Best Winter Family Vacations in the US for Non-Skiers
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Want to plan an epic winter vacation this year without spending a fortune at a ski resort?
Skiing may be the most popular winter sport, but ski resorts are expensive and crowded, and skiing itself can be a little frightening if you’re new to the sport.
Not to worry. I’m here to tell you that you can have lots of fun winter adventures with your family without getting on a ski lift, wearing a helmet, or fearing for your life.
As much as my own kids love to ski, I have never gotten the hang of it. I will blame my father for stealing me away from my Vermont home when I was young so I could grow up among palm trees and an ocean breeze in Florida.
No matter where you currently live, you can still travel to the world’s most wintry locations and have a blast without skiing. That’s because winter is long, and snow-loving folks have been really creative about making it awesome.
Some of these winter activities are free, while others require a bit of an investment, but none will hurt your wallet as much as a ski resort vacation.
The best winter family vacations for non-skiers center on things that are easy to pick up: snow tubing at Camelback in the Poconos or Hawksnest in North Carolina, skating the frozen-lake loop at Lake Morey in Vermont, a dog sledding trip in Maine or Minnesota, or a quiet winter visit to Yosemite or Yellowstone.
Tubing costs a fraction of a lift ticket, needs no lessons, and works for kids as young as three at some parks.
Here are our favorite winter family vacations for non-skiers; in other words, snowy activities that don’t involve careening down a mountain at full speed!
Tara’s take
I spent much of my childhood in Florida and never got the hang of skiing, so I know exactly what it feels like to stand at the bottom of a ski hill while everyone else rides the lift. If you’re coming from somewhere warm and want a snowy trip that works for everyone, these are my pics. Also, leave the plastic snow disc at the store. Those things are scary!
Table of Contents
Winter Family Vacations for Non-Skiers at a Glance
| Place | Where | Best for | Ages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camelback Snowtubing | Tannersville, PA (Poconos) | The biggest tubing park in the country, plus an indoor waterpark | Solo at 44 in.; 33 to 43 in. ride with an adult |
| Keystone Mountaintop Tubing | Keystone, CO | Gondola ride to the hill, night tubing | 4 and up, 42 in. |
| Hawksnest Snow Tubing | Seven Devils, NC | Southern families who want real snow | 3 and up |
| Nashoba Valley Tubing Park | Littleton, MA | A day trip from Boston | 6 and up, or 42 in. |
| Lake Morey skating loop | Fairlee, VT | Free skating on a natural frozen lake, dogs welcome | All ages |
| Wollman Rink | New York City | Skating in Central Park with the skyline behind you | All ages; under 4 free |
| Curry Village Ice Rink | Yosemite, CA | Skating under Half Dome | All ages |
| Rideau Canal Skateway | Ottawa, Canada | The world’s largest skating rink | All ages |
| Yellowstone National Park | WY and MT | Snowshoeing past steaming geysers, snowcoach tours | All ages |
| Bryce Canyon National Park | Southern Utah | Snow on red rock hoodoos, ranger-led snowshoe hikes | All ages |
| Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours | Canmore, AB | Dog sledding near Banff | All ages |
| Ultimate Dog Sledding Experience | Canton, ME | Dog sledding in New England | All ages |
| White Wolf Dog Sled Trips | Ely, MN | Overnight dog sled camping | All ages |
Plan a Snow Tubing Family Vacation
Snow tubing offers kids and adults the thrill of flying down a mountain without the inherent dangers of skiing and snowboarding or the hefty price tag.
Yes, most snow tubing adventures take place at ski resorts, but snow tube rentals are just a fraction of the cost of a full-day lift ticket, and you can also skip the expensive equipment necessary for skiing and snowboarding.
Young children are especially drawn to snow tubing because it’s like sledding on steroids. Snow tubing adventure centers have been springing up throughout the northern United States and as far south as North Carolina.
Whether you’re looking for an exhilarating way to spend the day or planning a full-fledged winter vacation for your family, snow tubing with kids might be just the winter adventure you’re looking for. It’s definitely one of our favorite ways to spend a winter afternoon with kids.
