Snow tubing near Minneapolis runs on nine hills in and around the Twin Cities in winter 2026–27, from Elm Creek in Maple Grove and Buck Hill in Burnsville to Wild Mountain in Taylors Falls, Powder Ridge in Kimball and two parks across the St. Croix River in Wisconsin, and a regular session costs $17 to $28 per person.
Wednesday, late-night and walk-up tickets at three hills cost $10 to $14.
Wild Mountain sells its first sessions for Saturday, December 19, 2026, and Powder Ridge opens on Saturday, December 26, 2026; the other hills open when the weather lets them make or keep snow. On winter break, book ahead: Wild Mountain and Trollhaugen warn that their sessions sell out.
Checked October 30, 2026. Not published yet: Afton Alps' 2026–27 tubing prices, Green Acres' price (its page says "under review"), the Loppet Foundation's hours at Theodore Wirth Park (its prices name no season), and an opening date for every hill except Wild Mountain and Powder Ridge.
Snow tubing near Minneapolis 2026–27 at a glance
| Tubing hill | Where | Price 2026–27 | Session | Minimum height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elm Creek | Maple Grove | $22; $11 on most Wednesdays | 2 hours | 36 inches or age 4 |
| Buck Hill | Burnsville | $17–$21 online; $22 to $26 at the hill | 2 hours | 42 inches |
| Afton Alps | Hastings | Not published yet | Not published yet | 42 inches |
| Theodore Wirth Park (Loppet Foundation) | Minneapolis | $17 with the rope tow (no season given) | 100 minutes | 44 inches and age 5 for the rope tow |
| Green Acres | Lake Elmo | "Under review" | 2–3 hours | 42 inches recommended |
| Wild Mountain (Wild Chutes) | Taylors Falls | $21.75 | 2 hours | 42 inches recommended |
| Powder Ridge | Kimball | $28 plus tax | 2 hours | 42 inches recommended; age 4 |
| Trollhaugen | Dresser, Wisconsin | $28 | 2 hours; 3 hours on Fridays | 42 inches and age 3 recommended |
| Badlands Snow Park | Hudson, Wisconsin | $25 | 3 hours | None |
Prices are per person and include the tube. Eagan's Trapp Farm Park tubing hill is closed for 2026–27 (see below).
When does snow tubing open near Minneapolis in 2026?
Snow tubing near Minneapolis opens when it is cold enough to make or keep snow, and on October 30, 2026 two hills had set a first day: Wild Mountain (Saturday, December 19, 2026, in its online shop) and Powder Ridge (Saturday, December 26, 2026).
- Elm Creek has a lighted tubing hill with snowmaking, and its page says "Closed. See you soon!" Its winter break hours start on Saturday, December 19, 2026.
- Buck Hill has published hours from Black Friday, November 27, 2026, through Presidents' Day, February 15, 2027, but no opening day.
- Trollhaugen says it typically opens in mid to late December, depending on the weather.
- Afton Alps lists its tubing tickets as unavailable for now; check its page for the first dates.
How much does snow tubing cost near Minneapolis?
A regular session of snow tubing near Minneapolis costs $17 to $28 per person in 2026–27, and Wednesday, late-night and walk-up tickets at three hills cost $10 to $14.
- Elm Creek charges $22 for two hours and $11 on Wednesday nights, except over winter break and on holidays.
- Buck Hill is $5 cheaper online than at the hill. Two hours cost $17 online on Thursdays and Fridays and $21 on weekends and holidays. Its Late Night tickets (8 to 9 p.m.) cost $12 online on weekdays and $14 on weekends.
- Theodore Wirth Park charges $17 for a 100-minute session with the rope tow. The $10 walk-up session is sold only when the tow is not running, or to children under 5 or under 44 inches and the adult with them.
- Wild Mountain charges $21.75 for two hours, gives a free ticket on your birthday (with proof) and takes $3 off for military families.
