Best Places to Go Sledding and Tubing for Seattle-Area Kids and Families
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Hyak Sno-Park
2. Hyak Sno-Park
A groomed sledding hill located off of I-90 exit 54, near Snoqualmie East, Hyak Sno-Park is a Washington State Parks snow play area, and is not affiliated with the Summit at Snoqualmie ski resort. The area is groomed up to five times a week (depending on conditions) but is not supervised by rangers or snow patrol. You can also go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on the groomed trails. Tip: The parking lot can fill up. Go early or late in the day to avoid crowds.
Fee: There’s no admission fee, but you’ll need to display a Daily Sno-Park Permit, or a Seasonal Sno-Park permit PLUS a Special Groomed Trails Permit (this combo costs $120 and is good through April 2024). There is an electronic pay station where you can buy Daily Sno-Park Permits. Bathrooms are the only onsite amenity. Note: This Sno-Park gets VERY crowded; go early or late to avoid peak times.
Status: The Hyak Sno-Park (parking lot) is open, but the sledding hill is not yet open and ski trails are not yet groomed due to lack of snow. For daily status, call and listen to the recorded message at 509-656-2230. Status changes daily; call that number for a recorded message about current conditions before heading out.
Hours: The Hyak sledding hill, once open, is generally open daily 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Bonus snow play: Last year, Washington State Parks opened a new sno-park at Annette Lake, and a couple of years ago, Easton Reload opened as a new sno-park. These spots join nearby Lake Easton Sno-Park as places for families to play in the snow, though there aren’t actual sledding hills.
Warm up: If you’re headed back to Seattle, there are lots of great options in North Bend (about a half hour’s drive away), including the popular Scott’s Dairy Freeze. But if you need to get somewhere quick, there are a few options available in the nearby Snoqualmie Pass area (about 10 minutes away), such as the Summit Pancake House and Red Mountain Coffee.
Next up: Suncadia