Best Places to Go Snow Tubing with Kids in the USA
Not sure where to go for your next snow tubing adventure? Here are some great choices for snow tubing vacations throughout the USA.
Camelback Mountain Resort, Tannersville, PA
Lanes: 40-plus, with Magic Carpet lifts · Sessions: 2 hours · Height: 44 in. to ride solo; 33 to 43 in. with an adult · After dark: Galactic Snowtubing light show
Camelback Mountain Resort is the biggest snow tubing park in the USA. This expansive snow park features 42 lightning-fast lanes, a magic carpet so you don’t have to trudge uphill with your tube, and snow tubing after dark with an LED light show.
Stay onsite at Camelback Lodge and Aquatopia to bring the fun indoors when the kids are cold and the parents want to relax. Indoor activities include a waterpark, a ropes course, laser tag, a climbing wall, and an arcade with more than 100 games. It’s an adventure lover’s paradise! Dogs 50 pounds and under can stay in select rooms.
Keystone Resort Mountaintop Tubing, Keystone, CO
Getting there: River Run Gondola to the top of Dercum Mountain · Ages: 4 and up, 42 in. · Little kids: the Nordic Center hill (no lift) · Book: reservations strongly encouraged
Mountaintop Snow Tubing at Keystone Resort is serious snow tubing for serious fun. Ride the River Run Gondola to the top of Dercum Mountain, where a multi-lane hill, a covered magic carpet for tired legs, and night tubing under the lights await. Kids who are too small for the mountaintop hill can ride the gentler hill at the Nordic Center.
Keystone Lodge & Spa is the most convenient lodging at Keystone, although it’s far from cheap. The crazy mountain views and heated outdoor pool make it totally worth it, not to mention the indoor/outdoor hot tubs and the full-service spa for tired parents!
Hawksnest Snow Tubing Park, Seven Devils, NC
Lanes: up to 30, in four areas · Ages: 3 and up · Price: $46 weekdays to $59 weekends and holidays (2026 to 2027) · Closed: Wednesdays except holidays, and Christmas Day
Hawksnest Tubing Park has up to 30 snow tubing lanes, perfect for both big and little kids, although you must be 3 years old or older to go tubing. Four different tubing areas with varied terrain offer a wild, exhilarating experience, and sessions run into the evening on weekends.
Hawksnest Snow Tubing Park is just a short drive from Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, and Boone, NC. For a place to stay, try the Best Western Mountain Lodge at Banner Elk.
Nashoba Valley Tubing Park, Littleton, MA
Lanes: up to 18 · Ages: 6 and up, or 42 in. · Price: $49 for 2 hours, online only (2025 to 2026) · Open: Wednesday to Sunday, daily in school vacation weeks
Nashoba Valley Snow Tubing Park calls itself the largest tubing park in New England, and it’s one of the best spots for a winter day with kids.
Two lifts serve up to 18 lanes, and tickets are sold online for two-hour sessions. The park is open Wednesday through Sunday (every day during school vacation weeks), and there’s an on-site lodge with a snack bar, a full bar, and picnic tables outside. Kids need to be at least 6 years old or 42 inches tall.
Nashoba Valley is about 25 miles from Boston, making it a great day trip from the city. If you want to stay over, we’d recommend the Courtyard by Marriott in Littleton. You’ll get a comfortable room without paying Boston prices.
Read Next: How to Plan a Ski Trip You’ll Never Forget
Plan a Day of Ice Skating with Kids
Frozen lakes open up all kinds of opportunities for adventure, and many lakeside resorts offer enticing packages to help them (and you) make the most of a lakeside winter.
One thing’s for sure – unless you are ice skating with kids indoors, you will likely have to travel to the northern US to find reliably frozen outdoor skating rinks. Ice skating is fun no matter where you go, but some rinks are truly unique and make for an incredibly memorable winter vacation.
Incredible Ice Skating Rinks in North America
If you’re looking for something to write home about, check out these fantastic ice skating rinks in North America.
