For a dreamy winter adventure on a budget, check out these convenient spots for snow tubing near Johnson City TN, Bristol, and Kingsport. With most locations having a 2-hour drive time or less, you can plan the perfect winter day trip or mini weekend vacation.
For added entertainment, many of these snow tubing parks offer additional winter activities like snow play areas, snowboarding, ice skating, and more!
When the chill finally creeps in and you need to warm up, you can hit the town to visit the local shops and restaurants nearby.
Of course, snow tubing is just one of the many fun things to do in Tri-Cities TN this winter.
Snow Tubing Near Johnson City TN (Under 2 Hour Drive)
Tri-Cities is blessed to be the region of Tennessee with the heaviest snowfall. This means residents and vacationers can take their pick of 10 different snow tubing parks less than 2 hours away.
At such a close distance, you can make this adventure a quick afternoon trip.
1. Zip And Slip Snow Tubing Park
- Distance from Johnson City TN: 37 minutes
- Distance from Bristol: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Distance from Kingsport: 1 hour
- Address: 10725 US-23, Mars Hill, NC
Zip and Slip Snow Tubing Park offers all the bells and whistles including a lift to take you and your tube to the top.
Admission
A 1-hour tubing session costs $30 per person. You can also purchase a 2-hour session for $45.
Where to Eat
If you are feeling peckish, you can grab a small snack or hot chocolate from the on-site snack bar. If you want more of a sit-down meal, you can grab some tasty southern food at the Little Creek Cafe nearby.
2. Hatley Pointe Mountain Ski Resort
- Distance from Johnson City TN: 48 minutes
- Distance from Bristol: 1 hour 21 minutes
- Distance from Kingsport: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Address: 578 Valley View Cir, Mars Hill, NC
At Hatley Pointe, you’ll have a one-of-a-kind experience with a huge 60-foot wide tubing lane that fans out to an expansive 100-foot span at the bottom. It’s the perfect setup for making tube chains and having fun with friends and family.
Admission
It’s just $20 per person for an hour-long tubing session and $30 for 2 hours. A child 5 and under is free with each paying adult.
Where to Eat
You can grab a quick snack or drink at Wolf Ridge’s on-site snack bar. If you want a heartier meal, try the Stackhouse Eatery and Pub which serves up traditional American fare.
3. Jonas Ridge Snow Tubing Park
- Distance from Johnson City TN: 1 hour
- Distance from Bristol: 1 hour 18 minutes
- Distance from Kingsport: 1 hour 24 minutes
- Address: 9472 NC-181, Newland, NC
At Jonas Ridge Snow Tubing Park, you’ll enjoy 5 lanes of fast-paced tubing and a fancy conveyor belt that will take you and your tube to the top of the hill. Riders are not allowed to ride together on the same tube.
Admission
The cost is $20 for a 1-hour session for riders 6 and under. For riders over 6, it’s $25 for an hour of tubing. Children under 3 are not allowed to ride.
Where to Eat
If you love a tasty Mexican spread, try Los Arcoiris.
You can get your fill of American favorites at Carolina BBQ. This popular restaurant serves burgers, ribs, and North Carolina-style BBQ.
4. Sugar Mountain Snow Tubing
- Distance from Johnson City TN: 1 hour and 2 minutes
- Distance from Bristol: 1 hour and 21 minutes
- Distance from Kingsport: 1 hour and 27 minutes
- Address: 1009 Sugar Mountain Dr, Sugar Mountain, NC
At 700-feet Sugar Mountain wins the first place prize for the longest tubing runs in the south. Of course, they also have a state-of-the-art conveyor lift so you don’t have to schlep your tube back to the top of the hill.
If you plan to stay for the whole day, you can enjoy ice skating, skiing, and snowshoeing.
Admission
For a 1 hour and 45-minute weekday snow tubing session, the cost is $30. It’s $36 for a weekend session. Admission is free for kids ages 3 and 4 with a paying adult.
Where to Eat
The Banner Elk Cafe and Tavern is a popular spot for pizza, burgers, chicken, and more! They also offer a full bar.
Another popular choice is Bella’s Neighborhood Italian Restaurant, which serves up all your favorite Italian dishes, and delicious craft beer.
5. Beech Mountain Snow Tubing Adventure Park
- Distance from Johnson City TN: 1 hour 4 minutes
- Distance from Bristol: 1 hour 21 minutes
- Distance from Kingsport: 1 hour 26, minutes
- Address: 1007 Beech Mountain Pkwy, Beech Mountain, NC
In addition to Sugar Mountain (above), Beech Mountain is the only other tubing spot that offers extra-long 700-foot lanes. Their magic carpet conveyor belt also makes it a cinch to zip back to the top of the hill.
For more fun, you can try your hand at skiing, or ice skating.
Admission
On weekends and holidays, the all-ages price is $35 per person. The weekday price is $30 per person. The minimum height requirement is 42 inches.
Where to Eat
Beech Mountain has several restaurants right at the resort. The Lodge is centrally located and offers a variety of grab-and-go food choices.
For a more traditional dining experience, the Beech Mountain Brewing Company is a full-service restaurant offering burgers, sandwiches, salads, wings, craft beer, and more!
For guests ages 21 and up, the Red Baron Room and 5506′ Skybar both offer full bars.
6. Hawksnest Snow Tubing And Zipline
- Distance from Johnson City TN: 1 hour 14 minutes
- Distance from Bristol: 1 hour 31 minutes
- Distance from Kingsport: 1 hour 36 minutes
- Address: 2058 Skyland Dr, Seven Devils, NC
This popular spot for snow tubing near Johnson City TN is the most expansive. With 30 different tubing runs in varying difficulty levels, there are plenty of opportunities for adventure.
The lanes at this attraction will always be well-covered because they make their own snow. Of course, there is a conveyor belt that will take you and your tube to the top of the hill.
Admission
The cost is just $33 for a 1 hour and 45-minute session during the week. The weekend and holiday price is $45. There is an additional cost for parking on weekends and holidays.
All riders must be at least 3 years old. Bib rentals are available for an additional $13.
Where to Eat
The on-site lodge serves yummy and quick eats for busy tubers.
There is also a delicious bakery and cafe, Eat Crow, serving up scrumptious sandwiches, salads, pies, tarts, cakes, and more!
7. Moonshine Mountain Snow Tubing
- Distance from Johnson City TN: 1 hour and 37 minutes
- Distance from Bristol: 2 hours and 9 minutes
- Distance from Kingsport: 1 hour and 59 minutes
- Address: 5865 Willow Rd, Hendersonville, NC
Moonshine Mountain ensures the best tubing conditions by making its own snow all winter long. There’s also a convenient conveyor belt that will take you and your tube back up the hill.
Admission
The all-ages admission price is $30 per person for a 2-hour session.
There is a 36-inch minimum height requirement and all riders must be able to sit in their own tube.
Where to Eat
The on-site restaurant, Moonshine Mountain, has delicious cheesesteaks, burgers, chicken strips, and more.
The popular nearby eatery HenDough specializes in homemade donuts and fried chicken. Yum!
8. Tube World
- Distance from Johnson City TN: 1 hour and 43 minutes
- Distance from Bristol: 2 hours and 14 minutes
- Distance from Kingsport: 2 hours and 4 minutes
- Address: 4821 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley, NC
Tube World has a state-of-the-art magic carpet lift to carry you and your tube back up the hill after each run.
Tube World has a sister ski resort and terrain park just down the road for a little extra fun.
Admission
The price for a 45-minute session is $30 on weekdays and $35 on weekends and holidays. All riders must be at least 42 inches tall.
Where to Eat
Grab a delicious burger, sandwich, or dinner platter. You can also build your own pizza at Brickhouse Burgers and Pizza.
If you prefer good southern home cookin’ you can head to Country Vittles Family Style Restaurant, which is another local favorite.
9. Pigeon Forge Snow
- Distance from Johnson City: 1 hour and 36 minutes
- Distance from Bristol: 2 hours
- Distance from Kingsport: 1 hour and 49 minutes
- Address: 2533 Teaster Ln, Pigeon Forge, TN
Enjoy the excitement of winter all year long at this fun indoor snow tubing attraction. This location makes its own snow, which is completely non-toxic and made of pure water.
In addition to tubing, they also have an indoor snow play zone that is great for all ages. Even toddlers are welcome in this area.
Admission
The cost of snow tubing is $21.99 per person for a 1-hour session. A 1-hour snow play session is just $7.99. You can also get a 2-hour combo pass for just $26.99.
All tubers must be at least 38 inches tall and a minimum of 3 years old.
Where to Eat
If you are feeling peckish during your visit, this attraction sells a few light items at its on-site snack bar.
When it’s time for a real meal, you can head over to The Island, which is located across the street. Here you’ll find several different restaurants offering burgers, pizza, lunch platters, and dinner platters.
10. Ober Gatlinburg Snow Tubing
- Distance from Johnson City TN: 1 hour and 58 minutes
- Distance from Bristol: 2 hours and 19 minutes
- Distance from Kingsport: 2 hours 7 minutes
- Address:1339 Ski Mountain Rd, Gatlinburg, TN
Ober Gatlinburg is one of the most popular spots for snow tubing near Johnson City because it offers all the fun and excitement of the smokies.
Due to the popularity of this attraction, there can be long wait times for entering the park. Leave yourself a cushion to be sure to don’t miss your reserved tubing time slot.
You can stick around when you’re finished tubing to enjoy Ober Gatlinburg’s other attractions, including amusement rides, ice skating, a kids’ zone, shopping, skiing, and more!
Admission
The cost is $30 on weekdays and $35 on weekends for a 90-minute session. Kids ages 3 and 4 are free with a paying adult. Kids under 3 are not allowed to ride.
