While Summer and Fall seem to capture the attention of visitors to the Blue Ridge Mountains, Winter is also an excellent time to visit the Blue Ridge Mountains. The best part? You might just see some snow! Snow Tubing in the Blue Ridge Mountains is incredibly popular, especially with younger children.
Blue Ridge Mountain Ski Resorts and other attractions have quickly picked up on this, and during the winter, create some of the best snow tubing venues around. There are many to choose from these days, and the list continues to grow each year.
Here are our top picks for the best snow tubing in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Locations featured offer safe tubing, high-quality gear, lifts to the top, food, and drinks, and wonderfully groomed slopes to go speeding to the bottom. Many also offer heated viewing areas for parents, grandparents, and friends so they can comfortably enjoy watching and taking photos.
North Carolina
Tube World Maggie Valley NC
The state with the most mountain snow tubing options is North Carolina. NC also offers some of the best skiing venues in the Blue Ridge Mountains as well.
Here are our top picks for the best snow tubing in North Carolina:
Beech Mountain Snow Tubing - Beech Mountain NC
Beech Mountain Resort in Beech Mountain NC offers some of the best skiing and snow tubing in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Beech Mountain Snow Tubing park is one of the newest as is a state-of-the-art snow tubing location, locate at the Alpine village at the bottom of the ski slopes.
The slopes offer 8 extra long runs that are lighted and have a full sound system. A Magic Carpet conveyor takes tubers quickly back up the top for more runs.
In the Alpine village, you'll find food and warm drinks, an ice skating rink, and shopping.
Tubers must be 42" or taller to ride, and children are not allowed to ride with their parents. Tickets can be purchased in advance during their normal season.
After a busy day of tubing, be sure to visit one of the great local restaurants in Beech Mountain, the highest town in North Carolina.
Black Bear Snow Tubing - Hendersonville NC
Located just outside of Hendersonville NC, Black Bear Snow Tubing is a family-owned and operated snow tubing park that offers a tubing hill that runs 600ft long with an 80ft drop! They use state-of-the-art snowmaking equipment to provide real snow on their multiple and wide lanes.
Black Bear Snow tubing also offers a heated lodge for non-tubers that just want to watch and stay warm. Concessions, hot drinks, food, and an on-location playground are also offered to guests.
Be sure to visit the wonderful mountain town of Hendersonville NC for great food, attractions, and fun! Chimney Rock and Lake Lure are also nearby.
Frozen Falls Tube Park - Sapphire NC
Frozen Falls Tube Park is part of Sapphire Valley Resort and is located in Sapphire NC. The resort offers skiing, lodging, snowboarding, and of course tubing. The Snow tubing slopes offer a 500-foot-long tube run with a 60-foot vertical drop for pure snow tubing fun that is super family-friendly.
After sliding down, you go back up by riding the moving sidewalk back to the top. This is very similar to the moving walkways at major airports.
Frozen Falls Tube Park has no age restrictions for riders. However, each person must be in their own tube. Parents can hold on to their child's tube using the handles when tubing down.
Hawksnest Snow Tubing - Seven Devils NC
Hawksnest Snow Tubing is the biggest snow tubing venue in the Blue Ridge Mountains and on the east coast of the United States. It was previously a ski resort, but converted to snow tubing in 2008, as a result, it has plenty of space. Hawksnest offers 30 different runs, broken up into 4 different sections. They all offer carpet conveyor lifts for quick and easy trips back to the top.
The snow tubing runs range from 400 feet to over 1000 feet in length! Tubing is available for adults and children ages 3 years and up.
Hawksnest also offers a winter zipline tour that soars above the tubing lanes for you to enjoy as well. Be sure to check out their live webcam.
Highlands Outpost - Scaly Mountain NC
Located near Highlands NC, Highlands Outpost offers 4 lanes of snow tubing excitement. The Magic carpet will take you quickly back up to the top for more runs. In addition to natural snow, they also have professional snow-making equipment to maintain a solid base and slippery slopes.
Riders must be 42 inches or taller, and a minimum of 4 years old to ride. For younger children, Kids Snow Play is available.
