By Paul McHugh

Snow play areas are great for families. They supply thrills for people of all ages and abilities in a safe, comfortable environment. The skills acquired during snow play can provide the expertise needed to graduate to wilder, ungroomed snow or to become snowshoers, snow campers, or even downhillers. First-timers to the Sierra might also think of these areas as good places to slowly raise their tolerance for the combination of snow and slope. Snow play areas let you get familiar with the performance of tubes, plastic saucers, sleds, toboggans—and the pace of a speeding snowball.

Shuffle through any stack of Christmas cards and you will probably discover rosy-cheeked, bundled-up children tossing snowballs or sledding down hills. These timeless scenes of snow play symbolize warmth and joy amid winter’s onslaught. Now you can watch these old-fashioned scenes spring to life in modern times at winter sport resorts throughout the Sierra Nevada.

Wintertime fun at ski resorts is no longer just the domain of lift-served downhill skiers or ‘boarders. Snow play areas—spots for sledding, tubing, and perhaps epic snowball fights—fill the needs of couples or families of mixed snow-sport aptitude. While the serious skiers in the group go off to comb the lofty heights, the less experienced frolickers can have a good romp in their own designated area. Snow play areas usually have groomed tube runs, some with lift service, and even refreshment and warming facilities. Many resorts rent snow toys and props—tubes, plastic saucers, sleds, toboggans—for big and little kids.

No one in your party downhill skis? Then consider another, even less expensive, way to indulge in snow play—Sno-Parks, sponsored by the California Department of Parks and Recreation on national forest land. The nine Central Sierra sites listed here have regularly cleared parking lots with quick access to ungroomed sledding hills and cross-country ski, snowmobile, or snowshoe trails.

Resorts with Snow Play

Bear Valley: SR 4, 45 mi. east of Angels Camp. Cross-country area has sled hill for ages 4-10. Cost: $6 (includes use of plastic sled). Open 9-3:30. (209) 753-2834. www.bearvalley.com.

Boreal: I-80 at Castle Peak Exit on Donner Summit. On-site gear shack, no lifts. Cost: $7 (includes use of plastic sled). Open 9-4:30. (530) 426-3666. www.borealski.com.

Diamond Peak: Ski Way, Incline, NV, off SR 28. Downhill resort has Bee’s Snow Play groomed area for ages 3-6. Cost: $15 per hour of supervised play. Open 8:30-4. (702) 832-1177. www.diamondpeak.com.

Granlibakken: Just south of Tahoe City on Granlibakken Rd. Groomed sled hill. Cost: $4; $3 for plastic saucer. Open Fri.-Sun. 8:30-4. (530) 581-7333. www.granlibakken.com.

June Mountain: Off U.S. 395, 58 mi. north of Bishop. Lift-served snow play area with 3 lanes, groomed for varying abilities. Cost: $10 for 2 hrs. (includes use of tube). Open 8:30-4. (760) 648-7733. www.junemountain.com.

Leland Meadows: Near Dodge Ridge, 4 mi. east of Strawberry on Hwy. 108. Covers 15 acres, with 3 groomed sled hills for various ages. Cost: $7 ($3.50 ages 5 and under); $4 for sled or saucer. Open 9-5. (209) 965-4719. www.snowplay.com.

Northstar-at-Tahoe: North Shore, Lake Tahoe. Groomed sled area at village, 2 lanes; new tubing hill at mid-mountain area. Cost: $12 (includes use of tube for 2 hrs.). Sled area open daily noon-5; tubing hill open evenings, weekends, and holidays. (800) 466-6784. www.skinorthstar.com.

Sierra-at-Tahoe: South Shore, Lake Tahoe on U.S. 50. Groomed snow play area with lift near main lodge serves 2 tubing lanes. Tubes for rent. Cost: $10 for 2 hrs., $20 all day. Open 11-4.
(530) 659-7453. www.sierratahoe.com.

Soda Springs: 1 mi. east of I-80 at Soda Springs Exit. Two surface lifts at groomed tubing area. Tube Express serves 4 long flumes with twists and banked turns. New Little Dipper serves a slower-paced zone suitable for small children. Cost: $10 for 2 hrs., $16 all day. Open 11-4. (530) 426-1010.

Squaw Valley: 5 mi. north of Tahoe City, off SR 89. Snow tubing area, 2 lanes at mid-mountain near Bailey’s Beach Lift. Cost: $11 adults (includes gondola, lift access, and tube); $8 ages 12 and under. Open 4-9 p.m. (530) 583-6985. www.squaw.com.

