Denver is well known for its winter activities, and among the winter thrills is snow tubing. Luckily, if you’re in the Denver area, many top-tier snow tubing spots are just a short drive away. While several ski resorts cater to tubers, there are dedicated establishments, too.
Let’s take a look at the ten best snow-tubing hills you must visit when in Denver:
1. Echo Mountain Tubing
Location: 19285 CO-103, Idaho Springs, CO 80452, United States
Distance from Denver: About 55 minutes
Website: https://echomntn.com/tubing
Echo Mountain is a popular skiing and snowboarding location. It’s located a scenic hour outside of Denver. However, what many people don’t know, even locals, is that the mountain also offers a more relaxed winter sport. Snow tubing is available during the winter season, just like skiing and snowboarding.
Tubing during the day is fun, but if you want to try something a little different, Echo Mountain Tubing also offers the chance to go snow tubing at night. While they don’t run all night, you can choose to make a reservation until eight or nine at night depending on the day.
During these night sessions, you get to see stunning lights, and the stars, and even get to listen to some music as you go tubing down the hill.
Reservations are required. So if you’re thinking of going to Echo Mountain and want to try tubing, make sure you look to reserve at least a couple of days in advance. It’s also important to remember that the reservation time is when you start tubing. If you want to make the most of your time, you may want to arrive 20 minutes early to find parking and check-in.
2. Fraser Tubing Hill
Location: 455 Co Rd 72, Fraser, CO 80442, United States
Distance from Denver: About 1 hour 35 minutes
Website: http://www.frasertubinghill.com/
Also known as Historic Tubing Hill, Fraser Tubing Hill is considered the best tubing in the area by many of the locals, which makes it one of the best snow tubing areas near Denver, Colorado. It’s been open since 1971. There are no reservations required, and the tubing is affordable. If you decide on a whim that you want to go snow tubing, Fraser is the place to go.
The park is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day when there’s snow on the ground. Children as little as three are welcome to go snow tubing. The best part is that if you aren’t planning on tubing but some of your friends or family want to go, you can still go, and you don’t have to pay a fee.
This is the perfect option for parents who want their kids to have a good time but don’t plan on going on the tubes themselves. You can take pictures and record videos from the bottom of the slope without spending extra money.
3. Coca-Cola Tubing Hill At Winter Park
Location: Winter Park Dr, Winter Park, CO 80482, United States
Distance from Denver: About 1 hour 20 minutes
Website: https://www.winterparkresort.com/plan-your-trip/tickets-and-passes/coca-cola-tubing-hill
Coca-Cola Tubing Hill At Winter Park knows how to warm up its visitors. Spend a few hours tubing down their four lanes. When you’re ready to go back up and tube again, there are enclosed conveyors to take you back up the hill and block out any wind or snow.
If you need a minute to warm up and feel your toes again, there’s even a state-of-the-art warming structure. This structure offers you the chance to heat back up and use the bathroom if you need it. Hot chocolate is available most days as well. Stand under the warming structure with your drink to get warm from both the outside and inside.
There are plenty of other things to do in the area as well if you want to stay in the area for the day. Snowshoeing tours and ski and snowboarding are also available nearby and hosted by Winter Park itself. Sledding is another activity you might want to try out. There’s also an ice skating rink nearby.
Read related: What To Wear Snow Tubing: The Ultimate Guide
4. Colorado Adventure Park Tubing Hill
Location: 566 County Rd #721, Fraser, CO 80442, United States
Distance from Denver: About 1 hour 30 minutes
Website: https://coloradoadventurepark.com/
Colorado Adventure Park Tubing Hill is located very close to Fraser Tubing Hill. They are close enough that many people think they are the same location, but there are some distinct differences.
As the name suggests, the Colorado Adventure Park provides a few more exciting options for those who like a little thrill. Snowscoots are like mini snowmobiles made just for kids. They let children go a bit faster than you would on a tube. There are also a variety of slopes with different speeds and slopes depending on your age and how much of a thrill you want.
Another bonus for the adults is that the park offers a liquor license. Have a drink while your kids enjoy the fun. Or, if you don’t have children, make snow tubing a little more exciting with a warm cocktail in you.
5. Copper Mountain Tubing Hill
Location: Copper Mountain, Frisco, CO 80443, United States
Distance from Denver: About 1 hour 45 minutes
Website: https://www.coppercolorado.com/things-to-do/activities-amenities/tubing-hill
Copper Mountain is primarily a skiing and snowboarding slope, but they do offer additional snow activities. One such activity is snow tubing. They also offer a small alpine coaster, a snow maze, biking, sledding, and even just a casual area to play in the snow.
This makes it the perfect location when you want to spend a full day in the snow. Wake up early and start the day with some snowboarding. Then, catch your breath in the play areas or snowmaze. Throw in a few hours on the roller coaster and snow tubing and you’ve got yourself a fun-filled day less than a two-hour drive from Denver.
Copper Mountain is a little more safety-oriented than the other snow tubing locations on this list. They recommend you arrive an hour before your scheduled time so you can fill out forms, get your gear, and listen to safety briefings before you start your snow tubing adventure.
6. Frisco Adventure Park Tubing Hill
Location: 621 Recreation Way, Frisco, CO 80443, United States
Distance from Denver: About 1 hour 25 minutes
Website: https://www.townoffrisco.com/things-to-do/frisco-adventure-park/tubing/
Full of several tubing lanes with various difficulties, Frisco Adventure Park Tubing Hill is a snow tubing area you don’t want to miss when you’re in the Denver area. Reservations are required, so make sure you book well in advance.
