Thrilling riders with speeds of 40 miles per hour, the toboggan at Pokagon State Park will open for another season on Friday, Nov. 26, 2010. 

The refrigerated toboggan, the only one in the Hoosier state and one of only three in the Midwest, typically operates Friday from 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. and Sunday and holidays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On opening day, the toboggan has extended hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

 The 1,780-foot dual-lane toboggan will remain open weekends through Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011. The toboggan operates even if there is no snow on the ground. Park personnel may close the slide if the temperature falls below zero degrees.

 Riders arrive at the bottom of the toboggan in approximately 35 seconds. Visitors can enjoy coffee, soup and sandwiches and a fire at the warming center adjacent to the toboggan.

Toboggans rent for $10 per hour and hold up to four people. (The price is subject to change.) In order to ride, children must be old enough to follow directions. No cameras are allowed, along with no group reservations or all-day rentals. Sleds are rented on a first-come, first-serve basis. Riders may rent up to four toboggans with a valid driver’s license. Cash, credit cards and checks are accepted.

The daily entrance fee into the park is $4 per Indiana vehicle Monday-Thursday and $5 Friday-Sunday and $7 per out-of-state vehicle seven days a week.

The toboggan is open extended hours in late December and early January. With the exception of Christmas break, there’s a Friday night discount: rent two sleds, get one free.

The toboggan is also open on Martin Luther King Day and President’s Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.