There’s no tubing like snow tubing, and the Banner Elk area is home to four of the top places to tube in the North Carolina mountains.
Those four options are: Sugar Mountain Resort, Beech Mountain Resort, Hawksnest Resort and Jonas Ridge Snow Tubing Park.
All these tubing parks provide 100% snowmaking to bolster snow conditions when Mother Nature is taking a break, and they are considered the cream of the crop for snow tubing in North Carolina.
Hawksnest Snow Tubing is the largest. It converted from a ski resort to snow tubing in 2008, giving it plenty of space. There are more than 30 runs in four sections and the runs range in length from 400 to 1,000 feet. Hawksnest also offers a winter zipline tour above the tubing lanes.
The snow tubing park at Beech Mountain Resort is the newest. This state-of-the-art facility opened in winter of 2016 in the alpine village at the base of the ski slopes. The eight runs are extra-long and the park is lighted and surrounded by high-tech snow guns and a sound system. Customers buy tickets there in the ski village and also enjoy other activities, including ice skating and shopping.
Sugar Mountain Resort offers the closest snow tubing park to Banner Elk. Sugar Mountain is known for strong snowmaking capabilities on its tubing runs. Six runs are served by a conveyor carpet lift adjacent to the ice-skating rink. There is also a snack shop.
Jonas Ridge is a smaller operation that has been in business since 2004. It has five lanes and recently replaced its rope tow with a conveyor carpet lift. Photographers take pictures as you tube and photos are available for purchase online. There is a cozy lodge with fireplace and an observation deck.
When your day of snow tubing is done, check out great restaurants and lodging options in Banner Elk. Better yet, stay a couple nights and visit all four tubing parks in one trip!
Come see why “Winter is better here” in Banner Elk. To plan a trip, visit www.BannerElk.com or call 828-898-5398