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Best Snow Sledding for Kids Near Los Angeles
January 25, 2024

Bundle up the kids in coats and mittens and take a road trip to the snowy mountains, where you’ll find the best snow sledding spots near Los Angeles this winter!

Winter season can be a perfect time for families to take to their cars and head outdoors for some snowy adventure. Kids are excited to play in the snow, throw each other with snowballs, build a snowman, or make snow angels. But one of the favorite activities kids love to do is snow sledding. Imagine zipping down a white-capped hill at the speed of light, getting a giggle-inducing thrill enjoyable for the whole family. It’s time to bundle up the kids, take a road trip, and find the best spot to go snow sledding near Los Angeles!

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The best thing about living in Los Angeles is its access to both the sunny beach and the winter snow. Despite its typically warm weather, you’ll be surprised that several ski resorts and snow parks are within a few hours’ drive. These fantastic destinations are close enough to Los Angeles, where kids can get a taste of winter wonderland that makes snow sledding endlessly enticing. There’s plenty of fun and adventure in the snow with your kids if you’re willing to travel a short distance.

Are you planning a road trip and scoring plenty of fresh snow powder in SoCal with kids in tow? You’re in luck because we have a scoop of the best snow sledding spots for kids near Los Angeles. Whether you’re up for a family snow day trip, a weekend getaway, or a more extended winter vacation, these drive-worthy destinations are the best places to make winter fun for the entire family. So, get your saucer sleds ready and ride fast down the perfectly groomed sledding hill!

Best Snow Sledding for Kids Near Los Angeles

Best snow sledding near for kids Los Angeles - Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Photo by: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Snow Play at Mount San Jacinto Park

1 Tramway Rd., Palm Springs, CA 92262
Phone Number: (888) 515-8726

Easily accessible from Palm Springs, this snowy mountain top is only a short ride up the mountain. Hop aboard the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway for a breathtaking ride to the snow-capped peak of Mount San Jacinto. Once you reach the top, kiddos can go sledding (be sure to bring your sled), have snowball fights, or even build snowmen.

If your family loves action, you can try cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snow camping. Peak Restaurant, at the top of the tramway station, offers locally-sourced food, a kids’ menu, and a curated wine list. Pines Café and Lookout Lodge near the tram station are great for an après-snow bite or drink.

Best snow sledding near for kids Los Angeles - Snow Valley Mountain Resort
Photo by: Snow Valley Mountain Resort

Snow Valley Mountain Resort

35100 State Highway 18, Running Springs, CA 92382  
Phone Number: (909) 867-2751 

Snow Valley Mountain Resort offers lift-serviced sledding runs on weekends, with non-lift-serviced play during the week. Children six and older can buy passes to the downhill sled area. They provide sleds and make snow, and the runs are pretty lovely. They have a dedicated snow play area at the base of the mountain near the Sun Deck. Little kids can run around in the white stuff, make snow angels, and build snowmen. 

From the steeps of Slide Peak to extended cruising intermediate trails to the region’s best beginner terrain to Southern California’s only chairlift-serviced sledding area, Snow Valley has something for everyone during winter. Enjoy sledding at Snow Valley, offering the longest runs in the region.

Best snow sledding near for kids Los Angeles - Mt. Baldy Snow Play Park
Photo by: Mt. Baldy

Mt. Baldy Snow Play Park

8401 Mt. Baldy Rd., Mt. Baldy, CA 91759
Phone Number: (909) 982-0800 

Situated at 8,000 ft. elevation, Mt Baldy Resort is another quick mountain getaway for experiencing snow in Southern California. The resort has recently introduced a Snow Play Park, which is excellent for snow sledding and snow play due to the resort’s special tubing section. The tubing park has snow tubing lanes for sliding and walking with a stopping hill at the bottom.

They provide tubes with a hard shell sliding surface for a faster speed and an inflated inner tube for a smooth ride. While still on the expensive side, the 3 hours tubing experience, which is more affordable, gives you enough time to enjoy the mountains and the tubing experience. An all-day pass includes a round-trip Scenic Lift Ticket and unlimited day access to the Snow Play Park.

Woolly's Tube Park & Snow Play
Photo by: Mammoth Mountain

Woolly’s Tube Park & Snow Play

9000 Minaret Rd., Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
Phone Number: (800) 626-6684

Find more massive fun at the revamped Woolly’s Tube Park. Catch a ride to the top on the new Magic Carpet, then move down even longer lanes in a high-speed snow tube. More lanes mean fewer wait times, so you can squeeze in laps as fast as you dare. There’s fun for all ages with a viewing area, a giant snow play area with an additional magic carpet, and a snack bar offering hot cocoa and adult beverages.