While there you can also enjoy ice skating and a ride on the Screamer mountain coaster, which operates year-round.
Jonas Ridge Snow Tubing Park - Newland NC
Located near Morganton NC and Boone NC, Jonas Ridge Snow Tubing Park provides multiple lanes of 400-foot runs, and claim to have the fastest slopes. For a quick ride back to the top, they offer a convenient conveyor system.
While they have no age restriction, they do recommend ages 3 and up. Children are required to ride in their own tubes while a parent in their own tube can hold their tube.
Jonas Ridge also provides excellent viewing areas for watching the tubers shoot down the hill. Refreshments such as chips, candy, hot chocolate, soda, water, and coffee are also available.
Moonshine Mountain Snow Tubing Park - Hendersonville NC
Moonshine Mountains Snow Tubing Park, located just outside of Hendersonville NC offers 500-foot-long snow tubing runs with 3 lanes for tubing. After a thrilling downhill run, you can make your way back to the top by walking up the stairs, or using the lift.
Snow tubing can really build up a thirst and make you hungry, and Moonshine Mountain Snow Tubing has snacks and a full food truck.
There is a minimum height of 36" and they accept cash only, but there is an ATM onsite.
Sugar Mountain Snow Tubing - Sugar Mountain NC
Sugar Mountain Resort is probably the most popular and well-known ski resort in the North Carolina mountains. Of course, they offer not only great skiing but snow tubing as well.
Snow Tubing at Sugar Mountain provides six runs that are 700 feet each. All are served by a conveyor carpet lift system. Snow Tubing is located near the skating rink and both have their own parking lot, just before you the ski resort.
Sugar Mountain provides Snowmaking and lights for night tubing and they regularly groom the lanes for smooth and fast rides.
Tube World - Maggie Valley NC
Tube World, located in Maggie Valley NC, just across from the old Ghost Town in the Sky Amusement Park provides 10-12 lanes with full artificial snow-making gear, keeping the slopes in great condition. A magic carpet lift will take you back to the top time and time again.
Tube World is not located at Cataloochee Ski Resort, but roadside in Maggie Valley itself, making access easy. Tube World provides beverages and snacks, and a local food truck is often on-site for larger meals.
They do have a minimum height restriction of 42", and children cannot ride with adults.
Wolf Ridge Ski Resort - Mars Hill NC
Wolf Ridge Ski Resort is located just north of Asheville NC in Mars Hill. Wolf Ridge Snow Tubing features a 60-foot wide slope that provides a 350-foot long run. There are no designated lanes, unlike many other snow tubing venues. This allows tubers to go down together and link up.
Use the "magic carpet" to return to the top and repeat the fun! Wolf Ridge provides a lighted hill for nighttime tubing and has their own snow-making equipment.
They also have snack and drink options available, including hot cocoa! Note that the snow tubing locations are separate from the Skiing area.
Zip N Slip Snow Tubing Park - Mars Hill NC
Zip N Slip Snow Tubing, located just north of Asheville NC provides 8-10 long runs for your snow tubing enjoyment. For a fast return to the top, they provide a magic carpet lift.
Zip N Slip makes its own snow, so there is plenty of it, for smooth and fast runs down the hill. They have snacks, hot chocolate, and drinks and a food truck is often there as well. Be sure to enjoy the firepit and marshmallows to warm up when you are done tubing!
Tennessee
Tennessee is not well known for snow skiing or tubing, but there are a few great places in and around the tourist towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge TN.
Ober Gatlinburg - Gatlinburg TN
The most popular and well-known winter attraction is Ober Gatlinburg, located in Gatlinburg TN. Ober Gatlinburg Snow Tubing delivers 350-foot long runs with a 50-foot drop. They generally have 8-10 lanes depending on conditions.
A "Magic Carpet" will take tubers back to the top for more runs.
Tubers Ages 3 – 5 must ride with an adult 18 years or older, Children ages 2 and under are not allowed to go tubing. Must be at least age 6 years old and 42″ tall to ride alone.
Ober Gatlinburg is generally very busy, so you'll want to book your tickets in advance. Also, during peak weekends and holidays, there may be a wait.
