Go Play in the Snow! Great Places for Family Snow Play in ...

Here's our guide to family-friendly snow play, sledding, and tubing (without the ski resort hustle ... Northern California Snow Play Resorts. Jumptonavigation Backtotop Home| GoPlayintheSnow!GreatPlacesforFamilySnowPlayinNorthernCalifornia GoPlayintheSnow!GreatPlacesforFamilySnowPlayinNorthernCalifornia Tweet PamelaFox|November14,2021 There'ssnowintheSierra,sogetreadyforsomewintertimefun!WhilewelovetheskiingandsnowboardingatLakeTahoe,weknowthatnoteveryone'saskiierandsometimesfamiliesjustwanttogoupandhavesomefuninthesnow.WhilemanyoftheTahoeskiresortslikeNorthstar,SquawValley,andHeavenlyhavetubingparks,iceskating,andotherwinternon-skiingactivitiesforthefamily,thereareplentyofotherplacesinthemountainswhereyoucangetyoursnowplayfixwithouttheskiresorthustleandbustle(andpricetag). Mostofthesesnowplaysitesarewithinafewhours'drivefromMarinandtheSanFranciscoBayArea.Whilesomehavetubesandsledstorent,others,mostnotablytheCaliforniaStateSno-Parks,offerlittlemorethanaplacetoparkyourcarsoyoucangoplayinthesnow.ForalistofLakeTahoeskiresortsthatofferbothskiingandsnowplayactivities,readourarticlehere. Pricesandhoursarecorrecttoourknowledgeattimeofpublication.Hoursandavailabilitydependonweather,snowconditions,andotherfactors,somakesureyoucheckwithresortstoconfirmthey'llbeopenbeforeyouheaduptothemountains. NorthernCaliforniaSnowPlayResorts Whilenotasnumerousasskiresorts,you'llfindafewsnowplayresortsthroughouttheSierras.Theseplacesusuallyboastalodgeorclubhouse,dining,restrooms,andotheractivities.You'llprobablyhavetorentatubeorsledwhileyou'rethere,asmanyofthesefacilitiesdon'tallowoutsideequipment.Mostopenaroundmid-December,althoughopeningdatesaredependentonweatherandsnowfall.Makesureyoucallorchecktheirwebsitebeforeyougo.NotethatmanyresortswillrequireadvanceticketsandsocialdistancingprecautionsduetoCOVID-19. TahoeDonner,Truckee ThededicatedsnowplayareaatTahoeDonnerofferssleddingandtubingfunforfamilies,andopensThanksgivingweekend.TheTD Eatsfoodtruckwillbeonhandforsnacks,soups,andbeverages.Relaxbythefirepitwithacupofhotchocolateafterplayinginthesnow!TahoeDonnerSnowplayisprojectedtoopenThanksgivingweekend,November26–28from9am–4:30pm,conditionspermitting;afterThanksgivingweekenditwillcloseandreopenFriday,December10.It'sopenFridays12:15–4:30pmandSaturdays,Sundays,andholidaysfrom9am–4:30pm.Location: 12790NorthwoodsBoulevard,Truckee,96161.Moreinfo: www.tahoedonner.comor(530) 587-9437. Granlibakken,TahoeCity GranlibakkenresornearTahoeCityoffersadedicatedsleddinghillandsnowplayareaforfamilyfun.OpeningdaylateNovemberTBA.Sleddingticketscost$25perpersononweekdaysand$35onweekendsandholidaysandincludesaucerrentalandandhourandahalfofsledding.Kidsunder3sledforfree,andlodgingguestsgeta50%discount.Guestsmustbooksleddingticketsinadvanceonline,andchoosea90-minutetimeslot.Timeslotsstartat8:30amandthelastisat4pm.Note:Granlibakkenprovidessaucers;participantsmaynotbringtheirownsaucersandothersleddingdevices.Location: 725GranlibakkenRoad,TahoeCity96145.granlibakken.com SodaSprings WhileSoda SpringsresortnearTruckeeoffersskiingandsnowboarding,there'saspecialfocusonfamilysnowplayhere,withtubingforeveryoneatTube TownandplentyofsnowplayforthelittleonesatPlanetKids—asnowplaygroundforages8andunderwithtubing,snowhillstoclimb,skiandsnowboardlessons,andmore.On-sitediningisavailable.Openingday,hours,andfeesTBA.Location: 10244SodaSpringsRoad(offI-80nearDonnerSummit),SodaSprings,95728.Moreinfo:www.skisodasprings.comor(530) 426-3901 AdventureMountain,SouthLakeTahoe SouthLakeTahoe'sAdventureMountainisallsnowplay,allthetime! Theyoffertubing,sledding,saucers,snowplay,snowshoeing,andsledandtuberentals,aswellasdiningandagiftshop.Vehicleentrancefeeis$40duringtheweek,$45onweekends,and$50onholidays.Vehicleswithmorethan4passengerswillbechargedanadditional$5.Youcanbringyourowngearorrentorpurchaseattheresort.2021/2022openingdateTBA.Hours:Weekdays,10am–3pmandweekendsandholidays9am–3:30pm.Location:21200Highway50,SouthLakeTahoe(atEchoSummit),96150.Moreinfo:adventuremountaintahoe.comor(530) 