Snow Tubing  Adventures in Boone Offer Downhill Thrills with No Skills Needed. Several ski resorts near Boone, North Carolina offer family members of all ages’ high-energy snow tubing experiences ideal for spending sunny winter days in the snow together. 

Here's the scoop. Mother Nature’s snow is not just meant for skiing and boarding, it’s also meant for my favorite winter pastime – snow tubing a high-energy experience which plays well with multiple generations.  And no place is snow tubing easier to enjoy than in North Carolina’s High Country where skiing, boarding, ice skating, ziplining, and free-range sledding are all value added activities.

 
East of the Mississippi one of the hottest, or maybe the coolest is more accurate, spots to enjoy tubing and sledding is in Boone. Organized venues for tubing provide timed tickets, marked lanes, and return ropes. While there are some age, height and weight requirements to be met, it remains a delightful multi-generational day adventure because gravity matters much more than skill which means even grandparents can share in the fun. I have assembled a short list of energizing possibilities to share thrills with your kids or grandkids. 

Zip and slide at Hawksnest. The Resort maintains one of the largest snow tubing runs in the south eastern US. The state-of-the-art snow adventure facility offers participants four locations and a choice of 30 tubing channels spanning from 400 to 1,000 feet in length with a thrilling vertical descent of more than 100 feet. Once the gravity induced thrill is over the return to the top is effortless with the use of a conveyor system. To avoid waiting or disappointments it is best to purchase tickets in advance online to secure the ideal time of your tubing session. Bonus Points: To add to the snowy thrills Hawksnest has one of the south east’s largest zipline networks including a suspension bridge and 19 separate cables and four mega cables with linking routes spanning four and one half miles. Details: Hawksnest Resort 2058 Skyland Drive, Seven Devils NC 28604. (828) 963-6561 or toll-free 1-800-822-4295 FREE or www.hawksnesttubing.com.

Snow tubing with attitude at Sugar Mountain. This is the most popular snow tubing location according to feedback from our readers. It is for everyone a happy place to vacation with snow tubing as an extra benefit. The Resort offers snowy choices so no one will be left out. The multi-lane tubing facility features 700-foot runs in tandem with a conveyor lift return open for tubing both day and night with snow making equipment ready when needed. The resort complex spans 115 acres of ski and snowboard terrain with a 1,200-foot vertical drop. Bonus Points: Additional winter activities include family-friendly ice skating and wholesome snowshoeing adventures. Details: Sugar Mountain Resort 1009 Sugar Mountain Drive, Village of Sugar Mountain, Avery County, NC.  (828) 898-452, toll-free 1-800-SUGARMT FREE or www.skisugar.com/tubing.

Pint-sized fun in the snow at Jonas Ridge Snow Tubing Park.  This family-friendly complex just six miles south of Linville on NC 181 offers riders six tubing lanes day and night. Its small size provides parents or grandparents with an alternative to the popular and sometimes crowded spots at Sugar Mountain Resort or Hawk's Nest near Banner Elk. Anchoring the facility is a family –friendly lodge with space to rest and revive or watch the tubing action on the nearby slopes. Jonas Ridge has snow guns designed to blast man-made snow whenever Mother Nature is too busy to cover the High Country. Bonus Points:  No need to waste time and effort trying to capture the fun on film because there’s an onsite photographer busy capturing the action and making the images available to families at a reasonable price. A word of advice, the best bet for hearty food will be in Morganton or Boone (depending on your route) because there are no restaurants near to the tubing park. Details: Jonas Ridge Snow Tubing Park NC Highway 181 South Jonas Ridge NC 28641.  (828) 733-4155 or www.jonasridgesnowtube.com.

Beech Mountain snow tubing with a view. Beech Mountain Resort has added a state-of-the-art snow tubing park for the 2015-16 season. The lighted park is located adjacent to the ice skating rink in the ski resort village and features long runs with sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There will be six to eight lanes in operation with three high-tech SMI Super PoleCat snow guns in place to ensure plenty of snow if Mother Nature does not cooperate. The snow tubing lanes stretch to 750 feet in length with long runoffs to provide maximum enjoyment and a new Magic Carpet conveyor lift quickly transports tubers back to the top. Bonus Points: In addition to snow tubing there is a 7000-square-foot outdoor skating rink at the center of Beech Tree Village where children four years of age or younger may skate free for with paying adult. Details: Beech Mountain Resort 1007 Beech Mountain Parkway, Beech Mountain, NC 28604. Toll-free 1-800-438-2093 FREE, (828) 387-2011 or www.beechmountainresort.com.

Have sled will slide in Boone. Free-range sledding, the most traditional form of sledding, is possible at dozens of spots throughout the Boone area. One of the most popular spots is the hill at Moses Cone Park in Blowing Rock at junction with the Parkway and Shull’s Mill Road. 

Make it happen. Boone in North Carolina’s High Country. (828) 262-3516, toll-free 1-800-852-9506 or www.ExploreBooneArea.com.