6 Bucket List by reysaw2019
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Ucon Pit
Idaho Falls, Idaho
7.7 miles NE of Idaho Falls, IdahoThe Ucon Pit is one of the best-loved free sledding hills in the Idaho Falls area, a set of big, obstacle-free slopes on the edge of the little town of Ucon, about 7.7 miles northeast of Idaho Falls in eastern Idaho. A former gravel pit reborn as a community snow-play spot, it has hills on nearly every side, which is its secret weapon: with so many slopes to spread across, it's almost impossible for the place to feel overcrowded even on a busy snow day.
The sledding itself is the draw, and it's genuinely good. The hills are big and, crucially, nearly free of obstacles, which makes for fast, open runs with room to slow down at the bottom, well suited to families and kids as well as anyone chasing a little speed. The bowl-like layout left by the old pit gives it natural, sled-friendly shape, and the variety of aspects means you can usually find a slope facing the right way for the snow conditions.
The Ucon Pit is also a real community gathering place. The town has used it for events, including a free New Year's Eve bash put on by the Ucon City Council with sledding, fireworks, a bonfire, music, raffles and treats, which tells you how central this humble sledding hill is to local winter life. It's the kind of spot where the whole town turns out after a good snow.
You'll find it at 3024 105th North in Ucon, an easy drive from Idaho Falls, Rigby and the surrounding communities. It's free, unsupervised and bring-your-own, with no rentals or attendants.
Standard sledding-hill caution applies. Speeds pick up quickly on packed or icy snow, and while the pit is unusually obstacle-free, the varied terrain means some slopes are steeper than others, so it's worth walking a hill and checking the runout before turning young kids loose, and an adult keeping watch is always wise. Helmets never hurt.
Winter depends entirely on the snow, with the best runs the morning after a fresh fall before the slopes get packed slick. Dress for the eastern Idaho cold in waterproof layers and good boots, bring your own sled or tube, and pack out everything you bring. For a free, roomy, genuinely uncrowded sledding hill with real community spirit just outside Idaho Falls, the Ucon Pit is a local winter institution.
Jefferson County Lake (AKA Rigby Lake)
Rigby, Idaho
2.0 miles N of Rigby, IdahoJefferson County Lake — known to everyone in the area simply as Rigby Lake — is a beloved man-made swimming lake and county park just outside Rigby, Idaho, about a 20-minute drive from Idaho Falls or Rexburg. In a landlocked stretch of eastern Idaho, it's the closest thing to a day at the beach: a broad sandy shoreline, warm-but-refreshing water, floating docks, and a summer crowd of families making the most of the season.
Jefferson County has invested heavily in the park over the years, and it shows. A wide sandy beach runs along much of the south shore — perfect for sandcastles and burying kids up to their necks — and a line of buoys separates the shallow, protected swimming area from the open water beyond. Out on the west end sit two floating docks, the big draw for many visitors: they're anchored over deep water that's great for jumping and diving, and one dock has a slide that launches you out over the lake. Beyond the buoys, the open water fills with canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards, and rentals are often available on site if you didn't bring your own.
The amenities round out a full family day: two playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, large and small covered pavilions, restrooms, a seasonal food truck, and a campground on the north end for those who want to stay the night. It's well maintained and genuinely set up for a crowd, yet regulars note that even on a packed weekend the water itself rarely feels crowded — you can usually walk right up to the dock slide without much of a wait.
A few practical details. The park charges a modest day-use fee — currently around $5 per vehicle (walk-in or bike-in about $3), or a $30 season pass (not valid for camping) — and it's generally open daily from about 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Because the lake is filled with irrigation water, the season is weather- and water-dependent: it typically fills enough for swimming around June 1 and stays good through about the end of September before it's drawn down for the year.
Come summer, bring what makes a beach day: sunscreen, chairs or a canopy for the grassy area above the sand, and floats or inner tubes, which reviewers say really add to the fun. The water tends to run cool but comfortable — refreshing without being shivery. And the lake has a fun second life in the cold months: once it's drawn down and frozen, the basin becomes a popular local sledding spot, with no fee to park in winter. However you catch it, Rigby Lake is a genuine eastern-Idaho institution — a little slice of the beach in the middle of the high desert.