- Powder Ridge charges $28 plus tax for two hours, and $32 for Lazer Light Tubing.
- Badlands charges $25 for three hours and has no discounts during its scheduled hours.
- Trollhaugen has one price, $28, for every age.
Snow tubing hills near Minneapolis
Elm Creek tubing, Maple Grove
Elm Creek's tubing hill is at the Winter Recreation Area of Three Rivers Park District's Elm Creek Park Reserve, 12400 James Deane Parkway in Maple Grove: a 10-story hill with a moving walkway to the top.
Elm Creek's tubing hill is open Wednesday to Friday 4–9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.–9 p.m. in 2026–27, and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays outside winter break.
Elm Creek riders must be at least 36 inches tall or 4 years old, one person per tube.
Three Rivers strongly encourages reservations for Elm Creek, online or at 763-559-6700, up to 14 days ahead, and refunds tickets when the temperature reaches –25°F or the wind chill –35°F.
Buck Hill tubing, Burnsville
Buck Hill in Burnsville calls its tubing park Minnesota's largest, with lanes on two levels and a covered conveyor to the top. Buck Hill's tubing park is open Thursday and Friday 4–9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m.–9 p.m., and closed Monday to Wednesday.
Buck Hill riders must be 42 inches tall. Its tickets cannot be refunded or transferred, and only Buck Hill's tubes are allowed.
Afton Alps tubing, Hastings
Afton Alps' tubing park sits by the Alpine chalet near the Highlands, with a lift back to the top, and Afton Alps riders must be 42 inches tall.
Afton Alps sells tubing tickets online and at the tubing window for a set day and time; it keeps no waitlist and sets no tickets aside for walk-ups. Its 2026–27 tubing tickets were not on sale on October 30.
Theodore Wirth Park tubing, Minneapolis
The Theodore Wirth Park tubing hill in Minneapolis is behind The Trailhead and is run by the Loppet Foundation, with a tow rope and a staircase.
The Loppet sells Theodore Wirth Park tubing passes at The Trailhead on the day, first come, first served, and not online; it has not published 2026–27 hours.
Theodore Wirth Park's tow rope is for riders aged 5 and 44 inches tall, and riders under 16 need an adult with them. Smaller children use a separate "kiddie" hill reached by stairs. The Loppet closes the hill in extreme cold, wind chill or ice.
Wild Mountain tubing (Wild Chutes), Taylors Falls
Wild Chutes, Wild Mountain's tubing park in Taylors Falls, has its own entrance, one driveway south of the ski area, and a conveyor to the top. Wild Mountain's sessions last two hours.
After winter break, Wild Mountain's shop lists a Friday evening session (6:30–8:30 p.m. on January 8, 2027) and Saturday sessions from noon to 8 p.m. (January 9, 2027); it is closed January 4–7.
Wild Mountain recommends riders be 42 inches tall, has smaller tubes for guests under 100 pounds and rents helmets for $10.
Powder Ridge tubing, Kimball
Powder Ridge, a ski area at 15015 93rd Avenue in Kimball, opens its snow tubing on Saturday, December 26, 2026. Powder Ridge sells its two-hour tubing tickets online only, none at the hill.
Powder Ridge's tubing hill is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with extra hours over winter break, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents' Day in its online calendar. Powder Ridge takes no tubers under 4, suggests 42 inches and puts one person in each tube.
Trollhaugen tubing, Dresser, Wisconsin
Trollhaugen in Dresser, Wisconsin, requires advance reservations for tubing and expects most days to sell out. Trollhaugen tickets last three hours on Fridays (5–8 p.m.) and two hours on other days.
Trollhaugen's tubing hill is open Saturdays noon–6 p.m. and Sundays noon–4 p.m., and closed Monday to Thursday outside the holidays.
Trollhaugen has no small children's hill. It recommends riders be 42 inches tall and 3 years old, and children cannot ride on a parent's lap.
Badlands Snow Park, Hudson, Wisconsin
Badlands Snow Park, 772 Kinney Road in Hudson, Wisconsin, has run tubing since 1970 on seven hills with five rope tows.
Badlands' usual sessions last three hours: Fridays 5–8 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m.–1 p.m., 1:30–4:30 p.m. and 5–8 p.m.; Sundays 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 1:30–4:30 p.m.
Badlands tickets go on sale online on Wednesdays at noon for the coming weekend. Badlands has no age or height limit, allows tubes to be linked and does not rent helmets.
Green Acres tubing, Lake Elmo
Green Acres, 8989 55th Street North in Lake Elmo, is an open hill without lanes, so tubers share the run-out area.
Green Acres' posted weekend sessions, which name no season, run Friday 6–9 p.m., Saturday noon–2, 2–4 and 5–7 p.m., and Sunday noon–2 and 2–4 p.m.
Green Acres recommends riders be 42 inches tall; a child under 42 inches who tubes rides with a parent, and both need a ticket. You pre-register online and pay on arrival; a pre-registered ticket not picked up 15 minutes into the session can go to walk-ins.
Snow tubing on winter break and New Year's Eve 2026
Snow tubing near Minneapolis stays open over most of winter break 2026 (Saturday, December 19, 2026 to Sunday, January 3, 2027), and Buck Hill and Trollhaugen also open on Christmas Day. The table shows the four hills that have published their 2026–27 holiday hours.
| Tubing hill | December 19–23 | Thursday, December 24 | Friday, December 25 | December 26 – January 3 | New Year's Eve, December 31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elm Creek | 10 a.m.–9 p.m. daily | 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. | Closed | 10 a.m.–9 p.m. | 10 a.m.–9 p.m. |
| Buck Hill | 9 a.m.–9 p.m. daily | 9 a.m.–2 p.m. | 2–9 p.m. | 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; December 31 to midnight | 9 a.m.–midnight |
| Wild Mountain | Saturday noon–8 p.m., Sunday noon–4 p.m.; closed December 21–23 | Closed | Closed | Noon–8 p.m.; Sunday, January 3, noon–4 p.m. | Noon–8 p.m. |
| Trollhaugen | Saturday noon–6 p.m., Sunday noon–4 p.m., if open; closed December 21–23 | Noon–4 p.m. | 1–5 p.m. | Noon–6 p.m.; Sunday, January 3, noon–4 p.m. | Noon–6 p.m. |
Buck Hill, Wild Mountain and Trollhaugen are also open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, January 18, 2027) and Presidents' Day (Monday, February 15, 2027). Powder Ridge opens on December 26 and lists its extra winter break hours in its online calendar.
Can toddlers and young children go snow tubing?
Young children can go snow tubing near Minneapolis at a few hills; most hills give each child a tube and a ticket of their own.
- Elm Creek takes riders from 36 inches or age 4.
- Theodore Wirth Park has a small "kiddie" hill, reached by stairs, for children too young or too short for the rope tow; they and their adult pay the $10 walk-up price.
- Green Acres has a child under 42 inches ride with a parent, and both need a ticket.
- Powder Ridge takes no tubers under 4.
- Badlands sets no age or height limit and has small tubes; parents choose the hill.
- Buck Hill and Afton Alps require 42 inches, and Trollhaugen and Wild Mountain recommend it.
Evening snow tubing with lights
Evening snow tubing near Minneapolis runs until 8 or 9 p.m. at most hills, and until midnight on New Year's Eve at Buck Hill.
- Wild Mountain's Starlight Tubing, with music and lights, starts at dusk on every evening the hill is open.
- Powder Ridge's Lazer Light Tubing costs $32 for two hours on set nights from Saturday, December 26, 2026, including New Year's Eve, with 6:30 and 7 p.m. starts; tubers must be 4 or older.
- Buck Hill sells cheaper Late Night tickets for the last hour or 90 minutes before 9 p.m. Its Northern Lights Tubing, with music and synchronized lights, ran Thursday to Sunday on two weekends in February and early March 2026; the 2027 dates are not announced (checked October 30).