Lake Morey Skating Trail, Fairlee, VT
Loop: about 3.5 to 4.5 miles, depending on the ice · Cost: free, run by the Town of Fairlee · Season: only when the ice is safe; check the town’s Lake Morey page · Dogs: yes, bring bags
Lake Morey is home to what its creators call the longest skating trail in the US, a loop of about 3.5 to 4.5 miles around the lake, depending on the ice. The Town of Fairlee took over the trail in 2025, so skating is free, the entrance is now at the town beach, and well-behaved dogs are welcome.
The best way to take advantage of this awesome ice trail is to rent Nordic skates for you and your kids. These are kind of like a cross between cross-country skis and ice skates, and they’re perfect for long distances. Lake Morey Resort has great winter lodging deals, especially if you visit midweek.
Wollman Rink, New York City
Season: daily, October 28, 2026 to March 16, 2027 · Adults: $16 to $40 depending on the day · Kids 4 to 12: $12 · Skate rental: $12
Located in the heart of Central Park, Wollman Rink is bigger than its famous neighbor at Rockefeller Center, and kids’ tickets are $12 every day.
The rink opened in 1950 and is open every day for skating from late October to mid-March. The views from the rink are gorgeous; twinkly lights light it up at night, and the Wollman Café serves hot cocoa. If you happen to find yourself in NYC for winter with your family, be sure to spend some time outdoors in Central Park, too!
For a place to stay near Central Park and Wollman Rink, The Manhattan Club on West 56th Street has suites within walking distance of many major NYC attractions.
Curry Village Ice Rink, Yosemite National Park, CA
Season: November 13, 2026 to March 1, 2027 · Tickets: sold online in advance · Warm-up: fire pit at the rink · Dogs: not in park lodging; leashed on paved roads and paths
With a breathtaking backdrop of Yosemite’s Half Dome, the Curry Village rink may be the most beautiful ice skating rink in the world. Families can rent skates, warm up near the fire pit, and grab snacks and hot cocoa nearby.
If you haven’t been to Yosemite in the winter, do it! It’s so much less crowded and just as amazing as a summer visit. For winter lodging in Yosemite, you can’t beat Yosemite Valley Lodge, which is within walking distance of Yosemite Falls and a short drive from the rink and everything else in Yosemite Valley. Leave the dog home for this one: pets aren’t allowed in park lodging.
Rideau Canal Skateway, Ottawa, Canada
Length: 7.8 km (about 4.8 miles) · Season: only when the canal freezes; check the NCC’s status page · Rest areas: Rideau, Dows Lake, and Bronson
The Rideau Canal Skateway is the world’s largest ice skating rink, winding 7.8 kilometers (almost 5 miles) through the heart of Ottawa. Rest areas are available at the Rideau, Dows Lake, and Bronson stops, and the National Capital Commission posts the Skateway’s status and ice conditions online, so check before you lace up.
For a memorable winter vacation in the heart of Ottawa, stay at the landmark Fairmont Château Laurier, a magnificent limestone hotel with turrets and masonry reminiscent of a French chateau. Ottawa is a beautiful city to visit in the winter, and the hotel is right next to the Parliament Buildings. (hotel link: clean URL from the table below)
Plan for a Day of Sledding with Kids
Give kids a bit of snow and a sled, and you’ve got the potential for hours of winter fun!
The great thing about sledding with kids is that as long as you’ve got snow and a bit of an incline, you can do it anywhere without spending much money.
Almost every town I can think of that gets snow in the winter has a dedicated hill where the kids like to congregate for sledding parties. In our Vermont town, we have more than one. If you are traveling and want to know where locals take kids sledding, your best bet is to join a local Facebook group and ask.
As for sleds, there are many different types, and my husband and I have different opinions about which are the best for sledding with kids.
We love the wooden toboggan that we’ve had for years, but it doesn’t work well if the snow is super sticky on warm days. For those days, we use regular old plastic sleds that we get from the grocery store during our travels.
My husband and I both agree that plastic snow discs are the worst, and they’re dangerous because they’re impossible to steer.
Make your sledding adventure successful with a thermos of hot cocoa, warm, woolly socks, waterproof boots, snow clothes, and a cozy hat.
