2023 Ultimate Guide to Snow Tubing in Michigan: UPDATED

Ultimate Guide to Snow Tubing in Michigan: Your BEST Spots For Michigan Snow Tubing

Snow tubing is one of the most exhilarating ways to spend a snowy afternoon in Michigan. The best part of snow tubing? The lack of skill you need to have the most fun you’ll ever have: sit on a tube atop a snowy hill and down you go!

From Glow Tubing down a snowy hill on a brightly lit snow tube to flying down the side of a ski mountain, make one of these pure Michigan spots your go-to snow day location.

Whether you’re more of a thrill-seeker or whether you like a leisurely ride down a scenic mountain, you’re sure to fall in love with it. If weather permits, put on your parka and head to a tubing hill in Michigan!

Check out our list of the BEST Spots for Snow Tubing in Michigan. If you’re looking for “where to go snow tubing near me,” you can easily find one within driving distance throughout Michigan!

Where to Go Snow Tubing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Ski Brule Snow Tubing – Iron River
397 Brule Mountain Rd, Iron River, MI 49935

The snow tubing park at Ski Brule Michigan Ski Resort will have you coming back to the upper peninsula in Northern Michigan year after year, not just for the tubing but for the rest of what they have to offer as well. You’ll find two opportunities for snow tubing at this popular ski resort: Whitewater Snow Tubing Park and Homestead Snow Tubing Park.

The Whitewater Snow Tubing Park is located between the Otterslide trail and the Whitewater trail, you won’t want to miss it. Only $6 for five runs down the hill, it’s a bargain for the amount of fun you’ll have flying down the hill on a tube with the snow flying up all around you.

Over at the Homestead Snow tubing park, you’ll find “walk up the hill and slide down” tubing… still an excellent way to spend some time outside in the snow.

Mt. Zion Ski Hill – Mt. Zion
E4946 Jackson Rd, Ironwood, MI 49938

Located on Gogebic Community College’s campus in Ironwood, you’ll find a sprawling snow tubing park as well as skiing and snowboarding.

Sault Seal Recreation Area – Sault St. Marie

Slide down your choice of seven groomed Snow Tubing hills here! Sault Seal is a fantastic way to spend a day or night outside; all of the runs at the hill are lit for night time fun.

John & Melissa Besse Sports Park – Gladstone
900 N Bluff Dr, Gladstone, MI 49837

Sure, there’s beginning and intermediate skiing here, but what really makes it amazing is that it has three (!) tube runs with a lift!

Learn more about planning a visit to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Doc Holle’s Silver Mountain – St. Ignace
St Ignace, MI 49781

You’l find some really long runs for Snow tubing at this park in St. Ignace. You’ll also find skiing and snow tubing here, too.

Mont Ripley Ski Area
49051 Ski Hill, Ripley, MI 49930

This top Upper Peninsula Ski and Snow area is owned and operated by Michigan Tech University, and is a favorite of students and visitors alike. It’s the oldest ski park and the snowiest city in Michigan, so you’ll have lots of fun on the tubing runs all season long.

Best Places to Go Snow Tubing in Northern Michigan

Highlands at Harbor Springs
600 Highland Rd, Harbor Springs, MI 49740

Easily one of the top tubing spots in Michigan, you’ll find an 800-foot long tubing run! The Tubing Park at at The Highlands is serious winter fun, and just one of the many reasons to this is a top winter desinations for couples and families alike.

You’ll find skiing and snowboarding, terrain parks, crcoos country skiing, snowshoeing and even Sno-Go bikes! This is a full-service, luxury resort and you’ll want to plan at least a few days to have a chance to experience it all.

Timberlee Hills Snow Tubing
10484 S Timberlee Dr, Traverse City, MI 49684

Reserve your tickets now for your tubing session in Leelanau County and the ride of your life on the tow rope. Ride up Timberlee tubing hills and then back down.

Join them during their open season which starts around December 26th through New Years’ every day and New Year’s through March on the weekends.

