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Where to go sledding and snow tubing near Seattle
Editor’s note: Any time you’re considering heading for the hills, it’s essential to do a status check the morning you’re planning to go. Winter conditions can change day-by-day, and sometimes even hour-by-hour. Have fun!
Sledding and snow tubing are the definition of a screaming-good time. We’ve tracked down a handful of awesome sledding and snow tubing hills where you can go to enjoy the thrill of slipping and sliding your way down a snow-packed hill (weather permitting, of course). Speaking of which, we recommend always checking conditions and open/closed status before you go.
Many of these spots include a nearby indoor area for resting and warming up, but in any case, be sure to dress warmly and bring a change of clothes for little ones. Adhesive hand and foot warmers (available at many stores) can be a great option for keeping little fingers and toes toasty. We also recommend bringing along plenty of snacks and — for bonus points! — a thermos of hot cocoa.
Browse through all the great snow tubing and sledding hills, or jump to your hill of choice on the list below:
- The Summit
- Hurricane Ridge
- Suncadia
- Leavenworth’s Ski Hill
- Echo Valley
- Hyak Sno-Park
- White Pass Tubing Hill
- Mount Rainier (closed for the 2025–26 season)
First up: The Summit
More winter fun:
Editor’s note: This article was originally published many years ago and is updated seasonally every year, most recently on Nov. 26, 2025, by ParentMap’s associate editor, Kari Hanson. A new tubing hill was added and all other information was fact-checked.
Summit at Snoqualmie tubing area
Just off I-90 at exit 53, you’ll find The Summit at Snoqualmie’s tubing center, a hugely popular destination with kids and grown-ups alike. You can either walk back to the top of the hill or ride your tube back up on the magic carpet. The Summit recommends children be at least 3 years old for tubing, but families with younger children may still try it. Tip: Children less than 44 inches tall can ride double with a parent. Personal sledding devices are prohibited.
Status: Summit Tubing Park opens for the season on Jan. 7, 2026. Check the website or Facebook page for hours of operation and status changes.
Cost: Regular admission is $46 to $54 for children and adults 44 inches and taller. Sessions last an hour and 45 minutes and include a tube. Child tickets (no tube, ride in lap) are $20 and must be purchased with an adult ticket. Only one child ticket can be purchased per adult ticket. Important: Tickets are not available for purchase at the tubing park. All tickets must be purchased in advance online.
Parking fees and requirements have changed this year. Parking permits are required 7 a.m.–3 p.m. on the following dates during the 2025–26 season:
- Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 29 through closing day
- Dec. 26, 2025–Jan. 2, 2026
- Jan. 19, 2026 (MLK Day)
- Feb. 16, 2026 (Presidents Day)
See the website for additional details and prices.
Hours: Hours are determined by weather conditions. The tubing area is generally open Friday through Sunday, holidays and select Wednesdays. Check the website for updates on hours and conditions.
Warm up: There is a small café on-site that serves hot chocolate and snacks from a walk-up window. Porta-potties are located in the parking lot near the ticket pick-up booth and café.
For seating and more options, the Silver Fir Day Lodge is nearby (though a bit of a walk). One exit down I-90, exit 52, you can enjoy microbrews from Dru Bru Brewery.
Next up: Hurricane Ridge
Hurricane Ridge
Located 17 miles from Port Angeles inside Olympic National Park, Hurricane Ridge is a small skiing and snowboarding area that also has a dedicated tubing run. Check weather and road conditions online and on the ski area’s Facebook page for updates.
Another option for kids ages 8 and younger is sledding on the small hill west of the visitor center. The national park permits kids to sled and tube for free (though all visitors to the national park pay the entrance fee) with their own tubes or plastic sleds. Runner sleds are not permitted. Kids ages 9 and older and adults are not allowed to sled here; they can tube at the ski area’s dedicated tubing hill.