The last time we packed up and went to our local sledding hill, someone set up a table and a Coleman stove and cooked hot dogs and hamburgers for all the kids. Parents and adults had a blast.
Read Next: The Winter Road Trip Survival Guide
Plan a National Park Vacation
There are many reasons to choose a national park vacation in the winter. In the northern parks, it’s the off-season, which means cheaper lodging, fewer crowds, and a quiet, snowy landscape you’ll never see in July.
Our favorite national parks for snowy winter adventures are Yellowstone, for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing among steaming geysers, and Yosemite, where you can skate under Half Dome at the Curry Village rink. In Yellowstone, the only road open to cars in winter runs from Gardiner to Cooke City; the rest of the park is reached by snowcoach or snowmobile starting December 15.
For snow with a splash of color, head to Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah. The rim sits at 8,000 to 9,000 feet, so the park gets plenty of snow, and a coat of white on those orange hoodoos is a sight you won’t forget.
The main park road is plowed all winter, though it can close briefly past the Bryce Amphitheater after a storm. When there’s enough snow, rangers lead free snowshoe hikes (snowshoes provided), including full moon hikes; sign up at the Visitor Center.
You can also snowshoe or cross-country ski along the rim and on the unplowed Paria View and Fairyland Point roads, and rent gear just outside the park in Bryce Canyon City. Time your trip for the Bryce Canyon Winter Festival at Ruby’s Inn, usually held over Presidents’ Day weekend in February.
Rather trade the snow for sunshine? Here are the best national parks to visit in February.
Plan a Snowshoeing Outing with Kids
When snow piles up everywhere, you suddenly have limited options for where you can travel on foot. Either stick to slushy, dirty roads and sidewalks, or strap on snowshoes and hit the trails for winter fun that never ends.
Snowshoeing is a bit more strenuous than walking or even hiking, but it allows you to experience the quiet and solitude of a peaceful winter day, and you can do it anywhere with a layer of snow.
If you’re planning a winter vacation to one of the destinations above, rent snowshoes and spend an afternoon exploring with your kids.
The secret to snowshoeing with kids is to take lots of breaks and make it fun.
Go animal tracking, spread out a winter picnic, and explore places you can’t reach through the thick summer growth. Read our guide to getting started snowshoeing with kids.
Plan a Dog Sledding Excursion with Kids
Dog sledding is thought to have originated in the northern reaches of Canada or Siberia several thousand years ago, and today you can find dog sledding outfitters across the northern United States and Canada.
Many winter destinations and ski resorts have a dog sledding outfitter nearby, ready to take you out for an hour, a day, or even longer.
Multi-day trips often include cozy accommodations, full meals, and hands-on training with the canines, making for a memorable vacation for dog-loving families. Here are some of the top dog-sledding excursion destinations in the United States and Canada.
Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours, Canmore, Alberta
Tours: 2 hours to overnight · Where: the Spray Lakes area above Canmore · Ages: Yes, they have family-friendly tours
Winter tours with Snowy Owl run from two hours to overnight, and the company explains how it cares for its dogs on its Sled Dog Welfare page. Canmore sits just outside the east gate of Banff National Park, so a dog sledding tour may be just the beginning of a fantastic family vacation.
You can also try snowshoeing or Nordic skiing at Canmore Nordic Centre and ice climbing with Yamnuska Mountain Adventures.
Stay at Sunset Mountain Inn, within walking distance of downtown Canmore, with an indoor pool with a waterslide, a hot tub, and a fitness center.
Ultimate Dog Sledding Experience, Canton, Maine
Where: Canton, Maine, on 250 acres of private trails · Tours: Yes, they have shorter tours geared toward families
Ultimate Dog Sledding Tours is located in the Western mountains of Maine, offering dog sledding tours for beginners and experts that can last a few hours or a few days. These speedy sled dogs are a mix of Siberian Huskies and German Shorthaired Pointers.
Hampton Inn Oxford is pet-friendly and has an indoor pool where you can relax after your dog sledding adventure.
