Sledding in Lake Tahoe
Responsible Snow Play
Before we get to the fun stuff… First a word about being a “responsible” sledder/snow-tuber.
- Leave No Trace – Take your trash, broken sleds, and other garbage with you. Did you know that “U.S. Forest Service and Nevada State Parks on Thursday, Jan. 2 (2020), collected nearly 2,000 pounds of debris from Spooner Summit sledding area.”
- Park Your Vehicles Responsibly – “A SNO-PARK permit is required for each vehicle parked at a SNO-PARK site from November 1 through May 30 of each year. Permits are sold as Day Permits or Seasonal Permits by permit vendors throughout northern California. Day permits are $5 and are valid for one single day. Season permits are sold for $25 and are valid for the entire SNO-PARK season. See website for vendor list.” Do not park in such a way to inhibit other drivers.
- Dress for winter – there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing. For snow tubing, that means wearing long underwear, warm socks and waterproof outerwear and boots. Don’t forget a hat, gloves and sunglasses or goggles.
- Yes or No on Helmets – It is an individual choice and each Sno-park has their own rules regarding this. Find ore info at http://www.lidsonkids.org/
Commercial Sledding Hills
There are snow parks where you can pay to go sledding, like Adventure Mountain at the top of Echo Summit. This Sledding Resort even has a lodge that serves snacks and limited hot food. “Come in to the newly remodeled lodge to warm up by the fire and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate with lunch at the Mountainside Café. We offer sled rentals, tube rentals, and helmets for rent as well.”
Tahoe Snowmobiles & Tubing
“Tired of searching for that perfect sledding hill? Leave the sleds at home and join Tahoe Snowmobiles for a day of tubing in South Lake Tahoe. Our giant snow tubes make for a comfortable and fast ride down the perfectly groomed tubing hill at either of our locations; Tahoe Paradise and Stateline. If you’re looking for a fun winter activity that’s great for all ages, try snow tubing South Lake Tahoe with Tahoe Snowmobiles!” https://tahoesnowmobiles.com/tubing-hills/
Adventure Mountain charges by the carload for day use entry fee, which includes use of the entire groomed sledding resort for everyone in your vehicle*.
- $35 midweek
- $40 weekends
- $45 holiday periods – Dec. 20th thru Jan. 5th, Jan. 18th thru Jan. 20th, and Feb. 15th thru Feb.17th
Along with Adventure Mountain, you can also visit Hansen’s Resort, which is located right on Ski Run Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe.
Heavenly Tubing Hill
If you want to go sledding at the top of the world, take the Heavenly Gondola to the Heavenly tubing hill. Their park has four lanes that are 500 feet long and have a 65-foot vertical drop. They are open every day from 11 am to 3 pm; $62 per person for the gondola ($39 for kids) and $41 for an hour of tubing. After a couple rounds of tubing, you can even enjoy more snowy fun—and some epic mountain views—with a ride on the gravity-powered mountain coaster for $30 (or $45 for all day access). Tubing, mini-tubing or any additional winter activities are NOT included with the purchase of a Gondola sightseeing ticket. skiheavenly.com
Free Local Sledding Hills
Sawmill Pond: Sawmill Pond is a popular family destination year-round in Tahoe South. At the Y, rather than turning to go onto Highway 50, just keep going on Lake Tahoe Boulevard and you’ll eventually come to Sawmill Pond on your left. There’s a small parking lot and a very gentle sloping hill you can sled down. It’s a great sledding spot for younger children. Older children looking for speed and bigger thrills may want to try another sledding hill.
Kahle Park: This is a great spot to sled and carries with it the advantage of being in a wide-open public park. Driving from California and into Nevada, Kahle Park will be on your right just after you pass Lakeside Casino. There are also indoor facilities at Kahle Community Center if you need to warm up, and from Kahle Park you get to enjoy some views of Lake Tahoe.
Taylor Creek Sno-Park is a great choice for families with toddlers and younger first time snow enthusiasts. Taylor Creek is a forest service location with plenty of safe parking but several of sledding options. If you would like to try cross country skiing, snow shoeing or snow man building, Taylor Creek is your place. Taylor Creek loves dogs, so bring them along to romp in the snow. This location is usually very busy, so plan ahead and enjoy the crowds.
Spooner Summit is a free sledding and tubing area located next to the junction of Highways 50 and 28 along Lake Tahoe’s eastern side. The grade varies from steep slopes near the top to mild slopes at the bottom, making it a great location for all sledding abilities. With about a 50-foot elevation difference from its highest point to its lowest point, it’s possible to ride a nice distance before coming to a stop.
Because Spooner Summit Sledding Hill is centrally located along Tahoe’s eastern side and is the nearest high-elevation sledding hill to Carson City, it can see sizeable crowds on weekends. There are no bathrooms or trash facilities located at the sledding area. Parking is available for free in a lot at the base of the hill.