Status: Hurricane Ridge Road is open depending on weather conditions. Conditions are variable, so status can change day by day — and remember, you reach this place by a long, winding mountain road, a 2.5-hour drive from Seattle. Call 360-565-3131 for daily road status and ski and tubing conditions, check the Facebook page or the Hurricane Ridge X feed. Also note the parking lot at Hurricane Ridge fills quickly and then the road closes. Arriving at the gate to the national park by 8 a.m. gives you the best chance of a parking spot at the top.
Cost: At the ski area, pay $24 for 10 tubing runs (which can be spread out over multiple visits). Tubing tickets are sold on-site only. The dedicated tubing hill is a walk-up, with no rope tow.
Hours: Typically open 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and Monday holidays. Check the website and X feed for condition updates and information on whether the road is closed.
Warm up: Since the visitor center was tragically destroyed in a fire, temporary trailers will provide restrooms and a visitor contact station. The contact station will be staffed intermittently Friday–Sunday. Be prepared to use your vehicle as a warming area and pack extra food, water, dry clothing, and blankets or sleeping bags.
Next up: Suncadia
Suncadia Tubing Hill
Suncadia Resort near Cle Elum hosts a popular tubing hill. The resort offers a number of winter-fun activities in addition to tubing. There is also cross-country skiing when there is enough snow (you can rent equipment at Suncadia). Near the tubing hill, kids who aren’t into sledding can play in the snow.
Kids must be at least 3 years old and 36 inches tall to rent a tube and must ride in their own tube. A waiver is required.
Status: The tubing hill is open for the 2025–26 season daily, weather and snow conditions permitting. Always call the super-helpful concierge desk at 509-649-6461 for daily status and updates before you consider going. You can purchase tickets online.
Cost: Tube rentals are $25 per rider per one-hour session.
Hours: One-hour tubing sessions are available starting at 9 a.m. Hours vary by day; see the website for details and to register. Sessions are weather-dependent. Be sure to call (509-649-6461) before heading out.
Warm up: Next to the sledding hill, Swiftwater Cellars offers noshing (sandwiches, pasta, flatbreads, salads and a kids menu) and wine tasting for the grown-ups (open daily, 11:30 a.m.–close). You can also head to the main Suncadia lodge after tubing — about a half-mile from the tubing hill — for espresso or cocoa at The Source Mercantile in the lobby and sit a spell in the lodge’s great hall to enjoy the rustic-luxe ambiance and stunning view of Mount Baldy. There are also restaurants on-site, though they’re quite pricey.
Next up: Leavenworth’s Ski Hill
Leavenworth’s Tubing Park at Ski Hill
About a three-hour drive from Seattle, Leavenworth’s Ski Hill is a small ski area with two alpine runs (serviced by rope tows), 16 miles of cross-country skiing and snowshoe trails, and a tubing hill. The tubing hill is named for Lieutenant Michael Adams, a West Point graduate who was killed in Iraq in 2004. The tube lift was purchased in large part with donations made by Lt. Adams’ family and friends. Leavenworth tends to have more snow and earlier snow than The Summit, but not always. On the tubing hill, all tubers must ride independently. The recommended age is 8 and older, though kids as young as 4 have tubed. Always check the daily status before heading out.
Status: The tubing hill is open for the 2025–26 season. Open status will be condition-dependent, alongside the open status of rope tows, the lodge, Nordic trails and other facilities. Check the website for the most current information and open status.
Cost: For the 2025–26 season, tickets cost $39 for six runs with inner tube provided. Or you can opt for a Play All Day ticket, which costs $70 and includes six tubing runs, alpine and Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking, and sledding at the golf course (equipment rental is not included). Tickets can be purchased in-person only.
Hours: The tubing hill is typically open Friday evenings from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., depending on conditions. Be sure to check the website for current information.
Warm up: Food, beverages and warmth are available at the historic Ski Hill Lodge. Or drive 2 miles away to Leavenworth to enjoy cafés, Bavarian-style dining, microbrews, candy shops and lights.
Note: People sometimes sled in the town park, located in the center of downtown Leavenworth, despite the ubiquitous “No sledding” signs.
