Looking for some “winter” fun in Florida? Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow park in Dade City Florida is located just 5 miles off of I-295, north of Tampa. 2020-2021 was the first year the park was opened.
Overall we found this event better suited to families with elementary-age children. Where else can you go snow tubing in Florida?
Snowcat Ridge is was slated to be opened from November till March. However, during the 2020-21 season, it was only opened until mid-Jan.
Arriving
The first thing we noticed when we arrived is that Snowcat Ridge is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. It is only 35 minutes from Tampa, but an hour and a half from Orlando. It is a “snowy slope” that can be seen from pretty far away.
There is a parking fee and also a variable ticket cost depending on the day. MAKE SURE you make reservations on the website prior to arriving.
Slides
There were three types of tube slides to choose from at Snowcat Ridge. The first we rode was a large round family tube. We found this ride to be nice and slow (although it does spin). It is great for families with little kids!
Next was the single tube. One thing to know is this tube spins! It also goes the fastest. If you are not a fan of going backward, then make sure you skip this one.
The third type of slide/tube is a double for two people. I did really appreciate that is tube did not spin.
Our first 2 rides were on the family and single slides. This took us 30 minutes. Overall we thought 2 hours was more than enough time.
We really appreciated the magic carpets to bring up the tubes. Much better than having to drag them up! The family tubes are at the top for you, but you do need to bring up the double and single tubes.
Tubing Lanes Double Tube Magic Carpet View from Below Tubing Hill
Other Activities at Snowcat Rdige
We enjoyed some time in the igloo. Inside they had tiny tubbing for toddlers and preschoolers. They also had a good amount of packed down snow. This is as close as you can get to where to see real snow in Florida.
There were a few food and merchandise vendors. There may be more in future years.
Toddler Tubing Snow Machines Snow Roof of Igloo
Review of Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park
The Goofy 5 enjoyed this event. I don’t like rollercoasters but this was fine. Think of it as a water slide.
We all agreed that it was fun and different, especially for Floridians. But it cost too much for what it was, especially for teens. We would have preferred to pay about $15-20 per person. It would have been more worth it if we had younger children, and if we wanted to spend the whole day there and tube more.
Tips for Enjoying Snowcat Ridge
- Make reservations prior on the website.
- Try and go on an unbusy day. Definitely not over the Holiday Break.
- 2 hours are more than enough, do not buy the unlimited ticket.
- Eat first and bring your own water. Food was limited.
Looking for other family fun in Central Florida? Check out this “summer” adventure at Zip the Canyons!
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