With winter in our midst, it’s good to remember that there’s an alternative to skiing, snowboarding, and making angels in the snow. Forget the boots, the goggles, the gear, and enjoy the simple thrills of snow tubing—because sitting is really all that’s involved in this, err, sport.
Bring warm clothes and an appetite for some fast-paced fun and you’re good to go at the best snow tubing spots near New York City.
Best Snow Tubing in New York
Hunter Mountain | Hunter | 800.486.8376 | huntermtn.com
Starting late December, trek up to Hunter Mountain for 20+ runs and nearly 1,000 feet of chute. Younger children (under 42″) have access to the Mini Tubing Park or can ride with an adult for a combined price of $30. Passes are good for two-hour sessions Friday through Sunday beginning at 5pm on Friday and 10am on Saturday and Sunday.
How to get there: oM created a list of of bus operators leaving from NYC to Hunter Mountain. Alternatively, starting in January you can take the Adirondack Trailways bus to Hunter station (last on the line).
Best Snow Tubing New Jersey
Mountain Creek | Vernon | 973.827.2000 | mountaincreek.com
Mountain Creek, located in the Appalachian Mountains of neighboring New Jersey, is spread out across four peaks, giving the illusion of a ski mountain much further than a stone’s throw from the George Washington Bridge. The mountain’s snow tubing park has been expanded to offer 30 lanes that can accommodate up to over 100 tubers an hour. Tubing rates are $20 per two hours 4-9pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays 10am-9pm; $25/Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays daytime.
How to get there: Buses from NYC are run weekly by NYCSnowBus.com, Rally Bus and Sourced Adventures who even offer an evening snow tubing and brewery.
The Best Snow Tubing in Pennsylvania
Camelback | Tannersville | 570.629-1661 | skicamelback.com
Just a two-hour bus ride from New York City, Camelback Mountain in Tannersville offers the perfect blend of adventure, creature comforts, and accessibility for an action-packed winter weekend. One of the highlights of Camelback is its snow-tubing park, the largest in the U.S.A. with 42 lanes and 100 feet of vertical drop. Camelback even offers an impressive “Galactic” LED light show starting at 5pm every night. $25 midweek, $30 on the weekends for a three hour session.
How to get there: From Port Authority take the Martz Trailways Line to either Mt. Pocono or Mt. Airy Casino. Take a taxi to the resort. Mountain Taxi is a local cab company (570) 839-2222. The Pocono Pony is a local bus option that has fixed routes around the Pocono Mountains.
Photo:Jamie McCaffrey.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram