*SOME OF THESE LOCATIONS WILL OPEN IN LATE DECEMBER OR EARLY JANUARY, CHECK THE WEBSITE FOR OFFICIAL INFORMATION. WEB LINKS LISTED BELOW.
RESORTS WITH SNOW PLAY:
Bear Valley Cross Country and Adventure Company: Hwy. 4, 45 miles northeast of Angels Camp (2 hours 36 from Pleasanton). Cross-country area has sledding and tubing hills for ages 3 and up. Cost: $12 for sledding; $16 for tubing; $2 non-sledders/tubers. (Cost includes use of sled or tube). Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m.. (209) 753-2834, bearvalleyxc.com.
Boreal: I-80 at Castle Peak Exit on Donner Summit (2 hours 51 min from Pleasanton). On-site retail shop. Playland tubing area with groomed tubing lanes and moving carpet. Cost: $34–$39 for a 2-hour session (includes tube and access to tubing carpet). Open 9 a.m.–9 p.m. daily, except 10 a.m.–8 p.m. holidays. (530) 426-3666, rideboreal.com.
Diamond Peak: Ski Way, Incline Village, Nev., off Hwy. 28 (3 hours 29 mins from Pleasanton). Downhill resort has Diamond Peak Child Ski Center. Separate learning area with powerline lift for ages 3–7. Cost: Group lessons are $110–$125/2 hours, $150–$175/all day; Age 3 needs private lessons, $135–$145/hour, $185–$195/1.5 hours. Open 9 a.m.–4 p.m. (775) 832-1177, diamondpeak.com.
Granlibakken: Just south of Tahoe City on Granlibakken Rd. Groomed sled hill (3 hours 18 mins from Pleasanton). Cost: $14–15 all day, includes plastic sled/saucer. Sledding open daily throughout the season, 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (530) 583-4242, granlibakken.com. They also have a snow hill for skiing and snowboarding with lessons available. Adult rates: $30 full day, $35 holiday, $16 half day. Child rates: (12 and under) $20 full day, $25 holiday, $10 half day. Tahoe Treetop Adventure is also on the property and runs year round.
Leland High Sierra Snow Play: Near Dodge Ridge, 6 miles east of Strawberry on Highway 108 (2 hours 35 minutes from Pleasanton). 44" height requirement! Covers 30 acres, with 18 groomed sled hills for various ages, from mild to wild. Cost: $13–$37 depending on age and walk-up versus tow-up (sleds/saucers included in ticket price). Open 10 a.m.–5 p.m except on Wednesdays. (209) 965-4719, snowplay.com.
Northstar California: North Shore Tahoe, Truckee (3 hours, 8 mins from Pleasanton). New tubing hill at mid-mountain area. Cost: $40 (includes use of tube for 1 hour; $30 for each additional hour). Tubing hill open every day, weather permitting. (800) 466-6784, northstarattahoe.com.
Sierra-at-Tahoe: South Lake Tahoe off U.S. 50 (2 hours, 58 mins from Pleasanton). Groomed snow play area, Blizzard Mountain, with lift near main lodge serves 2 tubing lanes. Cost: $35/2 hours of tubing (price for tubing includes tube). Open hours and days depend on weather and conditions. (530) 659-7453, sierratahoe.com.
Soda Springs Mountain Resort: 1 mile east of I-80 at Soda Springs Exit (2 hours, 53 minutes from Pleasanton). In Tube Town, a groomed tubing area, they have a 400-foot surface lift, serving 20 long flumes with twists and banked turns. Cost: $40 for all day; $10 for non-tubers. A separate, slower-paced zone, called Planet Kids, is suitable for small children. Times and days they are open depends upon weather and conditions. (530) 426-1010, skisodasprings.com.
Squaw Valley: 9 miles northwest of Tahoe City, off Hwy. 89 (3 hours, 9 minutes from Pleasanton). Snow tubing area; 3-plus lanes (more during the holidays) are located at the base of the mountain. Tubing area accessed by Tubing Life in SnoVentures area. Cost: $34/hour, regardless of age, includes lift access and tube. Open 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Sunday to Thursday; 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday, Saturday, and holidays, when night hours are in effect. (800) 403-0206, squaw.com.
Tahoe Donner: Northwoods Blvd., 1/2 mile off I-80 at Donner Pass Road Exit (3 hours, 6 minutes from Pleasanton). Groomed sledding hill, 2 monitored tubing lanes (when weather permits), 6 unmonitored sledding lanes. Cost for public: $11–16. Cost for Tahoe Donner guests: $8–14; 3 and under, 70 and older, and 1 spectator per party are free. Cost includes use of plastic sled. Open times vary, call ahead or check website. (530) 587-9437, tahoedonner.com.