White Wolf Dog Sled Trips, Ely, Minnesota
Trips: full-day and camping trips in the Boundary Waters · Ages: Child-friendly
Ely is the unofficial capital of dog sledding in Minnesota, with lots of snow trails for mushing.
White Wolf Dog Sled Trips provides full-day and camping dog sled trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The camping trip also gives families the chance to sightsee, view the northern lights, and ice fish, making for a unique and memorable backcountry adventure.
If you are considering the day-trip dog sledding excursion, stay at Grand Ely Lodge, which features spacious rooms, an indoor pool, a sauna, and a hot tub. This waterfront property also provides access to local hiking trails and is pet-friendly.
What to Pack for a Winter Trip with Kids
- Warm thermal layers. Merino wool, Capilene, fleece, and down add warmth without bulk, which is perfect for active kids. Here are my picks for babies and toddlers and active kids.
- Warm, woolly socks and waterproof boots. Wet feet end a sledding day faster than anything. Everyone in our family wears woolly socks by Darn Tough Vermont. They come with a lifetime warranty, and they stand by it!
- A thermos of hot cocoa. Want to make the grumpy face disappear? Break out a hot drink on the sledding hill or snowshoe trail. Here are my favorite hot drink recipes for winter adventures.
- A sled you can steer. We love our old wooden toboggan, and cheap plastic sleds for sticky snow on warm days. Skip the snow disc.
- A daypack with the essentials. Snacks, water, extra mittens, and a first-aid kit. Here’s my 10 essentials checklist.
Good to Know Before You Go
- Book tubing ahead. Nashoba sells tickets online only, Keystone strongly encourages reservations, and holiday weeks sell out everywhere.
- Check height rules before you promise anything. Kids must be 3 at Hawksnest, 4 and 42 inches at Keystone, and 6 or 42 inches at Nashoba. At Camelback, kids under 44 inches ride with an adult, and under 33 inches can’t ride.
- Natural ice is never a sure thing. The Lake Morey loop and the Rideau Canal Skateway open only when the ice is safe. Check their status pages the morning you go.
- Yellowstone in winter: the only road open to cars runs from the North Entrance at Gardiner to Cooke City. The rest of the park is snowcoach or snowmobile only, starting December 15.
- Dogs: leave them home for tubing and park lodging, but bring them to Lake Morey, where they’re welcome on the skating loop.
Winter Vacations for Non-Skiers: FAQ
What are the best winter vacations for non-skiers?
Pick a place built around something everyone can do on day one: a snow tubing park like Camelback in the Poconos or Hawksnest in North Carolina, a frozen-lake skate at Lake Morey in Vermont, a dog sledding trip in Ely, Minnesota, or a winter visit to Yosemite or Yellowstone. None of them need lessons or lift tickets.
Can you go to a ski resort if you don’t ski?
Yes. Many ski resorts have tubing hills, skating rinks, and sleigh or dog sled rides, and some, like Camelback in Pennsylvania, have an indoor waterpark. Tubing at Keystone is at the top of the gondola, so non-skiers still get the mountain views.
How old do kids have to be to go snow tubing?
It depends on the park. Hawksnest allows kids 3 and up, Keystone requires kids to be 4 and 42 inches tall, and Nashoba Valley requires 6 or 42 inches. At Camelback, kids between 33 and 43 inches ride with an adult.
What is the biggest snow tubing park in the US?
Camelback Mountain Resort in Tannersville, Pennsylvania, calls itself the largest snow tubing park in the country, with more than 40 lanes and Magic Carpet lifts that carry you and your tube back up the hill.
What is the cheapest snow vacation for a family?
Sledding and snowshoeing cost next to nothing. For a destination trip, a tubing session runs about $46 to $59 at Hawksnest and $49 at Nashoba Valley, and skating the Lake Morey loop in Vermont is free.
Whether or not you love winter, you might as well make the best of it while it’s here. Bundle up and enjoy the snow without strapping on skis or spending a fortune. And don’t forget to read about our top winter road trips in the USA (warm-weather and snowy adventures).
What do you do to enjoy winter as a family? We’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments below.
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