No experience nor equipment is needed, just your high energy and smiles. Get toasty in the Timberlee Hills Lodge and fill up that cold belly with the many food options they have to offer.

Don’t miss the many special winter events hosted by Timberlee Hills: from live music to Glow tubing, it’s a must if you’re in the Traverse City area in winter. Be sure and check the website for current lift ticket prices.

Hickory Hills
2000 Randolph St, Traverse City, MI 49684

Snow tubing, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, and snowboarding are just some of the activities here you’ll also find warming tents and concession stands at this popular Traverse City park. There’s a towline to take you to the top if you are tubing, but beginning skiers can use the magic carpet!

Petoskey Winter Sports Park
1100 Winter Park Ln, Petoskey, MI 49770

This public winter sports park offers designated areas for skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, sledding and of course, snow tubing. You’ll also find a nice warming shed, complete with a fireplace, concession stand free wireless Internet access, a large HDTV, and restrooms. 

Snow Snake Ski and Golf
3407 E Mannsiding Rd, Harrison, MI 48625

This snow tubing opportunity opens at the earliest December the 18th, depending on the weather.

Fun for the whole family, Snow Snake offers tubing on a first-come, first-serve basis. All tubers must sign a waiver before having outdoor fun on the tubing hill, however once that’s out of the way for both minors and adults, all the winter fun you can imagine is at your fingertips.

Snow Snake typically stays open for winter tubing until the middle of March, however, the weather does play a factor in that end date. FYI, You can ski and snowboard here, and there’s a terrain park, too.

The Dune Climb At Sleeping Bear Dunes
6748 S Dune Hwy, Glen Arbor, MI 49636

If you’re up for some serious fun and don’t mind the climb, bring your inflatable snow tub (or sled) to Glen Arbor.

The Dune Climb in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is the perfect option for a casual sledding or tubing trip. The winter season transforms the Sleeping Bear Dunes into the winter oasis of dreams…and the sledding hills of your kids’ dreams.

The dunes are even connected to many other winter activity possibilities like cross country skiing, snowshoeing and so much more, you can learn more about the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Otsego Resort
696 M-32, Gaylord, MI 49735

Otsego Resort is a top ski and snowboard resort in northern Michigan . You can also try cross country skiing, snowshoeing and of course, tubing, The tubing runs here are long, so enjoy the ride!

Hanson Hills Recreation
7601 Old Lake Rd, Grayling, MI 49738

Hanson Hills is slightly more lax with the age of their tubers as 4-year-old children are allowed to ride, as long as they can roll out of the tube on their own. The cost is only $14 per one-hour session per person.

You’ll find a fire pit and a concession stand to help warm you up when you’re finished having the time of your life on the hill. Instead of first-come, first-serve, Hanson Hills would prefer their guests reserve a slot ahead of time.

Mt. McSauba
09223 McSauba Road, Charlevoix, MI 49720

More than just a ski slope, Mt. McSauba is a winter recreation playground. There is a skating rink with a warming cabin on the south side, a lighted sledding and tubing hill on the north side and behind the towering dune, a cross-country ski trail.

Make sure to read their list of rules before heading out to the slopes.

Boyne Mountain Resort
1 Boyne Mountain Road, Boyne Falls, MI 49713

Visit Top Notch Tubing park when you visit Boyne Mountain Resort for fun for the whole family, not to mention the countless other opportunities this resort offers.

Top Notch Tubing park offers four separate lanes for your tubing runs and a conveyor to bring you to the top of the hill, making your $27 an hour well worth it. Waivers must be signed by all participants or participants’ legal guardians before anyone can go sliding down the Boyne highlands.

Don’t forget to check out ice skating while you’re here, or perhaps you’d enjoy a brisk horseback riding opportunity, both are offered through Boyne Mountain resort.

Treetops Resort
3962 Wilkinson Rd, Gaylord, MI 49735

Located right next to the downhill ski runs at Treetops Resorts are Treetops’ perfect snow tubing tracks. Their extreme tubing opportunities are open for anyone 42 inches and taller and run at about $25-$30 a session.

