The winter season in Wisconsin is always a festive time. While you might imagine a trip huddled up inside by the fire, sometimes the best way to embrace the frozen tundra is to get outside and play in it! We love to get outside and go snow tubing in Wisconsin! Bundling up for an active snow-filled day is a longstanding and beloved tradition in the ‘Mitten State’.
Soaring down an icy hill atop a tube, is one of the favorite cold weather customs to partake in in Wisconsin. It’s always a thrill, plus all ages can participate. The best part is that this freezing but fun activity requires no previous skill or experience.
Each facility has its own unique amenities, like magic carpet rides or cozy chalets serving cocktails or hot chocolates for after. The slopes themselves vary in degree, but many are steep vertical drops designed for daredevils. Check out all these scenic, snowy spots for enjoying the best snow tubing in Wisconsin.
Best Snow Tubes
If you are going tubing on a smaller local hill where you bring your own snow tube, here are our the best snow tubes.
- Best Overall Snow Tube – We like this one because it has a rope, so if you are a parent who has to carry up a few tubes, a rope really comes in handy.
- Best Quality Tube – If you go snow tubing often, you want a good quality tube. This is the best tube you can buy.
- Best Value Pack Tubes – If you won’t go tubing often, this is a nice value pack option with two-pack and three-pack options. There is often an extra $10 off coupon you click, making these tubes super cheap.
- Best Themed Tubes – Want to ride a flamingo or Dragon down the tubing hill? There are several different animal tube options here.
1. The Rock
The Rock Snowpark is a popular sports complex in Franklin all year round. They have 19 lanes in total, all serviced by a magic carpet. The tubes are included with any visit, and linking is allowed depending on the conditions. There’s a height requirement, and all tickets can be redeemed for a two-hour time slot. For the Rock, buying your tickets and filling out the waivers online ahead of time is best.
The biggest claim to fame at the Rock is the Glow Tubing! Likely one of the coolest and coldest activities to try. It’s definitely an experience unlike any other. It’s available on select Saturday nights, and the runs are lit in different colors, making them extra fun to fly down. There’s a cozy lodge on-site to warm up and grab a bite afterward.
- Address: 7011 S Ballpark Dr, Franklin
- Website
Best Sledding Hills in Wisconsin
2. Cascade Mountain
Cascade Mountain is a great place to enjoy a thrill ride out on the snow in Portage, Wisconsin. Tubes are provided, and there’s no experience needed to slide. There aren’t any age or height requirements to worry about here. You can purchase admission per time slot, but it’s also more expensive here during peak hours, which are generally on the weekends. They even offer a season pass at a discounted rate if you expect to tube it up often.
Cascade Mountain is only open during the winter season. That means that it’s closed for part of the year and ready again for tubing from November 1st to March 20th. Note that this is an earlier close than some other slopes. They also have their own snow machine, so don’t worry if the fall has been a little light before you go. Little ones can link tubes to an older rider and the magic carpet rides always mean less work and more fun for all.
- Address: W10441 Cascade Mountain Rd, Portage
- Website
3. Sunburst
Sunburst Ski Hill is located in Kewaskum, just a short distance outside of Milwaukee. It has been an iconic destination for outdoor winter sports since 1961. It’s a super popular place for skiing and snowboarding, but most importantly, it’s home to the world’s largest tubing hill. There are exactly 45 icy chutes to choose from here. The star of the Sunburst show is a quarter-mile run with a 90-foot drop.
There are two magic carpet rides, which means you can effortlessly reach the top of any run so you can keep sliding down time and time again. Not for the faint of heart. Some paths allow you to reach speeds of up to 90 mph. Tubing tickets are sold per person, calculated by the hour, and are best purchased online ahead of time. You can even buy a season pass in advance. They offer special rates for groups and require riders to be 42″ tall. If you only want to watch the tubing action from their picturesque patio, then no entry fee is required at all.
- Address: 8355 Prospect Dr, Kewaskum
- Website
4. Badlands Snow Park
Set in Hudson, Badlands is a small but beautiful year-round resort for outdoor adventure. They also boast the oldest and most popular tubing hill in the entire Midwest. They’ve done 52 spectacular Winter seasons so far, each more exciting than the last. They’ve got plenty of wide open space, with over 25 acres and several separate hills. Before, after, or if you decide not to tube at all, the chalet is a great place to watch all the action while enjoying some snacks and refreshments.
It’s one of the more affordable parks in Wisconsin as well. There are rope tows to pull you up to each summit with ease. Turbo Hill and Monkey Tail are two of the top slopes to try here. There’s no need to worry about waivers at this one, though buying a ticket basically means the same thing safety-wise. There aren’t any age or height requirements either. All sizes and skill levels are welcome at Badlands.
- Address: 722 Kinney Rd, Hudson
5. Christmas Mountain
Blasting down an icy chute at heart-racing speeds is the enticing promise made for snow tubing at Christmas Mountain. This festively named park is a winter wonderland for all ages. One run here is over 700 feet long. They also have a tow system to take tubers back up the hills. There are no online ticket options, so you’ll have to show up and buy an admission in person here.
Renting a tube is always on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can get two or three-hour sessions, and there’s an unlimited ticket available only on weekdays. Under a certain height, riders must be linked to an older visitor. A release of liability must be signed by anyone using the tubes here. The resort itself offers many amenities. I recommend hitting up Mulligan’s Bar and Grill for the scenic views, great food, and daily drink specials.
6. Tyrol Basin
Tyrol Basin has been helping local families have fun regardless of the Wisconsin weather since 1958. It’s wholesome outdoor fun for all ages in a scenic setting. Tubing is one of the most memorable experiences they offer. While you’re not required to buy tickets online here, securing a spot in advance is highly recommended. They all come in four-hour blocks.
They also host community events at Tyrol Basin, like live music or themed evenings. You can also fill out one liability release form that lasts for the whole season. All children must be accompanied by an adult for tubing. There are a total of two conveyors to take you to the peaks of the runs. The warming house is also delightful. It sells classic concessions and fun adult beverages. Lockers are available to rent if you need them as well.
- Address: 3487 Bohn Rd, Mt. Horeb
- Website
7. Christie Mountain
Tucked away in Bruce, Wisconsin, Christie Mountain is a recreation center with a separate tubing park. There are several groomed chutes to choose from. There’s everything from a gentle option that lets you slowly glide down the snowy slope to a thrilling fast lane that will have you white-knuckling over giant jumps until the very end. The conveyor lift makes it as easy as possible to pack in plenty of runs too.
Everyone is required to ride their own tube at Christie Mountain. It’s important to note that they are only open on the weekends. You get two hours with your ticket, with the option to add additional hours for $10 each. You can also check their schedule to see when they offer evening specials like two tubers for the price of one. Group rates are available, and you can also book runs out for private events.
- Address: W13755 Co Rd W, Bruce
- Website
Where do you think the best snow tubing in Wisconsin is?
Winters can be long in Wisconsin, so we like to get out when we can and “embrace” the weather as much as we can. Oh, and take a vacation too to somewhere warm, lol. One of the best things about living in Wisconsin is having four seasons. So make sure to get outside during Wisconsin’s winter!
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