Snow Tubing – Loads of Family Fun

An activity that is similar to sledding, snow tubing is a whole lot of relatively safe fun that can be enjoyed by the entire family as a winter sport. While snow tubing carries an element of risk in an uncontrolled environment, primarily due to the fact that, unlike sledding, the rider has no way of steering the tube, quite a number of ski resorts now have courses with slopes and safety barriers dedicated to the activity, including The Summit at Noqualmie, Norquay at Banff, Camelback Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania, Windham Mountain and Nashoba, among others. Motorized pulley towlines or ‘magic carpets’ are used to tow riders to the top of the slopes, which is an adventure in itself.

Camelback Mountain resort boasts 34 snow-tubing lanes and two magic carpets, ensuring that the fun on the snow-covered slopes never stops. Single and double tubes offer riders the option of sliding tandem, or competing with one another to get to the bottom in the shortest possible time. Parents should note that children under the age of 14 years must be accompanied by an adult carrying a valid Tubing ticket and there are some height/size restrictions.

Snow tubing at Windham Mountain takes place down a 650 foot slope in multiple lanes. The canvas-covered tubes can be ridden solo, or up to six tubes can be tied together for a fun group run. No skill is required and as long as the would-be rider is tall enough to comfortably get in and out of the tube, he/she can ride. Be prepared for plenty of shrieking, laughter and multiple trips – as once is never enough.

Nashoba’s Tubing Park has eighteen tubing lanes with two lifts running most days in season and is currently the largest tubing park in New England. The Summit at Noqualmie has snow tubing on weekends in two-hour sessions, giving plenty of time to slip, slide and slither to your heart’s content.

The great thing about snow tubing, which is growing in popularity in leaps and bounds, is that almost anyone can do it (age restriction generally 6 years, with minimum height requirement of 42″). No tuition is required and all riders need to do is settle into the tube, grab the handles and let gravity do the rest – Enjoy!