Tubing waivers need to be signed by all who participate as well as the guardians of any minors who wish to participate.

Treetops offers so much more than just tubing however, fat tire biking, skiing, a spa, and much more for your family or just your solo getaway. You can also take a sleigh ride over the snowy Michigan hills, which we highly recommend.

Shanty Creek Resort
5780 Shanty Creek Rd, Bellaire, MI 49615

Enjoy a sit back and relax as if by magic you are dragged back up the Summit Mountain Alpine tubing track. Open Friday evenings and weekends, alpine tubing at Shanty Creek will leave you obsessed and wanting to come back every weekend.

Don’t forget to check out the other opportunities that Shanty Creek has to offer such as dog sledding, fat tire biking, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.

Where to Go Snow Tubing in Mid-Michigan

Hawk Island Snow Tubing
1601 E Cavanaugh Rd, Lansing, MI 48910

It’s the 16-ft wide groomed tubing lanes made specifically for snow tubing that makes Hawk Island in Lansing such a perfect option for days spent in the snow.

Part of the Ingham County Parks system, this is an easy and well-worth-it ride from both the metro Detroit and Grand Rapids areas. Reserve a session slot online before showing up to Central Lower Michigan Hawk Island and warm up with some hot chocolate and s’mores afterward by their outdoor fireplaces.

Make sure if you are unable to make your session that you cancel your reservation 48 hours ahead of time otherwise you are liable to a $26 cancellation fee. Upon cancellation due to weather, a full refund will be issued.

Midland City Forest
2840 E Monroe Road, Midland, MI 48642

Technically not a traditional snow tubing hill, this one is just too much fun to pass up. Another option for all of you sledding and tobogganing fans is Midland City Forest Park.

Don’t miss out on the cardboard sled races, the annual Snow Moon Trail run, or this years’ “Dashing through the Snow 5k.” The park offers snowmaking capabilities for the sled hill, as well as daily groomed conditions of the sledding lanes, making crashes and/or accidents less frequent.

Please note that this hill is unsupervised, so it is up to the parents to watch.

If you’re in the Midland area, go check out the Tridge, a three-legged foot bridge. It’s a beautiful spot to explore in the winter.

Burchfield Park
881 Grovenburg Rd, Holt, MI 48842

There are two sledding and tubing hills at this Ingham County Park located just outside Lansing. You can rent tubes here for a minimal fee, too.

If you have young children, this the is tubing spot for you: there is a hill just for young children.

Snow Tubing in West Michigan

Timber Ridge Ski Area
07500 23 1/2 St, Gobles, MI 49055

Link up with three friends and ride down together on this pure snow tubing hill. Please note you must be a least five years old and either 42 inches tall or taller to snow tube down Timber Ridge. With tubing rates of just $25 for two hours, this is the perfect place to spend a snowy afternoon.

Are you a connoisseur of winter activities, perhaps even winter sports like skiing? Timber Ridge offers tubing, cross country skiing, and downhill skiing as well as snowboarding, and you can pick up a season pass for the full range of skiing and snowboarding all season. Tubing is still only offered on a first-come, first-serve basis as they supply the tubes.

Cannonsburg Ski Area
6800 Cannonsburg Rd NE, Belmont, MI 49306

Cannonsburg Ski Area not only offers marvelous opportunities for snow tubing but other winter activities like snow biking (aka fat tire biking) as well as snowshoeing, downshill skiing, and many more fun winter activities to fill this chilly winter season.

If you do decide to do the obvious and snow tube, there are more food and drink options to wrap your head around that you need.

The ski area has a food truck and a full-service bar, making this the perfect location for date night.

If you’re looking for more to do in the Grand Rapids area, be sure and check out our Ultimate Guide to Grand Rapids.

Echo Valley Winter Sports Park
8495 E H Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Tobogganing and tubing are this winter park’s specialty, and you’ll see why when you visit this winter.

One of the best tubing locations in all of Michigan’s lower peninsula, Michigan Echo Valley has food and beverages in its warming lodge that you can enjoy while watching the tubers and tobaganners speed down the hill with a snow-frosted smile stretching from ear to ear.