Next up: Echo Valley
Echo Valley Ski and Tubing Area
This Chelan-area ski and tubing hill would be a very ambitious day trip (three to four hour drive from Seattle), but if you have the time, take a few days and book a place to stay. With rope tows and a four-lane tubing hill, this volunteer-run nonprofit resort is a great option for families who want to get away.
Status: Opening day for the Echo Valley Ski and Tubing Area is Dec. 20, 2025. Check Echo Valley’s Facebook page for daily status.
Cost: $20 for a full-day pass for tubing, with tubes provided. Free for kids ages 5 and younger for both skiing and tubing. See website for details.
Hours: Open from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. daily, Dec. 20–Jan. 4. Open on weekends and holidays until the end of the season (mid-February). See website for details.
Warm up: The base area has a day lodge with a roaring fireplace and an eatery.
Up next: Hyak Sno-Park
Hyak Sno-Park
A groomed sledding hill located off I-90 exit 54, near Snoqualmie East, Hyak Sno-Park is a Washington State Parks snow play area. It 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.
Status: As of Dec. 31, 2025, the Hyak Sno-Park sledding hill is not yet open. For daily status, call and listen to the recorded message at 509-656-2586. Status changes daily; call that number for a recorded message about current conditions before heading out.
Cost: 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 2026). There is an electronic pay station where you can buy Daily Sno-Park Permits. Bathrooms are the only on-site amenity. Note: This Sno-Park gets very crowded; go early or late to avoid peak times.
Hours: The Hyak sledding hill, once open, is generally open daily 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Bonus snow play: In 2022, Washington State Parks opened a 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. There are 127 Sno-Parks where you can have all kinds of winter fun (though only three have 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 quickly, 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: White Pass Tubing Hill
White Pass Tubing Hill
White Pass is a bit of a drive from Seattle, but lots of families head there for winter fun. The tubing hill is not served by a lift, so make sure to wear snow shoes and layers you can adjust as you hike back up the hill. Plan on bringing your snacks (or purchase from the nearby snack shed) to keep everyone’s mood and energy up!
Park in (or near) Lot C and look for the red blade banners to find the tubing hill. Walk uphill until you see the rental and ticket building.
Status: The tubing hill is expected to open Dec. 26, 2025, for the season. Opening is dependent on conditions, so keep an eye on the website for updates and the current status.
Cost: Tickets for one session (including a tube rental) are $25 for adults; $20 for kids ages 9–16; $15 for kids ages 8 and younger. Tickets are purchased on-site on a first-come, first-served basis.
Hours: There are two sessions per day: 1–2:30 p.m. and 2:35–4:05 p.m. Once it opens, the tubing hill runs daily through the holiday season, then Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays through the end of the season in mid-March.
Warm up: White Pass offers a variety of dining options that are open during the ski season only. Grab some pizza, a hot drink, burgers, soup and salad, and more.
Up next: Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier National Park
Editor’s note: The Paradise Sledding Area will not open for the 2025–26 season. Check the website for updates.
There is only one place where sledding is permitted in Mount Rainier National Park. It’s the designated snow play area immediately north of the upper parking lot at Paradise, near the Jackson Visitor Center (which you can access through the Nisqually entrance to the park). The entrance to the park is located about 87 miles from Seattle, about 65 miles from Tacoma.
This ungroomed area is supervised by park rangers. Wooden toboggans and sleds with metal runners are prohibited.
Status: The Paradise snow play area is currently closed and will not open for the 2025–26 season. Check the website for status and the Mount Rainier NPS Twitter feed for road conditions, updates, snow conditions and requirements. The Paradise winter travel website has more details. This season the road from Longmire to Paradise is open — weather, staff and equipment permitting — with daily assessments and nightly closures.
Cost: $30 fee to enter the park for a private vehicle; no additional cost for sledding.
Hours: Closed for the 2025–26 season. Check back for future changes.
Warm up: Head to the Jackson Visitor Center, where you can visit the snack bar, use restrooms and warm up (open weekends as weather permits).