Tahoe Donner: North Woods Blvd., 1/2 mi. off I-80 at Truckee-Donner Exit. Groomed sledding hill, no lanes or lift. Cost: $4 adults; $2 ages 7-12; free for ages 6 and under (includes use of plastic sled). Open weekends and holidays 9:30-4. (530) 587-9437. www.tahoedonner.com.

Wolverton: 60 mi. east of Fresno in Sequoia National Park. Ungroomed sled hill. No lift, no rentals, but has snack bar and gear shack where plastic sleds and saucers can be purchased. Use of hill is free. Open weekends and holidays 9-5. (209) 565-3341.

Yosemite: Free sites at Crane Flat on SR 120 all winter, also in Yosemite Valley at the Curry Village toboggan hill and the moraine by the stables (when snow is present). No sites at Badger Pass. (209) 372-0529. www.yosemitepark.com.

California Sno-Park Areas
Vehicles can be parked overnight at many Sno-Park sites. A day-use permit costs $5; a season permit (the real bargain) is just $25.

Permits can be obtained at sports shops, at businesses near the Sno-Park areas, at many California state parks, and at AAA offices. Call the Sno-Park Program office at (916) 324-1222 to find places to buy a permit and to get a Sno-Park brochure. Season permits are also available by mail. Send a check for $26, made out to California State Parks, to: Sno-Park Program, P.O. Box 942896, Sacramento, CA 94296-0001.

Nevada County
Yuba Gap: On frontage road south of I-80; use Yuba Gap Exit. Snow play area, cross-country ski trails, no snowmobiles, no buses. Parking capacity: 200 cars.

Cisco Grove: On north side of I-80, at entrance to Thousand Trails; use Cisco Grove Exit. No overnight parking. Capacity: 50 cars.

Donner Summit: On frontage road south of I-80; use Castle Peak Exit. No snow play, crowded on weekends; avalanche and rock hazard on steeper slopes.

Donner Lake: On Donner Pass Rd.; from I-80, use Donner Lake Exit. No snowmobiles, no overnight parking. Capacity: 35 cars.

Placer County
Blackwood Canyon: West side of Hwy. 89, 3 mi. south of Tahoe City. Avoid south side because of avalanche danger. Capacity: 35 cars.

El Dorado County
Taylor Creek: West side of Hwy. 89, near Camp Richardson. Limited snow play, no snowmobiles, ski trail to Fallen Leaf Lake. Capacity: 30 cars.

Echo Lake: Off Hwy. 50, on road to Echo Lake, 1 mi. west of Echo Summit. No snowmobiles, poor snow play, but good for cross-country skiing.

Echo Summit: South side of Hwy. 50 at Echo Summit. Snow play, excellent sledding, some cross-country skiing. No snowmobiles. Capacity: 100 cars.

Iron Mountain: Hwy. 88, 40 mi. east of Jackson, on Mormon-Emigrant Trail Rd., next to Carson Ski Area. Groomed snowmobile trails. Capacity: 30 cars.

Sierra County
Yuba Pass: South side of Hwy. 49 at Yuba Pass. Cross-country ski trails north of highway, groomed snowmobile trails. Capacity: 50 cars.

Alpine County
Carson Pass: Hwy. 88, 25 mi. south of Lake Tahoe. Snow play for all ages. Capacity: 100 cars.

Meiss Meadow: Hwy. 88, 1/4 mi. west of Carson Pass. Very popular cross-country ski area. Local information, call Sorensen’s Resort, (916) 694-2203. Capacity: 50 cars.

Lake Alpine: Hwy. 4, 50 mi. east of Angels Camp, just past Bear Valley Ski Area. Groomed snowmobile trails, crowded weekends. Capacity: 35 cars.

Mono County
Rock Creek: Off Hwy. 395, 25 mi. north of Bishop (7 mi. up Rock Creek Lake Rd. from Tom’s Place turnoff). Capacity: 30 cars.

Fresno County
Balsam Meadows: East side of Hwy. 168, 60 mi. NE of Fresno. Excellent snow play area with ample parking.

Tamarack: East side of Hwy. 168, 68 mi. NE of Fresno. Groomed snowmobile trails. Capacity: 30 cars.

Coyote: West side of Hwy. 168, 68 mi. NE of Fresno.

Eastwood: East side of Hwy. 168, 75 mi. NE of Fresno at U.S. Forest Service Visitor Center. Groomed snowmobile trails. Capacity: 30 cars.

Huntington Lake: Huntington Lake Road, 3 mi. past Eastwood Sno-Park. Groomed snowmobile trails, cross-country skiing. Limited snow play, no sled slopes. Open daylight hours: 8:30-4:30. Capacity: 50 cars.