Get to the top easier and faster with the tow rope off to the side of the hill. Although there are no height nor age restrictions to either tubing or tobogganing you’ll have to make the judgment as to whether your young ones are old enough for the thrilling ride.

Five Pines Ministries – Berrien Center
6597 Smith Rd, Berrien Center, MI 49102

A Michigan winter is best experienced outdoors, dressed warmly and sliding down a tubing hill. At Five Pines, you find a five-lane, 400 ft. tubing hill offering an exciting ride. It is even lighted for nighttime fun.

Whether you’re tubing, cross country skiing or just hanging out in the warm activity center, there is plenty to do at this southwest Michigan tubing spot!

Binder Park Golf Course
7255 B Dr S, Battle Creek, MI 49014

Just because this 27-hole golf course is covered over with snow doesn’t mean that the fun stops!

Bring your own cross country skiing, snowshoes, sleds and tubes and cruise down the hills at your own pace.

Double JJ Ranch
5900 S Water Rd, Rothbury, MI 49452

Fly down a 660-ft run and let the tow rope pull you back to the top. Warm up around the bonfire or inside at the snack shack where you’ll find hot cocoa, beer specials, and treats.

Best Places for Snow Tubing in Southeast Michigan

Rolling Hills Winter Park
7660 Stony Creek Rd., Ypsilanti, MI 48197

This is one of the best snow tubing hills in southeast Michigan. Rolling Hills sledding hill is only permitted for sledders, no snowboarding is permitted, making it a safe space for children.

You’ll find 275 feet of unadulterated fun for the whole family located behind the lodge building. It is encouraged that on days that are below freezing that sledders and skiers alike take time to warm up every 20 – 30 minutes.

Snow tubes are available for rental at just three dollars per hour.

Civic Center Park Madison Heights
360 W 13 Mile Rd, Madison Heights, MI 48071

The Oakland County Park is for more of a casual snow-tuber. If that sounds like you, then Civic Center Park is most definitely more your speed.

It offers one large sled hill for the more thrill-seeking of casual tuber, as well as a smaller hill for the less adrenaline-seeking among us. The park also has some picnic pavilions, although I doubt you’ll be wanting to have a picnic in freezing conditions. You may, however, want to sip some hot cocoa out of a thermos under the pavilion to get out from some wind.

GLOW Tubing at Bowers School Farm Winter Park
1219 E Square Lake Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304

Forget about snow tubing, how about GLOW tubing? That’s right: imagine flying down a snowy path in the dark of night with a glowing snow tube.

It’s just one of the things that makes winter special at Bowers School farm in Oakland County, a must-visit winter destination in southeast Michigan. You don’t have to rent a glow tube, you can rent a regular tube for around $8 per hour and it’s just as much fun.

There’s a lot of fun going on at this busy farm: you’ll find a bonfire for warming and an ice skating rink, too. You also swing into the farm store and pick up some tasty treats, too.

Kensington Metropark
4570 Huron River Pkwy, Milford, MI 48380

There’s no tow rope to get you back up to the top, but there are plenty of hills to slide down in Kensington Metropark, located about 40 miles west of Detroit in Oakland County. This is a beautiful, 4,500-acre park with plenty of cross country and hiking trails to explore, too.

Things to Do in Michigan in Winter

About the Author –
Charlotte Dennison is a Content Writer at My Michigan Beach. She grew up in Vermont and has summertime family ties to the great state of Michigan in both Ann Arbor and Lake Hamlin. In addition to content creation, she spends her time studying writing, editing, and publishing at Emmanuel College in Boston. Writing has been her dream since the start of high school, and she hopes to turn content creating into a life-long career. Charlotte is jazzed to be interning at MyMichiganBeach.com. Outside of writing Charlotte enjoys curling up with a Stephen King novel and her cat on rainy city days.

Share Us-

We love bringing you the best places to stay, play, eat, beach and SKI in Michigan. If you like this post, please use the social share buttons below to share with your friends…and thank you!