One of the best things about a winter vacation in the Smoky Mountains is the unique opportunity to go snow tubing in Gatlinburg! This fun family activity is just minutes from the Old Creek Lodge via Ski Mountain Road, or you can take a short walk to the Aerial Tramway station in downtown Gatlinburg for a scenic ride up to Ober Mountain! Here are the top 4 things you need to know before snow tubing at Ober Mountain:
1. Snow Tubing Sessions
One of the first things you need to know about snow tubing at Ober Mountain is that each tubing session is scheduled for 90 minutes. These sessions start at specific times throughout the day, so be sure not to be late for your session! During each session, you are free to enjoy the snow tubing runs for as many times as you want! Whether you want to enjoy a few runs and take a break for some hot chocolate or ride non-stop through the session, the choice is up to you!
2. Advance Tickets Are Recommended
Due to the popularity of snow tubing in Gatlinburg, we recommend that you purchase your tickets in advance! There are only a limited number of slots available for each session. This is especially important during weekends and holiday periods when there are usually more people in town. The limited tickets are actually a good thing as this helps to keep the tubing lines reasonable, but just remember that you should purchase them as soon as you know your plans. After all, there is nothing worse than getting excited to hit the slopes only to find out that the snow tubing is sold out for the day!
3. Access to Ober Mountain
The snow tubing runs are situated at the top of Ober Mountain, which can only be accessed via Ski Mountain Road or the Aerial Tramway. There are other activities at Ober Mountain to enjoy in the winter such as ice skating and a mountain coaster. If you visit during the winter, you can also enjoy skiing and snowboarding! With that being said, the demand for the Aerial Tramway can sometimes result in a 2 hour wait during popular periods. Schedule your time to allow for any possible delays so that you don’t miss your scheduled tubing session. There is also limited parking availability at Ober Mountain, so we suggest that you arrive as early as possible! During inclement weather, Ski Mountain Road may only be open to vehicles with 4 wheel drive and/or chains.
4. Open in Most Weather Conditions
Keep in mind that when planning to go snow tubing at Ober Mountain, the tubing sessions take place in almost all weather conditions! This means that you could be tubing in the sunshine, rain, sleet or snow, so remember to dress accordingly. The sessions will be cancelled in the case of extreme weather but this is a rare occurrence. Note that there are no refunds unless the session is cancelled, so be sure to check the weather forecast if you don’t feel comfortable tubing in the rain or sleet!
Now that you are prepared for snow tubing at Ober Mountain, check out all of the rooms at our hotel in Gatlinburg TN today to plan a fun winter vacation to the Smoky Mountains! We look forward to seeing you soon at the Old Creek Lodge!
