Sledding, Snow Tubing in Northwest Michigan
Updated: Nov 29, 2022
Bundle the kiddos up and head outside this winter! Northwest Michigan has a number of sledding and snow tubing options to explore!
Antrim County
Ellsworth Community Park - Ellsworth
Ellsworth Community Park consists of 4 acres on the West Shore of Ellsworth Lake, which is part of the Chain of Lakes. It consists of a pavilion, restrooms/multipurpose building, playground area, archery range, fishing pier, boat dock, walking paths/observation deck, Labyrinth, and sledding hill.
Shanty Creek Resort - Bellaire
Hear the sounds of laughter from Summit Mountain's Alpine Tubing Park. Experience the thrill of sledding without having to climb back up! Located on Summit Mountain in Summit Village, each ticket is per hour during hours of operation Friday-Sunday and holidays. Tubing sessions begin at the top of every hour. Riders must be at least 36″ tall and children must ride in their own tubes.
Charlevoix County
Avalanche Preserve Recreation Area - Boyne City
Avalanche Preserve Recreation Center's trails are being groomed on a regular basis for walking, snowshoeing and biking. There is snow on the sledding hill for sledding and plenty of ice made and broomed for skating. Restrooms are available and there is an attendant onsite for assistance and to provide the loaned skates and sleds
Mt. McSauba - Charlevoix
Rated one of the top three small ski areas in the U.S. by Ski Magazine, Mt. McSauba is a winter recreation playground. There is a skating rink with a warming cabin on the south side, a lighted sledding hill on the north side and behind the towering dune, a cross-country ski trail.
Boyne Mountain - Boyne Falls
Tubing may just be the most fun you can have sitting down. Simply grab a tube, hook it on to the conveyor, then turn around, and take a seat; the Top Notch lift at Boyne Mountain will take you to the top of the hill. Reservations are required.
Emmet County
Kiwanis Park - Harbor Springs
Kiwanis Park in Harbor Springs has a sledding hill, space for beginning skiers and snowboarders, and warming hut at the top of the hill where parents and grandparents can watch.
Pond Hill Farm - Harbor Springs
The Vineyard Sled Hill at Pond Hill Farm is a must for children of all ages in the winter! There are sleds available for use, helmets are encouraged.
Winter Sports Park - Petoskey
The Winter Sports Park provides a community venue for many popular winter recreational activities. Included within the park are designated areas for sledding, ice skating, hockey, and skiing or snowboarding. Free ice "scooters" are available to assist those that need some help learning how to ice skate. There is a limited supply of sleds for use if you do not have your own. The park features a warming house, complete with a fireplace, concession stand (candy, pop, water, hot chocolate, hot dogs, pretzels, pizza, etc.) drinking fountain, free wireless Internet access, a large HDTV, and restrooms. Board games are available to checkout and weather permitting, a campfire area is available on the weekends.
The Highlands at Harbor Springs - Harbor Springs
Winter fun is taken seriously at The Highlands — as their Tubing Park clearly indicates. The excitement starts at the top of the snow-covered, 800-foot-long tubing run. The speed builds quickly, sending you racing down your lane, leaving you ready to head back up for another run. The Tubing Park is one of the resort's most popular highlights for kids and adults alike.
Grand Traverse County
Grace Macdonald Park - Traverse City
Grace Macdonald Park is open from dawn until 10:00pm during the sledding season. During all other seasons, the park is open from dawn until dusk. Park facilities include a baseball field, an all purpose field (with soccer goals and football uprights), a new pickle ball court, tennis courts, basketball courts, a volleyball court and horseshoe pits. It also has a pavilion area with grills and picnic tables, a sledding hill, hiking trails and playground equipment.
Grand Traverse County Civic Center - Traverse City
The Grand Traverse County Civic Center encompasses 45 acres of park land within the city limits. The Civic Center is home to several key recreation facilities within Grand Traverse County, including an indoor pool, Howe Arena, seven baseball/softball fields, a sledding hill, skate park, outdoor track, amphitheater, pavilion and playground.
Silver Lake Recreation Area - Traverse City
The 84-acre Silver Lake Recreation Area has multiple amenities, including restrooms, grills, a tee-ball field, tennis courts, basketball courts, dog park, a sledding hill, and a multi-use field for playing catch, football, or tossing a Frisbee. Paved and unpaved walking trails are also offered.
Timberlee Hills - Traverse City
Located just minutes from Traverse City, in beautiful Leelanau County, Timberlee Hills is Michigan’s largest no-lane snow tubing hill. From 4 to 84, they welcome people of all ages to beat the winter doldrums with an afternoon of outdoor fun. And there’s no experience or equipment needed!
Mt. Holiday - Traverse City
Visit Mt. Holiday for an afternoon of snow tubing fun! Reservations are required, snow tubing is open Wednesday - Sunday. Mt. Holiday's website includes hours of operation and fees.
Leelanau County
Bahle Park - Suttons Bay
The winter in Northern Michigan brings plenty of snow, which blankets the sledding hill at Bahle Park. The hill is used by residents and visitors throughout the winter. The Village offers a warming hut for rental use which can hold up to 41 guests. The warming hut houses a fireplace, refrigerator, stove and restrooms.
Braman Hill Recreation Area - Northport
Braman Hill Recreation Area is a year-round recreation area. The recreational amenities include four tennis courts, a basketball court, a skating park and ice rink, sledding hills, hiking trails, a tot lot, a shooting range, a warming house with bathrooms, and a scenic viewing area located at the top of the hill with a fire ring and picnic tables.
Sleeping Bear Dunes - Empire
Sledding is permitted at the Sleeping Bear Dunes in the designated area only when it is covered with snow. Sleds, skis, snowboards, toboggans, saucer sleds, inflatable tubes or similar equipment are restricted to use within the designated snow covered area of the Dune Climb.
Manistee County
Sands Park - Manistee
The City and Manistee Area Public Schools jointly own and maintain Sands Park, which features tennis courts, a playground and a baseball/football field also used for ice skating in the winter. Kennedy Elementary School is adjacent to the park and has another football field, gymnasium, a weight room, showers, etc., which are accessible to the community for recreation.
Missaukee County
Missaukee Mountain - Lake City
Missaukee Mountain is open on the weekends and all of Christmas break, depending on snow conditions. It offers a bunny mound, beginner runs, intermediate slopes, expert challenge and moguls galore with 3 tow ropes. The mountain also has more than five miles of cross-country trails. If you want to take out your own sleds or tubes, a sledding hill is available for your enjoyment at no cost.
Wexford County
Diggins Hill Park - Cadillac
Diggins Hill Park is located adjacent to the city water tower, at the east end of River Street, and just west of Mitchell Street. The park includes two tennis courts at the top of the hill, hiking trails, an 18 hole disk golf course at the base and winter tobogganing.