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Best Snow Tubing for Kids Near San Jose
January 8, 2024

Get the adrenaline pumping as kids fly down a snow-covered slope and enjoy exhilarating rides at the best snow tubing destinations near San Jose!

Playing in the snow is fun for the whole family. And one of the kid’s favorite things to do during winter is snow tubing! There’s just something magical about riding down a snow-covered hill on a tube, heading back up to the top on a magic carpet lift, and doing it all over again. Now that winter is here, start finding the best spots for snow tubing near San Jose and plan a family weekend getaway with the kids for some snowy adventure!

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The winter months in San Jose are usually very chilly and wet – there’s never any snow. But if you plan to take a winter vacation with the family, there are plenty of kid-friendly ski resorts and snow tube parks only an hour’s drive up north. As the temperature drops, San Jose residents start prepping for a winter road trip to the Lake Tahoe region and Yosemite National Park. These winter playgrounds for all ages are excellent spots for snow tubing.

It’s no secret that some of the best snow-filled days are spent tubing down a snowy hill with the family. And the best part about snow tubing is that it requires no special equipment, no expensive lessons, or any expertise for that matter. It is an affordable, easy-peasy way to enjoy the winter season. Drive out to the snowy mountains and discover our favorite destinations for snow tubing near San Jose with kids and the whole family!

Best Snow Tubing for Kids Near San Jose 

Best snow tubing for kids near San Jose - Northstar California
Photo by: Northstar California

Village Hike and Tube

5001 Northstar Dr., Truckee, CA 96160
Phone Number: (530) 562-1010

Located in the heart of The Village at Northstar, this is one of the best snow tubing spots near San Jose, perfect to gather with family, meet new friends, or relax by a warm fire pit. Visitors to the Northstar California Tubing Hill in North Lake Tahoe can enjoy an exciting ride down a 200-yard hill. Take the tow lift to the top of the hill and do it all again, either one at a time or in daisy chains with your family.

Give the kids something fun to do while you relax at a nearby fire pit on the Overlook. This experience is the ultimate way to have fun right in The Village. Hop in a tube, slide down the hill, and repeat. Take the pleasure to the next level by racing a friend down the mountain in the neighboring lane. The fun will indeed create lasting memories.

Best snow tubing for kids near San Jose - Snow Tubing + Snowplay
Photo by: Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort

Snow Tubing + Snowplay

1 Dodge Ridge Rd., Pine Crest, CA 95364
Phone Number: (209) 965-3474 

Dodge Ridge Resort has recently opened a lift-accessed snow tubing hill and snow play area. Families can spread out, some taking to the ski slopes while others trying out the tubing hill. Dodge Ridge Ski Resort is the closest ski resort to the Bay Area (mileage-wise), boasts about 800 acres of ski areas near Pinecrest, California. Those taking the tubing hill can ride to the top on an easy-to-use conveyor lift.

Children must be at least 42 inches tall to ride the tubes alone. Children between 36 and 42 inches can ride with a parent or guardian. Children under 36 inches in height can enjoy the snow play area with snow tools and snow toys provided. Children under 42 inches must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who has purchased the appropriate ticket.

Best snow tubing for kids near San Jose - SnoVentures Activity Zone
Photo by: Palisades Tahoe

SnoVentures Activity Zone

1651 Olympic Valley Rd., Olympic Valley, CA 96146
Phone Number: (800) 403-0206

Snoventures is fabulous for families and those new to the mountain atmosphere. Snoventures offers snow tubing, beginning skiing, and a private lodge with a fire pit and hot chocolate in a zone specifically set up for beginners. There are two different sizes of tubes for adults and kids. A carpet-style escalator also takes people to the top, making tubing much easier. A small chair lift in the area is perfect for those who want to learn the ropes of skiing.

Snoventures is set aside to the east of the Village at Squaw Valley. This resort makes stepping on the snow less intimidating for the first-timer than doing those first steps on frozen ground in front of the massive crowds that tend to be at the ski area. From family activities like snow tubing to luxurious spa treatments, endless activities and events await you at Palisades Tahoe throughout the year.

Best snow tubing for kids near San Jose - Leland Snow Play
Photo by: Leland High Sierra Snow Play

Leland Snow Play

34033 Leland Meadow Rd., Strawberry, CA 95375
Phone Number: (209) 965-4719 

With a 4,000 sq. foot day-use lodge, Leland High Sierra Snow Play is the West Coast’s largest dedicated Snow Tubing and Snow Play Snow Park Facility. They have a lodge with a snack bar, sled and saucer rental, and 12 acres of groomed snow play, and they even have snowmobile rides for kids ages 5-12. At 6300 feet elevation, this beautiful and natural setting is another world away, and it is remarkably accessible right at the heart of Gold Country, 39 miles east of Sonora.

For those kids (and adults) who need more time to be ready or tall enough for the big hills, Leland Snowplay offers the best Kiddie Hill available. Its new snowmaking capabilities ensure a beautiful field of white daily, and its snowcats provide a perfectly groomed hill daily. The resort is large enough to offer a great getaway and vacation full of fun for the whole family.

Tubing at Yosemite Ski & Snowboard
Photo by: Tenaya at Yosemite

Tubing at Yosemite Ski & Snowboard

1122 CA-41 Fish Camp, CA 93623
Phone Number: (559) 692-8985

Tenaya at Yosemite is a magnificent facility offering guests a wide range of winter activities, including ice skating at the indoor rink, sledding, tubing down the sled run, and guided and self-guided snowshoeing. Its snow tubing hill is set near the world-famous Yosemite National Park in a gorgeous forest setting.