Where to Eat
Ober Gatlinburg has several restaurants on-site, including a full-service steak house, a lounge with craft beer and bar foods, and a sidewalk cafe with quick eats like personal pizzas, and burgers.
Johnson City TN Snow Tubing (2 + Hour Drive)
With a driving distance of over 2 hours, the tubing locations below are better reserved for a day trip. You’ll find that most of the options offer more than just tubing so you can spread the fun out over several hours!
11. Sapphire Valley Tubing
- Distance from Johnson City: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Distance from Bristol: 2 hours and 48 minutes
- Distance from Kingsport: 2 hours and 39 minutes
- Address: 127 Cherokee Trail, Sapphire, NC
Enjoy a 60-foot verticle drop and a moving sidewalk at Sapphire Valley’s popular tubing park. Though there are no minimum height or age requirements, all riders must be able to ride in their own tube.
Admission
Each 1 hour and 75-minute tubing session costs $30 per person.
Where to Eat
The Sapphire Mountain Brewing Company offers delicious wood-fired pizza and a variety of craft beers. There is also an on-site restaurant, Micha’s, offering traditional American favorites like burgers and wings.
12. Winterplace Snow Tubing Adventure Park
- Distance from Johnson City: 2 hours 38 minutes
- Distance from Bristol: 2 hours
- Distance from Kingsport: 2 hours 27 minutes
- Address: 100 Old Flat Top Mountain Road, Ghent, WV
In addition to snow tubing, WinterPlace also has ski slopes and an awesome terrain park. Tubers will love their state-of-the-art magic carpet lift that takes you to the top of the hill.
Admission
A 90-minute tubing session is $29 per person. The minimum height requirement is 44 inches.
Where to Eat
This resort has 4 on-site restaurants, including The Mountain House Restaurant, Mickey’s Mountain Cafe, Mountain Mama’s Food Court, and The Snowdrift Lounge.
13. Chutes At Crowders Ridge
- Distance from Johnson City TN: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Distance from Bristol: 3 hours
- Distance from Kingsport: 2 hours 58 minutes
- Address: 130 Camp Rotary Rd, Gastonia, NC
This Johnson City snow tubing attraction serves as a fundraiser for Crowders Camp. The lanes are set up to look exactly like snow, but they are actually made of slick sheeting.
Since this location doesn’t have real snow, I would only plan a visit as part of a trip to Charlotte, which is right nearby. Charlotte NC has a ton of great restaurants and museums just perfect for a day or weekend trip.
Admission
The admission cost is $15 per person. Children must be at least 4 years old to ride.
14. Scaly Mountain Snow Tubing Center
- Distance from Johnson City: 2 hours and 41 minutes
- Distance from Bristol: 3 hours and 13 minutes
- Distance from Kingsport: 3 hours and 3 minutes
- Address: 7420 Dillard Rd, Scaly Mountain, NC
In addition to the regular tubing runs, Scaly Mountain Outdoor Center offers mini slopes for riders under 42 inches tall.
For even more adventure you can try your hand at ice skating or gem mining. There is also an old-fashioned country gift shop with adorable finds around every corner.
Admission
A 2-hour tubing session for riders 4 and up is $30. It’s $15 for a 2-hour session on the kiddie slopes.
Where to Eat
Bella’s Junction Cafe is a local favorite that serves a little bit of everything, including burgers, steaks, pasta, salads, and more.
You can also grab delicious salads, ribs, chicken, and sandwiches from Annie’s Cafe.
15. The Plunge Snow Tubing Park
- Distance from Johnson City TN: 4 hours 24 minutes
- Distance from Bristol: 3 hours 46 minutes
- Distance from Kingsport: 4 hours 13 minutes
- Address: 39 Mountain Inn Loop, Roseland, VA
With runs that are around 10 stories high, The Plunge offers some of the most thrilling tubing in the area. Of course, they complete the experience with a state-of-the-art conveyor belt to transport you and your tube back up the hill.
In addition to the regular tubing runs, they also have a fun kiddie section for younger kids. Ridgely’s Fun Park has a fun snow play area and a mini tubing hill.
The Plunge also has a sister ski resort with a variety of slopes to please skiers of all skill levels.
Admission
The cost is $24 per person for a 90-minute session during the week. The weekend rate is $34 per person. The minimum height requirement is 42 inches.
Where to Eat
You can grab a variety of different eats right on-site at the resort, including, burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and more.
More East TN Family Fun
Did we miss your favorite spot for snow tubing near Johnson City TN? If so, drop the details in the comments below so we can add it to the list.
Erica has lived in East TN for over 9 years. She enjoys exploring this gorgeous region with her husband and 3 lively children. As a former teacher turned homeschool mom, she loves finding fun and affordable activities the entire family will love, especially if they cultivate a love for learning!
Are the admission fee increased? I’m excited. It’s winter! Covid go away.
We have included links to the business websites so you can get the most up-to-date pricing at any time. 🙂