Pigeon Forge Snow - Pigeon Forge TN
Pigeon Forge Snow offers a truly unique snow tubing experience, in that you can snow tube year-round! Yes, they are open for snow tubing every day of the year AND they are indoors.
You read that correctly, you can snow tube anytime, indoors, and it even stays 60-70 degrees inside. The snow is real and they use modern snow-making equipment with no additives. They even have a snow play area that is also open year-round.
Tubing runs are 12 lanes that are 225 feet in length. Tubers reach speeds of about 30mph. A moving catwalk will take you back to the top for more runs.
For the tubing, you must be at least 38 inches and 3 years old. Reservations are not required, you just show up.
Rowdy Bear's Smoky Mountain Snow Park - Pigeon Forge TN
Rowdy Bear Mountain is an entertainment venue located in Pigeon Forge TN, near the Titanic museum. In the winter, they open up the Smoky Mountain Snow Park, which has snow tubing. The tubing hill is over 500 feet in length with a 70-foot plus drop and is also the fastest outdoor tubing hill in Tennessee!
They offer two Magic Carpet Conveyors to the top of the hill, complete with some of the most amazing views of the Smoky Mountains! Grab some warm drinks and snacks at Sugar Bears Café And Creamery. They also have baked goods and homemade ice cream!
Tuber must be at least 48″ tall to ride alone. Children must be 40″ tall to participate with an adult over the age of 18
Virginia
When you think of outdoor winter activities and sports, Virginia is probably not the first state that comes to mind. In fact, it probably wouldn't even make anyone's list, but Virginia actually has a large number of winter resorts and snow tubing venues. Enough of them to compete with some of the top states that generally come to mind.
Even more surprising, Virginia just may have one of the top, if not the top winter resorts and snow tubing destinations in the Blue Ridge Mountains!
Bryce Resort - Basye VA
Snow Tubing at Bryce Resort in Basye Virginia offers 3 800-foot lanes of snow for you to speed down. To quickly get back up to make the most of your time, Bryce Resort provides a conveyor belt to take you back up to the top.
Children must be at least 36" tall and 4 years of age to ride, and only 1 person per tube is allowed. Ice skating is also available at a discounted price for tubers.
Family Adventure Park - Massanutten VA
Voted the best snow tubing by Washingtonian, Massanutten Snow Tubing, offers up 16 different snow tubing lanes, each over 900ft in length. Even better? The drop is 120 feet for fast and long runs.
Massanutten has a unique snow tubing experience called Northern Lights Snow Tubing, an "out-of-this-world experience". You'll zoom down the snow tubing hill surrounded by the glow of neon lights and pumping music. The experience gives the effect of snow tubing under the Northern Lights.
Massanutten provides state-of-the-art snow-making machines, which may be running during your visit. Children must be at least 36 inches tall to tube and must be accompanied by an adult while in the Family Adventure Park.
The Plunge Snow Tubing Park - Roseland VA
The Plunge by Wintergreen resort is the largest snow tubing facility in the Virginia Blue Ridge. The plunge provides a hill the size of a ten-story building, and a tubing run that is longer than 3 football fields. That works out to be about a 1,000-foot run with a 140-foot elevation drop.
They provide a lift for a quick return to the top and have snow-making equipment as well for pristine (and fast) rides. Tubers must be 42 inches or taller to ride The Plunge.
Snow Tubing Tips
Although snow tubing is easy and no lessons are needed, there are a few things that can help you enjoy your snow tubing adventure even more:
- Wear warm socks and waterproof or water-resistant winter boots. Cold and wet feet will ruin your experience and can hurt your feet. At the very least, wear close-toed shoes.
- Wear a waterproof or water-resistant winter jacket.
- Wear waterproof/water-resistant pants and if you are cold-natured, make sure to wear thermal underwear or some other layer underneath your pants. Avoid cotton (jeans) if possible.
- Fourth, wear a beanie or toboggan to help keep you warm. If you have them, bring some sunglasses, the sun and snow are very bright.
- Bring some cash - Some places are cash only, and it makes getting small snacks and drinks easier.
- Bring your patience, especially on holidays and peak times. Waits can often be long due to the large crowds.