659-7217 Hansen'sSnowTubeHill,SouthLakeTahoe Hansen'sResortinSouthLakeTahoeoperatesasnowtubinghillwitha400-footrun.Opendailymid-Decemberthroughmid-March,9am–4pmor10am–5pm;timesaresubjecttochangetocallbeforeyougo.Rates:$30perpersonperhour;4andunderfree.Cashonly.Ratesincludetheuseofatubeorsaucer.Parkingandrestroomsavailable.Location:1360SkiRunBoulevard,SouthLakeTahoe96150.Moreinfo: www.hansensresort.com(530)544-3361 KingvaleResort KingvaleResortnearSodaSpringsoffersgroomedtubingandsleddingrunsandasnackbar.Bringyourowntubes,sleds,andsaucers! Youcanpurchaseaninexpensive($20),two-personsledattheresort.OpeningdayTBA(probablyaroundThanksgiving).Hours:Saturdays,Sundays,andholidays,9:30am–4:30pm;parkinglotopensat9am.All-dayticketscost$20perperson;parkingfee$20;childrenunder2free.Location:KingvaleExit(Exit171)offI-80,Kingvale,95728.Moreinfo:(916)622-6654orwww.kingvaleresort.com BearValleyAdventureCo. Thecross-countryskiresortatthecentralSierra'sBearValleyoperatesgroomedsleddingandtubinghillsforfamilieswithchildrenages3andolder.Two-hoursessionscost$15perpersonforsleddingand$20perpersonfortubing($20and$25peakseason).There's$5accessfeepernon-sledders/tubers($10peakseason).Nooutsidesledsortubesallowed.Picnictables,parkbenches,areavailable,andhotfoodanddrinksareavailablenearbyattheMeadowCafe.Nolifts:sleddersmusthikeupthehill.Projectedopeningday:Thursday,November25(ThanksgivingDay).Hours: 9am–4pmdaily.Location: 1BearValleyRoad,offHighway4,BearValley,95223.Moreinfo: (209) 753-2834orwww.bvadventures.com. LelandHighSierraSnowPlay,Pinecrest LocatedinTuolumneCountryeastoftheGoldCountrytownofSonora,LelandSnowPlayoffers12acresofgroomedrunsandtow-upliftsfortubingandsledding.There'sakiddiehillforespeciallyforlittleones,minisnowmobilesforkidsages5–12,anda4,000-square-footdaylodgewithsnackbarandgameroom.2021/2022openingdate,hours,andfeesTBA.34033LelandMeadowRoad,Strawberry,95375.Moreinfo: www.snowplay.comor(209) 965-4719. CaliforniaSno-Parks Operatedbythestate'sdepartmentofoff-highwaymotorvehiclerecreation,CaliforniaSno-Parksareno-frillsplacestoparkthecarandgetoutandplayinthesnow.Whilemanyofthemcatertosnowmobileenthusiasts,thereareafewthatareperfectforsledding,snowplay,snowshoeing,andcross-countryskiing. KeepinmindthatSno-Parksareprettymuchjustparkingareaswithaccesstoplacesforwinterrecreation.Usuallyrestroomsareprovided,butthat'saboutit.It'suptoyoutofindahillforsleddingorsaucering,butthat'spartofthefun,isn'tit? ThebestpartofSno-Parksistheprice: $5foraday-usepassor$25foraseasonalpermit.Passesandpermitsforthe2021/2022seasonareonlyavailableonline.Orderyourshere.Makesureyoudobuyapermit,becauseit'salotcheaperthanthetickets(currentlyover$90) thattheCHP handsouttopeoplewhoareparkedwithoutone!NotethatparkingatSno-Parksisonafirst-come,first-servedbasis,andsomeofthemorepopularlocationscanfillupearly.Also,conditionscanchangeandparkscanclose,sochecktheSno-Parkswebsitebeforeyouheaduptothemountainsfordirectionsandmoreinformation. Sno-Parksthatareopenforsnowplayandsleddinginclude: DonnerSummit(nearTruckeeoffI-80) BlackwoodCanyon(nearTahoeCityoffHighway89) CarsonPass(offHighway88) EchoLake(offHighway50) IronMountain(offHighway88nearKirkwoodskiarea) LakeAlpine(offHighway4) MeissMeadow(offHighway88nearCarsonPass) Spicer(offHighway4) TaylorCreek(offHighway89nearFallenLeafLake) YubaPass(offHighway49) Tweet RelatedArticles ChristmasTreeFarms&LotsinMarinandSonomaCounty November17,2021 15FamilyFunThingstoDoThisThanksgivingBreak November16,2021 FamilyHolidayActivitiesandEventsinMarinandtheSanFranciscoBayArea November14,2021 HanukkahEvents&CelebrationsinMarin&theBayArea November13,2021 Nov 18 EventsCalendar BrowseeventsandactivitiesforfamiliesinMarinandtheBayArea. Signupfortips&newsforMarinfamilies! SponsorsPromoteyourbusinesshere! Backtotop