In Search of a Good Old-Fashioned Sledding Hill
Snow play at Happy Cabin
On a recent winter day, with snow falling in piles, we set out from Happy Cabin to find a good old-fashioned sledding hill. We’ve tried the pay-by-the-hour runs at the local resorts. Northstar California Resort has a twisting and turning course with an alley-oop for around $30 a kid per an hour—fun but spendy. Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has a tubing hill for $40 a person for 55 minutes that’s especially exciting on weekend nights when the resort offers “disco tubing” from 5 to 8 p.m. with LED lights, lasers and a live DJ ($51 for 55 minutes). But, frankly, those options are a splurge and require the usual resort hassles—parking, shuttling, and schlepping gear. With 6 kids, ranging from age 4 to 13, in tow, we were looking for something a little more casual and budget-friendly. North Lake Tahoe Regional Park delivered.
For the price of parking ($5 a car), you get access to the Children’s Hill, which is plenty exciting for the littlest kids. For that hill, you’ll need to bring your own sled, tube or saucer. A more universally-appealing option is the sledding hill at the top of the park. For a $5 parking fee plus $5 a person, you get access to two hills—a gradual incline for the littler kids and a steeper slope for the thrill-seeking tweens and teens. A basic plastic sled is included, though you can also bring your own if you have a special toy. The most unusual sled we saw was a huge, inflatable slice of pizza—why not? For the price of admission, you can play all day, even leaving for lunch and returning later if you’d like. Our kids loved it.
A snowy bonfire with s’mores rounds out another happy day
The snow was falling pretty heavily during our trip, so our crew was outfitted in full snow gear to stay dry and warm. Our pre-school and kinder crew enjoyed the smaller hill, building confidence with whoops and gentle spills. The older kids couldn’t get enough of the big hill, which was steep enough that most everyone ended up off their sled in a tumble. We had to coax the kids out of the near white-out conditions with promises of a hot lunch and snowball fight back at home. A nice touch is access to the shack where you buy your tickets. Stop in for a quick snack and hot cocoa, or just to warm up a bit.
Back at the cabin, the kids made their own toboggan run in the backyard, complete with snow caves and occasional trips into the kitchen for snacks and cocoa. We rounded out the day with a snowy bonfire, s’mores, and dips in the hot tub to thaw icy noses.
To visit Happy Cabin during your trip to North Lake Tahoe / Tahoe Vista / Kings Beach, click here.
After a few months of frequent trips to Northstar California Resort, we’ve nearly gotten the hang of snowboarding in a pandemic. Here’s our candid take, and some tips to get the most out of your Spring Break trip to the snow.