Sledding at Grouse Mountain. Photo credit: Tourism Vancouver / Rishad Daroowala
Kids love sliding down a snowy slope on a sled, and adults will love unleashing their inner child to join in on the fun. Here are our picks for the best places to go sledding, tobogganing and snow tubing near Vancouver.
Places You Can Go Sledding All Winter
Since Vancouver sits at a low elevation and has a mild climate, we don’t get very much snow in the city. However, the surrounding mountains are much higher and they get lots of snow. Here are a few places near Vancouver where you can go sledding all winter.
Grouse Mountain Sliding Zone
Ride the Gondola up to the top of Grouse Mountain to visit their Sliding Zone. It’s located next to the skating pond. They have two groomed sliding lanes. You must use their sleds, which you can rent for $5. Admission to the Sliding Zone is included in your gondola ticket.
Sledding at Grouse Mountain. Photo: Tourism Vancouver / Grouse Mountain
Mount Seymour Toboggan and Snow Tube Park
Families love the Toboggan Park at Mount Seymour. Bring your own non-inflatable sled or toboggan and slide down the groomed lanes. If you don’t have a sled, you can buy a sliding mat for $8. Admission to the Toboggan Park is $15/person or $60/family of five on weekends. On weekdays it’s $10/person or $40/family of five.
If you’d rather not walk back up the hill, head to the Mount Seymour Snow Tube Park. You’ll careen down the hill on one of their specially designed inflatable tubes, then clip into the tube tow to ride back uphill. Tubing costs $25/person or $100/family of five for two hours. You can add an extra hour for $15/person.
Gnarly’s Tube Park, Cypress Mountain
Head to the Nordic Area at Cypress Mountain to find Gnarly’s Tube Park. Each of the six lanes is 100 metres long and there is a tube tow to bring you back up to the top of the hill. This tube park is super-popular so you need to pre-book a 2-hour time slot online. Tube sessions are $25-26/person depending on what time of day you go.
There’s also a separate sliding zone for kids under the age of 6. You need to bring your own non-inflatable sled. It’s $10/person for a 2-hour session.
Coca-Cola Tube Park, Whistler Blackcomb
Zoom down seven tube lanes at the Coca-Cola Tube Park, then head back up the hill on a conveyor belt lift. One of the lanes is shorter and designed for small children. The Tube Park is located in the Base 2 Zone on Blackcomb Mountain. Prices range from $15-$27 for one hour of tubing or $18.50-$36.50 for two hours, depending on the age of the slider and whether you purchase in person or online.
Snow tubing at the Coca-Cola Tube Park at Whistler. Photo: Destination BC/Rick Collins
Yeti Tube Park, Sasquatch Mountain Resort
The Yeti Tube Park at Sasquatch Mountain Resort east of Vancouver is popular with families. They have eight lanes for tubing and a carpet lift to bring you back up to the top. Passes are $25/person or $85/family of four and are good for two hours.
Polar Coaster Tube Park, Manning Park Resort
Manning Park Resort is located east of Vancouver in the Cascade Mountains. Their tube park has four runs with a mix of beginner and advanced terrain. A tube lift brings you back up to the top. Prices range from $20-$35 depending on the age of the tuber and whether you want a half-day or full-day ticket. Families of four get a deal at $60 for a half-day and $80 for a full-day.
Manning Park also has two tobogganing areas and they are both free. There’s a groomed toboggan run at the alpine ski area. There’s also a smaller slope that’s great for kids near the Nordic Centre. You can bring your own sled or buy one at the Nordic Centre.
Places You Can Go Sledding in the City When it Snows
Snow days in Vancouver are rare but magical. On average, the city gets about 8 days a year with some snow on the ground. If you’re lucky enough to experience a snowy day in the city, here are a few places you can go sledding. You’ll need to bring your own sled though.
Photo: Cooper Le on Unsplash
Cleveland Park, North Vancouver
This North Vancouver park is located on Nancy Green Way at Prospect Avenue near the Cleveland Dam. It has a good hill by the soccer fields.
Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver
Queen Elizabeth Park is one of the highest spots in Vancouver, so it has lots of great hills for tobogganing. In fact, the hill it sits on is nicknamed “Little Mountain”. The park is near the intersection of 33rd Avenue and Cambie Street.
China Creek North Park, Vancouver
Head to China Creek North Park in East Vancouver to sled down a steep, but short hill. This park is located on Great Northern Way at Glen Drive. It’s just a block away from VCC-Clark Station on the Millenium Line of the Skytrain.
Burnaby Mountain Park, Burnaby
One of the best places to sled is Burnaby Mountain since its higher elevation gives it a bit more snow. The park is located in North Burnaby on Centennial Way off Burnaby Mountain Parkway.
