During the cold winter months it can be hard to motivate your kids to get outside when there is no snow on the ground. For some of the best snow tubing near DC, a day trip to Liberty Mountain Resort just across the border in Pennsylvania guarantees a snowy adventure for the whole family.
At Liberty Muntain Resort you’ll now only find snow tubing but snowboarding and skiing as well. Here you’ll everything you need to know before you go.
Snow Tubing in Maryland
Liberty Mountain is located a little more than an hour outside of the beltway just north of the Maryland / Pennsylvania border. The Boulder Ridge snow tubing area has its own parking lot, lodge and ticket booth.
Kids ages 5 years and up and their parents can enjoy a great day on the slopes with no skill necessary!
You’ll find the tubes are large and heavy but are easy for even the smallest 5-year-olds to pull behind them on the snow using the attached leash.
You have two options to get up to the top of the hill once you have a tube in hand:
- Head to the right and walk up or
- Head to the left to take the “people mover”.
For us with two young kids, we went with option number 2. The moving walkway is like a carpeted escalator.
Kids 8 and under will probably need some assistance with their tubes while on here (stacking one on top of another works best).
After you exit the ‘magic carpet’ as some kids refer to it, you can choose which lane to get in line for your trip down the hill.
What’s nice is several staff members man the top and bottom of the hill so you can go down ahead of your child and have someone up top to help them with a push to get started downhill.
Snow Tubing Tickets
Tickets can only be purchased online so make sure to make reservations before you go. Tickets are good for 2-hours and begin on the hour.
You can purchase tickets here.
Liberty Mountain Snow Tubing Rates
A 2-hour snow tubing ticket is $10 for kids 41″ and under and $37 for everyone 42″ and above. Double check pricing on holidays as a peak charge may apply.
If you know you’re also going to ski and are considering going several times during the season, try to purchase your pass by early to mid November to lock in a discount.
When Does Ski Liberty Open?
The Boulder Ridge at Ski Liberty snow tubing area usually opens around early to mid-December and typically stays open until sometime in March. Watch the website or Facebook page for announcements.
If you want to check out how the slopes are looking before you go, take a look at the Mountain Cams.
When to Visit
Weekdays are quieter than weekends. If you must go on a weekend, do you best to go before 12pm.
It’s also worth noting that the busiest times of the year are December 26-31, January 15-17 (Martin Luther King Jr) and February 19-21 (Presidents Weekend)
Liberty Mountain Hours
Tubing Hours
- Monday – Wednesday: Closed
- Thursday – Friday: 4pm – 10pm
- Saturday: 10am – 10pm
- Sunday: 10am – 8pm
Check here if you plan on visiting during a holiday as the hours vary.
Parking at Ski Liberty
Parking at Ski Liberty is free. And ff you don’t get there early and need to park away from the lodge, there is a free shuttle from the main Liberty lots. The courtesy shuttle takes approximately 5 minutes and leaves from the main lodge area of Liberty every 10 to 15 minutes.
What to Bring Snow Tubing
As you can imagine, it’s cold! Having the right gear makes a huge difference and you’ll definitely stay much warmer and be able to enjoy yourself. Be prepared with winter gear, including:
- Waterproof gloves
- Waterproof pants
- Boots
Ski Liberty Equipment Rentals
Skis (including boots and poles), snowboards and helmets are available for rent. Use of a snow tube is included with your ticket purchase.
The resort does rent boots 5 for children’s size 1 through adult. There is no changing area aside from the restrooms here so you may want to consider coming readily dressed.
Kiddie Tubing: Snow Tubing With Small Kids
Ski Liberty has a kiddie snow tubing area for kids 41″ and under called Bubly Tube Park at Liberty. Parents can purchase 2-hour snow tubing sessions for children. These tickets only include the use of the tube.
This small hill off to the side has smaller tubes and a gentle grade. Parents must supervise their child while on the hill and there is no “lift” of any kind to get back up to the top.
Children who are 42″ and taller must ride the regular tubing runs.
Ski Liberty Amenities
Rounding out the amenities at Boulder Ridge are:
- Snack bar
- Lockers
- Restrooms
- Party rooms
- Arcade
- Indoor and outdoor seating areas
The Lodge
The lodge is an attractive space to sit and have a hot chocolate after tubing. Typical snack bar fare such as pizza, hot dogs, chicken tenders and pretzels are available.
Drinks are available but you can also bring your own drinks or water bottles in with your gear if you have room. Changing tables and water fountains are both found within the lodge.
We’ll Be Back!
We had an absolute blast snow tubing at Liberty Mountain Resort and are looking forward to another visit! This was my kids’ first visit to any sort of ski area and they are now asking when they can try out a ski or snowboard lesson too. It is hard to believe you can find winter fun like this an hour from the beltway!