Unlike other parks on this list, you can book to stay on the tubing hill all day, instead of just per hour. The hill also doubles as a beginning ski and snowboard hill so you can try your skills at one or the other when you’re tired of tubing. The hill tends to be uncrowded and budget-friendly, so don’t worry about spending all day in the area.
If you miss the snow tubing season, there’s still plenty to do at the park. Skiing, snowboarding, biking, skateboarding, hiking, and disc golf are examples of some of the amenities the park provides.
7. Keystone Resort Mountaintop Snow Tubing
Location: Keystone Resort, Keystone, CO 8043, United States
Distance from Denver: About 1 hour 40 minutes
Website: https://www.keystoneresort.com/explore-the-resort/activities-and-events/winter-activities/adventure-point-tubing.aspx
Keystone Resort Mountaintop Snow Tubing offers the option to snow tube all year round. Instead of only offering the sport during the winter, you can go tubing even in the middle of summer. The best part is that it’s real snow. There’s no sight of the fake powdery snow, even in the heart of summer.
This is because Keystone is located high up in the mountains at 11,640 feet elevation. Snow is a permanent fixture in the area, even during the warm months. If you’re desperate for snow tubing, but missed the normal season, you need to swing by Keystone.
Though the distance to Keystone from Denver is under two hours, you may want to plan for closer to a three-hour drive to ensure that you have time and can drive safely in the heavy snow. If you do end up getting there early, there’s the Keystone Snow Fort you can play at for a little bit to kill some time.
8. Dutch Henry Tubing Hill
Location: 999 US-24, Leadville, CO 80461, United States
Distance from Denver: About 2 hours
Website: https://www.lakecountyco.com/parks-recreation-and-open-space/pages/dutch-henry-tubing-hill
If you have your own tubes and you don’t want to pay for tubing, the Dutch Henry Tubing Hill may be the place to visit. The company only charges for renting tubes. So if you bring yours, there’s no charge. Plastic sleds are also allowed. If you don’t have your own tubes, you may want to go on the weekends when rentals are available.
You may want to make sure you’re acclimated a bit to the elevation before visiting this tubing hill. Because it offers free tubing, there’s no lift or magic carpet to get you back up the hill. This means you have to walk yourself back up to the top.
Dutch Henry Tubing Hill is open from December to March from dawn to dusk every day, though the dates may change a little depending on the weather. There’s a warming hut on the property as well when you need to take a small break.
9. Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch Tube Hill
Location: 100 Beaver Meadows Pl, Red Feather Lakes, CO 80545, United States
Distance from Denver: About 2 hours 15 minutes
Website: https://beavermeadows.com/activities/winter/
Beaver Meadows is a pretty far drive, but worth it. This tubing hill is north of Denver, relatively close to Wyoming. If you’re looking to travel north from Denver as part of a road trip, you should consider stopping at Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch.
There are a total of 12 runs at Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch, with different skill levels for each. One of them even offers an extreme skill level for adults who want to take tubing to the next level. Of course, there are hills for kids too. The tubing hill is efficient and lets you get the maximum number of runs per hour.
Though snow tubing is a big draw for the ranch, that’s not all the park offers. If you’re going in the summer or fall, there are also options for camping, hiking, biking, horseback riding, and even fishing. The beautiful scenery and the lake make it well worth a visit at any time of the year.
The Beaver Meadows Snow Tube Hill is very close to Wyoming, if you are visiting Wyoming, you can check out our related post 5 Best Snow Tubing Parks in Wyoming here.
10. Snow Mountain Ranch Tubing YMCA
Ready. Set. TUBE! 🏁 The tubing hill is now open for the winter. Come take some laps and enjoy good ol’ fashioned fun with us. pic.twitter.com/5mCNIYdE9K
— Snow Mountain Ranch (@SnowMtnRanch) November 29, 2019
Location: 1101 Co Rd 53, Granby, CO 80446, United States
Distance from Denver: About 1 hour 45 minutes
Website: https://ymcarockies.org/Activities/Compare#activity-winter-tubing
The Snow Mountain Ranch owned by the YMCA of the Rockies offers winter snow tubing. It’s a rather steep hill for extreme fun. Unfortunately, with no lift or carpet to get you back to the top of the hill, there’s a rough hike back to the top.
The YMCA also offers summer tubing. It’s not the same as Keystone’s summer tubing, where you are still playing in the snow. Instead, it’s meant to be more of a summer adventure. Throw on shorts and sunglasses and slide down giant hills of Snoflex, made to mimic the movement and grip of snow at any time of the year.
There are a lot of activities to take part in at the YMCA of the Rockies. They have a location at Estes Park and the Snow Mountain Ranch. Depending on which one you visit, skiing, snowboarding, archery, camps, climbing, disc golf, ice skating, mini golf, nordic skiing, volleyball, skijouring, snowshoeing, and more are available at various times throughout the year.
See the 27 Best Ski Resorts with Snow Tubing in the United States here.
Jamie is the founder of Action Sporter. He is the chief zipline writer and the lead editor. He has 5 years of zipline experience being a tour guide in Newfoundland. Most of the time you can find Jamie adventure traveling, hiking, skiing, skateboarding, or anything action related!
