Rockies Best Snow Tubing Places in Colorado, New Mexico & Utah. For guaranteed winter family fun add a snow tubing adventure to your calendar of activities. Anyone who loves good old fashioned fun will be thrilled by the possibilities offered by the snow play areas in Colorado, Utah or New Mexico. 

Here’s the scoop. Each snow play area provides great ways to be active with your kids. While the slide speed varies by location the squeals joy and laughter will be spontaneous. Because having more fun this year matters to all of us, I have assembled ideas from readers and added a few Family Travel Files favorites.

 
Snow tubing for free at Snow Mountain Ranch. At Snow Mountain Ranch near Winter Park the sledding and tubing hill offers families free fun. Although there are not manicured tubing lanes, the tubing hill offers a free-range snow play experience where families can bring your own tubes or use those on site. Bonus Points: Next to the tubing hill is an ice skating rink pavilion with skates to rent if needed. Horseback riding and horse-drawn sleigh rides are options as well as classic style roller skating and basketball at the Kiva. There’s an Olympic-size indoor swimming pool and indoor climbing wall. Here’s the deal! For YMCA members or guests use of the premises is free. For non-members there is a day pass surcharge of $15 per person. Wait for it! Looking ahead to summer, Snow Mountain Ranch will be opening a new tubing facility designed and built Snowflex® which will enable families to enjoy tubing throughout the spring, summer and fall. (Snow Mountain Ranch 1101 County Road 53 Granby, CO 80446. (970) 887-2152 or  http://snowmountainranch.org)

Snow adventures with Peyton Penguin in Frisco. Frisco’s Adventure Park includes an energizing set of six 1200-foot long tubing lanes featuring adventure choices - slower and smoother or faster and bumpier. A return lift service makes multiple runs easy during the day and night lights extend the adventure time on the hill.  Bonus Points: The adventure complex also offers lessons for the youngest skiers and snowboarders on newbie-friendly, uncrowded slopes. Wait for it! From the Frisco Nordic Center it is possible to arrange a horse drawn sleigh ride with Two Below Zero Sleigh Rides. (Frisco Adventure Park 621 Recreation Way Frisco, CO 80443. (970) 668-2558 or www.FriscoTubing.com) 

Snow tubing and snow play at Copper Mountain. For more than a decade Copper Mountain has been offering a premium snow tubing experience to families. The complex includes four lanes with banked curves, jumps, and a long straight away. There is always the option to slide with your child on a double-tube and an efficient surface lift returns to the top for another run. On site is a full-service lodge offering coffee, hot chocolate, and munchies. Adjacent to the tubing hill is an area dubbed Critterland. The interactive (almost magical) snow play-area is for parents or grandparents who wish to spend time with their tiny tykes. In addition to a tyke-friendly snow tube carousel it is also the home of Alliroo, Bearilla, Cheetaphant, Ducktopus, Elkguin, and Squeal. Here’s the deal. Purchase snow tubing tickets one day in advance save up to 20% of the cost. Bonus Points: At Copper Mountain ice skating is free if you bring your own skates, and also free on Fridays as part of Fridays at Copper.  Zip line adventures are now offered during the snowy months and Alpine Adventures offers families hands-on dogsled experiences and extra time with the sled dogs. (Copper Mountain 80443 off I-70 west of Denver. (970) 968-2318, toll-free 1-866-275-7869 or www.coppercolorado.com)

Tube the Polar Coaster in New Mexico. Angel Fire  maintains tree sleek tubing lanes spanning more than 1000 feet complete with thrilling turns to guarantee memorable rides every time. The return trip is effortless. Polar night-lights make it easy to enjoy the speed of the lanes under the stars. Bonus Points:  In addition to snow tubing, Angel Fire has a sledding hill and snow play area at the Nordic Center reserved for children ages 12 and younger. The Center also offers access to more than 15km of groomed, cross-country ski trails, plus snowshoeing lanes. It’s the spot for lessons, and equipment rental or purchase. There is a complimentary shuttle service between The Lodge and Nordic Center. Wait for it! Roadrunner Tours of Angel Fire offers sleigh rides for families at East Moreno Ranch or through Carson National Forest. (10 Miller Lane Angel Fire, NM 87710. Toll-free 1-800-633-7463, select option #3 or www.angelfireresort.com/winter/plan/family)

 
Extra snow play at Fort Frosty in Utah. For energetic families Gorgoza Park in Park City makes snow tubing irresistible offering seven lighted tubing lanes – three easy rides and four for thrills - to extend any day of snow play. The complex also includes a tubing hill for tiny tykes.  Return conveyor lifts make it easy to extend the fun. There’s a warming yurt as well as a restaurant on site. Bonus Points: For extra snow play Fort Frosty is a special area reserved for ages one to six where the highlight is an awesome tubing carouse. Wait for it! Mini snowmobiles offers extra excitement to kids ages five to 12 who can zoom on their own around a well-groomed track. (3863 West Kirby Road Park City, Utah. (435)658-2648 or www.gorgozapark.com)