Snow Days

7 Cool Places to Play Close to Home

Bring back childhood memories and share the thrill of speeding down a snowy mountain trail. All you have to do is bundle up the kids, pick a day-trip destination, and go!

Kingvale Tubing And Sledding Center
Pick from 5 lift-served tubing lanes and several groomed sledding lanes. All sledding devices are provided, and outside equipment is prohibited. There is a snack bar on-site. New activities include night tubing and snowmobile tours. Cost is $15 per child for 2 hours and $18 per adult. An all day pass is $25. Open Friday-Monday, 10am-4pm, and all holidays. Located 18 miles west of Truckee on I-80 at the Kingvale exit.
530-426-1941

Tubing Hill at Northstar-at-Tahoe
Choose from two different pull lifts this season, both conveniently located adjacent to the Gondola and Lodge at Big Springs and allowing for a fun ride and great vista points. Tubers must be at least 36” tall, must be able to ride alone, and there is no double-riding. $18 per person for the first hour; $10 per additional hour. Northstar-at-Tahoe is on SR 267 at Northstar Drive outside of Truckee.
530-562-1010, www.northstarattahoe.com

Tubing at Sierra-at-Tahoe
The snow tubing hill at Sierra-at-Tahoe is accessible by lift for all ages, including families with young children. Sierra rents snow-play clothing for visitors from warmer climates, so you will have no excuse not to try it! $25 for 2 hours. Sierra-at-Tahoe is located at 1111 Sierra-at-Tahoe Road in Twin Bridges, off Hwy 50.
530-659-7453, www.sierraattahoe.com

Tubing at Squaw Valley
Snow tube at High Camp at, an elevation of : 8,200 feet. Children 4 years and up may ride. This once Olympic Village also offers ice skating and a rock climbing wall. $10 per person for a 1 hour tubing session and $15 per person for a 1 hour sledding/play area pass. Squaw Valley USA is located off Hwy. 89 between Truckee and Tahoe City.
800-545-4350, www.squaw.com

Boreal Mountain Playground
The Playland Sledding area of the mountain offers sledding lanes for children of all ages. A plastic saucer is provided. There is also a designated snow play area. $40 per person. Boreal is open daily between 9am and 9pm. Located at Interstate 80 at the Castle Peak Exit just before Truckee.
530-426-3666, www.rideboreal.com

Soda Springs Winter Resort
At Soda Springs you can sled and tube! Sledding lanes are designed to add to the fun, and a designated area of the mountain offers two tubing tows that access four flumes. A plastic saucer is provided. Price: $15. Kids must be 42” tall to ride. Planet Kids offers children under 10 a tubing lane, tubing carousel and a new moving carpet to help kids go up the small slope. Planet Kids costs $10 per child and is open weekends and holidays. Tubing lift tickets include the use of a snowtube. Soda Springs is open for snowtubing and sledding daily, 10am-4pm. Located off I-80 at the Soda Springs Exit in Truckee.
530-426-3901, www.skisodasprings.com

Tube & Saucer Hill at Hansen's Resort
Experience the thrill of tobogganing in a fun and safe way. At Hansen's Resort you can enjoy riding a snowtube or saucer down dual 400-foot-long packed trails with banked turns. Runs are continuously groomed to eliminate holes, and all equipment is furnished (outside equipment not allowed). $10 for ages 10 and over. Kids ages 5-9 ride for $5. Children 4 and under ride for free when accompanied by a paying adult. There is a snack bar on-site. Open daily, 8am-5pm. Located at 1360 Ski Run Boulevard on the way to Heavenly Ski Resort in South Lake Tahoe.
530-544-3361

Info courtesy of www.tahoevacationguide.com.