When winter’s first snowflakes begin to fall, make yours a joyous season filled with skiing, hikes, old-fashioned fun and more.

1. Grab your sleds

Sledding is a popular winter pastime for young and old alike.

Mitchell Park, located directly north of the Rossmiller Sports Complex along Highway 20, is the largest sledding hill in East Troy, offering plenty of fun to delight sledders.

Two additional East Troy sledding hills are located at 1824 Thomas Drive in the Pulliam Nature Area and 1825 Thomas Drive in the West Kettle Nature Area.

2. Conquer the slopes

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Alpine Valley Resort features 20 slopes that range from beginner to expert mogul runs with 388 feet of vertical skiing. The hill also includes the Mohawk Terrain Park, which offers snowboarders and freestyle skiers a variety of rails, boxes and snow features.

Alpine Valley is located at W2501 County Road D and can be reached at (262) 642-7374 and (800) 227-9395. For rates, lift ticket specials and more, visit www.alpinevalleyresort.com.

3. Go fishing

Ice fishing can be enjoyed at all area lakes, provided there is private permission or public access such as a public boat launch area.

A current fishing license for the 2014-15 season is required for Wisconsin residents and non-residents older than 16 looking to grab their tip-ups and poles.

Mill Pond, located at 2265 County Road G in East Troy, is part of the Southeast Region Urban Fishing Program. The small pond, which also features a walking path, has a shoreline that is accessible to the public.

4. Take a spin on the ice

The Village of East Troy opened an outdoor ice skating rink last winter. The rink, located immediately north of the East Troy Lions Public Library, 3094 Graydon Ave., is set to return this year. For details, visit www.easttroy-wi.com.

5. Get a view of the country

The Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit is a popular spot for cross country skiing, winter hiking and snowshoeing.

The Nordic Trail on County Highway H, south of the Village of Palmyra, provides hiking and cross-country skiing through six different trails of varying lengths and degrees of difficulty. A warming shelter is open every day, and parking, vault toilets and a sledding hill are also available at the trail head.

The McMiller trail system, on County Highway NN south of the Village of Eagle, provides skiing for skate and classical stride skiers on five trails of different distances and degrees of difficulty. McMiller’s heated shelter building with flush toilets and some vending machine refreshments is open on weekends. The trails are open every day of the week.

The Scuppernong trails, on County Highway ZZ, east of Highway 67 north of Eagle, are open to hikers and classical stride skiers only. There are three color-coated loop trails ranging from just over two to five miles.

All trails are open for skiing when there is enough snow. A trail pass is required for skiers 16 and older and trails can be closed with very little warning if weather changes. The Trail Information Line provides up-to-date trail information at (262) 594-6202.

For a winter hike, head to the John Muir (County Road H, north of the Town of LaGrange), Emma Carlin (County Road Z, south of Highway 59), Connector (connects Muir and Carlin trails), or Ice Age trails.

Snowshoeing at its best can be found on the John Muir trails, which include five loops that range from .4 to 10 miles.

Hiking and snowshoeing are prohibited on groomed ski trails (Nordic, McMiller, and Scuppernong).

For more information about winter outdoor opportunities, visit www.dnr.state.wi.us.

6. Warm up with a fast ride

Public snowmobile trails offer an opportunity for camaraderie and exhilarating fast rides.

Maps of designated snowmobile routes are available via the Walworth County Snowmobile Alliance. For more information, call (262) 742-2664.

All Wisconsin snowmobiles must be registered. Information about registering, education and regulations can be found at www.dnr.state.wi.us.

There are two local organizations for snowmobilers. For more information, contact Paul Sonderegger of the East Troy Snow Trojans at (262) 642-8727 or Don Dingman of Lake Beulah Drift Skippers Snowmobile Club at (262) 203-1427 or visit www.lbds.org.