Those staying at Tenaya Lodge have access to two sledding hills, one known as the kiddie hill and the other as the big hill—both are complimentary to guests of the resort. Tubing sessions are issued on a first come, first served basis, and no reservations are taken.

TubeTahoe
Photo by: TubeTahoe

TubeTahoe

3021 US-50, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Phone Number: (530) 600-2304

TubeTahoe is the home of winter fun for the whole family in South Lake Tahoe. Located near South Lake Tahoe in the small community of Meyers, Tube Tahoe transforms from a golf course in the summer into a wintry tubing hill with eight packed and groomed lanes comprising more than 500 feet of tubing space, a few whoop-de-doos, and rubber mats at the bottom of each run to slow you down gently.

Excellent attendants at the top of the hill will happily give you a push for maximum fly time. Its machine-groomed tubing lanes are some of the longest in the area. Their snowmaking facilities provide resort-quality conditions all season long. For the price of admission, you’ll enjoy unlimited belly laughs, stunning views of Echo Summit and Mt. Tallac, and memories that will last a lifetime.

Hansen’s Snow Tube and Saucer Hill
Photo by: Tahoe Activities

Hansen’s Snow Tube and Saucer Hill

1360 Ski Run Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Phone Number: (530) 544-3361

Hansen’s Resort is one of the best snow tubing for kids near San Jose and a great place to experience the snow on their seasonal tubing and saucer hill. The hill has groomed runs of about 400 feet with side walls and a braking berm at the end. Fun for the whole family, Hansen’s Resort is a secluded hideaway on 2 acres of undeveloped California pine forest. It is conveniently located minutes from Lake Tahoe’s shores, Heavenly Valley’s ski runs, and the casinos at Stateline.

You will find a convenient walkway up the side of the run that makes for an easier way back to the top, even for the little ones. It is an accessible area for parents to view their kids sliding down and turning the bend. Tubing runs are groomed daily, with high “walls” and a well-planned small hill below to stop you. There is parking and toilets for your convenience.

Adventure Mountain
Photo by: Adventure Mountain

Adventure Mountain

21200 Hwy 50, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Phone Number: (530) 577-4352

Experience over 40 pristine acres of adventure! With breathtaking views from the top of Echo Summit, Adventure Mountain is the premier destination for tubing and more. With a base elevation of 7,400 feet, it is the highest tubing resort with the most snowfall and the largest area of tubing terrain in the entire Tahoe Basin. They offer up to 18 machine-groomed tubing lanes for every level.

Pack your shovels, buckets, and carrot nose to enjoy this winter wonderland featuring a groomed sledding hill and plenty of room for snow play. Build a snowman or rocket down one of the multiple downhill runs divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced. If you’ve forgotten something or don’t feel like packing a lunch, there’s a snack shack and store for purchasing snow play necessities.

Soda Springs Tube Town
Photo by: Soda Springs Ski Resort

Soda Springs Tube Town

10244 Soda Springs Rd., Soda Springs, CA 95728
Phone Number: (530) 426-3901

Like Planet Kids, Tube Town is a hub for winter fun. With an emphasis on older kids and adults (all ages welcome), this is the place to zoom down the groomed lanes for the best snow tubing in Tahoe. With up to 10 lanes and a 400 ft surface lift, they’ve got magic carpet access, so you can spend more time sliding and less time climbing. The runs are longer, the tubes are bigger, and the laughs are endless.

Tube Town is part of Mountain Adventure, an all-inclusive ticket product accessing all of Soda’s winter activities. Bigger and better than ever, younger kids under 42” can now play in the Family Fun zone before heading to Planet Kids. This snowland is a perfect place for big kids and kids at heart. Perfect for the non-skiers, new-to-snow families, and those seeking classic winter fun.

Tahoe Tubing at Boreal Ridge
Photo by: Boreal Ridge

Tahoe Tubing at Boreal Ridge

19749 Boreal Ridge Rd., Soda Springs, CA 95728
Phone Number: (530) 426-3666

One of the best spots for kids to go snow tubing near San Jose and the oldest family winter traditions is easier than ever at Boreal’s Tahoe Tubing. Located at the far end of the Boreal Ski Resorts parking lot, this tubing hill provides quality equipment, and the lanes are wide, groomed, and free of obstacles. It also has a moving carpet to transport tubers back up the hill. Tahoe Tubing is the place for giggles galore and pure family fun.

Tubing occurs in scheduled sessions with limited capacity to ensure you keep your tube and get more thrilling laps with your family. However, this spot is better for big kids since little ones are not permitted to ride on laps. There’s nothing like the thrill of zooming down a snow-covered hill. Tahoe Tubing promises pure winter fun for everyone.

Best Snow Tubing for Kids Near San Jose 

Snow tubing has become a winter pastime favorite for many families. After all, it is one of those fun winter activities for kids that requires no skills, no training, and no expensive gear. So, dust off those winter coats, grab your gloves, bundle up the kids, and hop in the car for a distant drive to the best snow tubing spots near San Jose. Bring on the winter family fun and get ready for an epic weekend getaway!

San Jose 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 San Jose with kids.

Still looking for more winter activities for kids in San Jose? 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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