If you like to sled down snowy hills, you aren’t alone. While skiing and boarding are as popular as ever, sledding and tubing are one of the fastest growing winter sports in the nation, and Colorado offers lots of great options. Whiz down those hills as you take in some of the country’s most impressive mountain scenery at any one of these fantastic destinations.
Keystone Resort, Keystone
Keystone draws countless skiers and boarders to fly down its snowy slopes, and it also offers exhilarating rides down long, smooth mounds of fluffy white powder. It hosts Snow Tubing at Adventure Point, perched at the top of Keystone Resort. The massive tubing hill has its own unique state-of-the-art conveyor tubing lift and provides especially big thrills, requiring riders to be at least 42 inches tall to take part in the adventure. There are also fun man-made tube shoots and more traditional small hills for the little ones. If you want to enjoy other winter activities, the resort’s Lakeside Village is home to America’s largest outdoor ice skating rink. Horse-drawn sleigh rides and snow biking are popular here too.
Winter Park Resort, Winter Park
Winter Park Resort hosts the Coca-Cola Tube Park, which features four lanes of tubing fun, including thrilling banked curves for heart-pounding races with your friends. It also includes a conveyor belt for the uphill ride and a state-of-the-art warming structure complete with hot cocoa and fresh-baked cookies to help keep you going all day long. While you’re here you can also enjoy scenic snowcat tours, ice skating and the many amenities in the town of Winter Park, including outstanding shopping, dining, and the winter Campfire Music Series. Held from early December through late March, it includes live tunes around the campfire for free every Wednesday with an acoustic blend of original rock, country, folk and blues as well as covers of well-loved favorites.
Fraser Tubing Hill, Fraser
The Historic Fraser Tubing Hill, providing fun in the snow for nearly a half-century, is just a short drive from Winter Park and is a great place to do some night tubing. It’s groomed, lighted and equipped with a lift to take you up to the top after each run. Riders can soar down individually, in tandem or in group clusters which brings the longest, fastest rides. When it’s time to fuel up and warm up, the warming house offers a wide range of hot beverages and snacks from pizza, burgers, hot dogs and BBQ to chips, apple cider, hot cocoa, coffee and more.
Frisco Adventure Park, Frisco
The town of Frisco near Dillon Reservoir hosts the Frisco Adventure Park which boasts one of the area’s most popular attractions, a 1,200-foot-long tubing hill with lift service open day and night. It’s the ideal spot for a unique winter experience whether you want to spend an hour tubing after a day of boarding or skiing, or enjoy an entire afternoon of tubing fun. In addition to tubing, visitors can take advantage of the Frisco Nordic Center for skate skiing, classic cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, all with jaw-dropping views of snowy peaks in every direction. There is also a lodge with concessions serving items like nachos, brats and beer.
Snow Mountain Ranch, Granby
The YMCA of the Rockies’ Snow Mountain Ranch, located near Winter Park, Rocky Mountain National Park and Grand Lake in Granby, offers a great tubing hill with tubes included in your day pass fee. It’s an old-fashioned experience providing a great workout, as there are no tow ropes or lifts. If that doesn’t wear you out enough, your pass also includes the opportunity for ice skating and cross-country skiing as well as access to the climbing wall and swimming pool.
Devil's Thumb Mountain Ranch, Tabernash
Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort offers it all if you’re looking for a destination resort nestled in a magical winter wonderland. Even if you don’t decide to stick around and spend the night there are passes available for day use during the weekend, providing access to both the sledding hill and ice skating rink. Skiing, snowshoeing, sleigh rides and horseback rides through the snow are offered too. The property hosts multiple dining options to help fuel those activities as well, like the Ranch House Restaurant & Saloon with its menu featuring New American Mountain Cuisine, including Wagyu beef from its own ranch-raised herd.
Copper Mountain Ski Resort, Copper Mountain
Just past Frisco off Interstate 70 you’ll find the epic Copper Mountain Ski Resort. For those who want something different than skiing and boarding, or are just hoping to mix things up, it hosts the Copper Mountain Tubing Area. Experience the best of both worlds, with a half-day of skiing or boarding and a half-day zooming down the slopes in a sled. It’s a great place to bring the whole family as little ones are sure to have a great time in the area called Critterland. Those who are under 36 inches tall can crawl through tunnels, climb ropes, explore a snow den and play on the tubing carousel.
Snowmass, Snowmass Village
Snowmass offers outstanding tubing facilities with multiple lanes carved into The Meadows at Elk Camp all served by lifts. It also includes lighting to illuminate those thrilling after-dark runs during the Ullr Nights festivities and Après extended hours. The Breathtaker Alpine Coaster provides even bigger thrills, with riders winding their way through more than a mile of forest on an elevated track at speeds as high as 28 miles per hour.
Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch, Red Feather Lakes
Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch near Red Feather Lakes in northern Colorado hosts 12 runs to satisfy all skill levels, including extreme runs and a hill that’s just for the kids. Ice skating, ice hockey, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are all available here too, along with overnight accommodation.
