Snow Tubing Fun - Charlottesville Family

7 PLACES FOR LOCAL WINTER FUN

While winter certainly can make going outside less enjoyable, there are many fun ways you can take advantage of the cold weather. Our area has several winter resorts that offer family-friendly snow tubing just an hour or two away. If you need a bit more snow to play in, we’ve also included a few resorts that are farther away. Before you get on the road, remember to check height and age requirements, as well as ticket availability. You should also wear snow boots or waterproof boots and dress for the weather (layers, hats, gloves and snow pants). Most importantly, follow the rules and have fun!

Just an hour’s drive away is Wintergreen Resort’s The Plunge, the largest tubing park in Virginia. After riding up the park’s conveyer lift, guests can zoom down its 10-story tubing lanes at speeds reaching 30 mph. The park recommends The Plunge for ages 6 and up and requires children to be at least 42 inches tall. Younger and smaller children can take part in the tubular fun at Ridgely’s Fun Park. wintergreenresort.com Also close to home is Massanutten Resort’s Family Adventure Park. Snow tubing is very popular here and regularly sells out, especially on weekends and holidays. Tickets are available online as well as in person starting 30 minutes before the first session. Because gold card holders and resort guests may purchase tickets a day in advance, often causing busy days to sell out the day before, make sure to call the park to check ticket availability. Children must be at least 36 inches tall. massresort.com If there’s no snow yet, you can visit Liberty University’s Snowflex Centre. Made of a plastic material called Neveplast, Liberty’s tubing runs are open year-round. The nursery slope is for ages 2 and up, while the two main tubing runs are for ages 5 and up. liberty.edu/snowflex

Located just north of Harrisonburg, Bryce Resort’s Tubing Park features 800-foot tubing lanes. Sessions are one hour and 30 minutes long, and tickets are sold online or in person on the day of your session. Children must be at least 4 years old and 36 inches tall. bryceresort.com If you are looking for a more upscale destination, consider the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs. Sessions are one hour long at the Penguin Slides Tubing Park and require reservations. End the day with yummy s’mores on the Casino Lawn. Participants must be at least 5 years old and 48 inches tall. thehomestead.com For taller mountains and a longer snow season, visit Snowshoe Mountain’s Coca-Cola Tube Park in West Virginia. The park offers five six-story tubing lanes and two-hour sessions. Advanced reservations are strongly recommended, and children can be 4 years old and younger, but will have a separate area for them to play at. snowshoemtn.com Finally, just a three-hour drive away is Winterplace Ski Resort, West Virginia’s largest tubing park. Two “super carpet” conveyor lifts whisk you back up the hill after each run. Children must be at least 44 inches tall to tube, but smaller children can join in on the fun at the Kiddie Park, weather permitting. winterplace.com

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