- Elm Creek's lighted hill is open until 9 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday.
Trapp Farm Park tubing hill 2026–27
The Trapp Farm Park tubing hill in Eagan is closed for the 2026–27 winter: the City of Eagan's tubing hill page, updated October 23, 2026, says the city will not maintain the hill or take reservations, citing use, staffing, costs and unpredictable winters. Some guides from earlier seasons still list it.
Free sledding hills in Minneapolis and St. Paul
Free sledding hills in Minneapolis and St. Paul are open to anyone with their own sled or tube, and they are not supervised.
Minneapolis: the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has three designated sledding hills.
- Theodore Wirth Park, north of the Wirth Chalet: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily (sledding is not allowed on the tubing hill).
- Sunset Hill at Valley View Park, Golden Valley.
- Columbia Golf Club, Northeast Minneapolis: one of the steepest hills in the area.
St. Paul: Saint Paul Parks and Recreation lists 14 free sledding hills.
- Steep: Baker Park, Battle Creek Recreation Center, Highland Park Community Center, Highland Park behind the water tower and McMurray Athletic Fields.
- Medium: Arlington/Arkwright Park, Como Ski Center, Frogtown Park & Farm, and the McDonough and Merriam Park recreation centers.
- Gentle: Griggs, Margaret, Orchard and Prosperity parks.
Both cities ask sledders to stay away from roads, water and trees. For markets, light shows and outdoor skating in December 2026, see our guide to Christmas events in Minneapolis–St. Paul.
Quick answers
Where can you go snow tubing near Minneapolis? Nine tubing hills serve the Twin Cities in 2026–27: Elm Creek (Maple Grove), Buck Hill (Burnsville), Afton Alps (Hastings), Theodore Wirth Park (Minneapolis), Green Acres (Lake Elmo), Wild Mountain (Taylors Falls), Powder Ridge (Kimball), Trollhaugen (Dresser, Wisconsin) and Badlands (Hudson, Wisconsin).
How much is snow tubing near Minneapolis? A regular session costs $17 to $28 per person in 2026–27: $22 at Elm Creek, $17–$21 online at Buck Hill, $17 at Theodore Wirth Park, $21.75 at Wild Mountain, $25 at Badlands and $28 at Trollhaugen and Powder Ridge (plus tax). Elm Creek's Wednesday nights ($11), Buck Hill's Late Night tickets ($12–$14) and Theodore Wirth Park's walk-up sessions ($10) cost less.
When does snow tubing open in 2026? Wild Mountain opens on Saturday, December 19, 2026 and Powder Ridge on Saturday, December 26, 2026; Trollhaugen typically opens in mid to late December, and the other hills open when the weather allows.
How tall do you have to be to go snow tubing? Most hills near Minneapolis ask for 42 inches. Elm Creek takes riders from 36 inches or age 4, Theodore Wirth Park's rope tow needs 44 inches and age 5, and Badlands has no limit.
Can you go snow tubing on Christmas Day or New Year's Eve? Yes. Buck Hill is open from 2 to 9 p.m. on Christmas Day and until midnight on New Year's Eve; Trollhaugen is open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Christmas Day and noon to 6 p.m. on December 31, 2026, and Powder Ridge runs Lazer Light Tubing on New Year's Eve.
Do you need a reservation for snow tubing? At Trollhaugen and Powder Ridge, yes. Elm Creek, Wild Mountain and Afton Alps advise booking timed tickets online, Badlands sells its tickets online from Wednesdays at noon, and Theodore Wirth Park sells passes only on the day at The Trailhead.
Is Trapp Farm Park tubing open this winter? No. The City of Eagan's tubing hill page says the Trapp Farm Park hill is closed for the 2026–27 season.
Cover photo: the tubing hill at Great Bear in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, January 2010, Jake DeGroot, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; illustrative photo.