obviously depends on the snow, with the best runs coming the morning after a fresh fall before the slope gets skied out; summer brings the water-sliding tradition. You'll find it at the Peteetneet grounds at 10 South 600 East in Payson, an easy stop just off the main routes through town.

Dress for real cold in waterproof layers and boots, bring your own sled or tube, park considerately on the museum grounds, and pack out what you bring. Between a broad free sledding hill, a summer water-slide tradition, and a chance to tour a gorgeous 1901 landmark right there, the Peteetneet hill is a distinctly Payson kind of winter afternoon.