Even the littlest ones will find big fun in the snow play area where they can ride the merry-go-round tubes, build a snowman, shred on a surf sled, and even hang out with everyone’s favorite fuzzy mascot, Woolly. Take your kids snow sledding at Mammoth, but this mountain town offers more than just the best ski resorts near Los Angeles.

Yeti's Snow Play
Photo by: Mountain High Resort

Yeti’s Snow Play

24510 State Highway 2, Wrightwood, CA 92397
Phone Number: (888) 754-7878

Discover a world of winter just an hour and a half from downtown Los Angeles. Heralded as Southern California’s closest winter resort with no mountain driving, Mountain High is worth a visit. The Tubing Park is located at the North Resort and has a basic bar/restaurant adjacent. Moving carpet lifts means no lugging up the hill, and sledders get a solid push down the slope by attendants who are happy to strive for the longest run possible.

Slide down one of the ten tubing lanes, meet the Yeti and his friends, or have lunch at the Grand View Lodge at 8,200 ft. Remember to dress warmly, and bring your gloves and appropriate shoes. The all-day tickets will grant you access to tubing, sledding, snow play, scenic sky chairs on Mountain High Resort, and all the mountain food and retail shops, tables with fire pits, photo ops with Yeti himself, and free parking.

Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain
Photo by: Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain

Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain

800 Wildrose Ln., Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
Phone Number: (909) 866-4626

The Magic Mountain Recreation Area in Big Bear Lake is home to the world-famous Alpine Slide — Southern California’s only authentic bobsled experience. Start your day with a scenic chairlift ride and panoramic views of beautiful Big Bear Lake and the surrounding mountains. Zip down its freshly packed snow slopes and ride back up the hill on its Magic Carpet conveyor lift, covered for your comfort. Five Lenko Fan snow guns blanket the area’s five runs with enough snow to build a pack 20 feet deep or more.

The Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain also features a toboggan run known as the Alpine Slide. They light up the hill and the Magic Carpet for their evening sessions, and best of all, you don’t need any special skills or equipment rentals to experience this fun, family-friendly activity. Night sessions run on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays. There is also mini golf, go-karts, and other rides, weather permitting.

Snowdrift Snow Tubing Park
Photo by: Snowdrift Snow Tubing Park

Snowdrift Snow Tubing Park

34600 Hwy. 18, Running Springs, CA 92382
Phone Number: (866) 942-2824 

For the best snow sledding for kids near Los Angeles, head up to a little-known spot tucked away in the San Bernardino National Forest near Lake Arrowhead. Snowdrift Snow Tubing Park is SoCal’s oldest and largest snow tubing park. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced runs are available to riders, so there’s something for everyone in the family. No fancy lifts here, but there are stairs for your climbing convenience.

The elevation is about 6,500 feet, allowing fresh air and snow, and features feet of crisp snow. There are seven hills to choose from for tubing. Tubes have belly straps and handles, and tubing is relatively orderly with a per-hour system. Surround yourself with towering pines at this tubing park four miles east of Running Springs.

Big Bear Snow Play
Photo by: Big Bear Snow Play

Big Bear Snow Play

42825 Big Bear Blvd., Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
Phone Number: (909) 585-0075

Big Bear Snow Play is the perfect location for all-day family fun. When it is cold enough, they make their snow. Whether natural or man-made, you’ll have a fun, packed day on its big snow play. Excellent snow-making conditions at Big Bear Snow Play mean plenty of beautiful, fluffy white snow for families to slide downhill. Its recreation area sports powerful Lenko fan guns that blanket the hill.

Families can make memories at night, too, as Big Bear Snow Play opens for after-dark tubing sessions. Inner tubing after dark is cast under a new light at Big Bear Snow Play with red, blue, green, and even black lights. Natural and man-made snow combine to provide an excellent base for inner tubing, snowmen building, and other family fun.

Best Snow Sledding for Kids Near Los Angeles

Snowy days are here once again. And for families with small children, snow sledding is the perfect winter activity — where everyone gets to play in the snow outdoors. You don’t have to acquire the necessary skills or expensive equipment; everything you need is a sled, hill, and snow. Make sure you are dressed warmly and ready for a fun family snow day adventure. Sit down and hold tight as you take a magical thrill ride and race at the best snow sledding spots for kids near Los Angeles!

Los Angeles offers so many opportunities for kids to enjoy and have fun all year round! Check out our list of resources, or browse through our things to do in Los Angeles with kids.

Still looking for more winter activities for kids in Los Angeles? No problem! Check out our comprehensive listing of places to go in the region and our highly recommended seasonal blog posts.

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