Moonshine Mountain Delivers Thrilling Snow Tubing During Winter Months

Looking for a family-friendly winter activity? Check out Moonshine Mountain snow tubing park in nearby Hendersonville, NC for snow tubing this winter. KAG Contributor Kristina Hernandez brought her children for a day of tubing down the mountain. Check out her review so you’ll know what to expect and plan your visit to Moonshine Mountain.

They are projected to open on December 20th, 2023.

Snow Tube at Moonshine Mountain

If you see the giant pink elephant, you know you’ve made it to Moonshine Mountain in Hendersonville, NC. Get used to the feeling of being watched by all kinds of mismatched statues of dinosaurs, bears, and the Blues Brothers. But it’s all part of the thrilling fun of this snow tube mecca in Western North Carolina.

Located only an hour from Greenville, Moonshine Mountain offers super fast snow tubing for any age down their mountain. They have a cozy lodge with games, hot chocolate, snacks, and coffee available. If you’d rather skip the tubing part or are done with your time, you can watch all the action from the deck at the lodge or head to the bridge over the tubing area to take photos of your family speeding down the lanes.

Moonshine Mountain is planning to open December 20th, 2023, for their 2023-24 season, which extends through February depending on the weather. Before you go, definitely head to their Facebook page for the latest updates on weather, snow report, and wait times. They have the capability to create their own snow so you’ll be fine even if Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate on the white fluffy stuff.

There are bathrooms on site but they are port-a-potties so don’t go there expecting the Ritz of bathrooms. The place is rustic and eclectic, not a fancy ski lodge.

Tickets, Tube, & Lift

Tickets are $40 for each tuber no matter the age and you have to sign a waiver upon arrival – head right to the “Form Shed” and then take your waiver to the lodge for payment and your sticker. You’ll get two hours of tube time. They do not take reservations so it’s first come first serve. If you want a good chance of snow tubing the day you want, you need to get there early. Like anything outdoors since the pandemic, a lot of people want to go. Over Christmas Break last year, they were posting wait times of anywhere from two to six hours. 

After leaving the lodge, go to the building with the airplane on top to pick up your giant tube – I don’t know how much they weigh but they aren’t light (I definitely tripped over them a couple of times!) – and head to the mountain after the lodge. There is a pulley system that acts as a lift to get you up. It’s easy and fast.

Your other option, if the line is long, is to take your tube and walk up the mountain. I don’t recommend this if the conditions are icy, which is how they were when I went. I got about 80 percent up and got stuck because I couldn’t get a good grip on the ice. It all worked out but the lift is easy and you don’t get stuck!

Going Down the Mountain

Once you’ve reached the top, you get to choose one of the three lanes. Having never snow tubed before, my two little kids (ages 7 and 4) and I just chose the first lane, which was a good choice since it seemed like the other two were even faster. Moonshine Mountain claims one of the steepest slopes in Western North Carolina. I’m not disputing that after day of snow tubing here.

My kids are small enough where we were arranged so that I could hold onto both their tubes and we could go down together, which made me feel a bit safer. Every tuber, no matter their age, get their own tube. The employees are all great and very friendly. They get you up the mountain and down it safely while having a lot of fun.

I saw a lot of other groups go down in “trains”, where you hook your feet under the arms of the person in the tube in front of you and then slide down together. It looked awesome.

Mom Review of the fun at Moonshine Mountain

We got there before Moonshine Mountain opened so we had plenty of time to get in several runs until a bigger crowd showed up. The most we waited to get to the lift after sliding down was 15 minutes and that was at the most crowded part of the day. It was run efficiently, they play music, have a bonfire near the mountain so you can warm up, and have an on-site photographer to grab your best photo (which we absolutely bought).

The place is very family-friendly and really caters to all ages. We saw people on dates, families, big groups, and friends just having fun together. There are plenty of things for the kids to play with, or on, while there as well. There is a little igloo they can explore or climb on the backs of dinosaurs or sit by the fire and enjoy hot chocolate.

I found it’s run efficiently to move people from one area to the next to get in as many snow tube runs as possible but certainly geared towards safety. If you’re looking for something fun to do as a family this winter or to bring out-of-towners to, Moonshine Mountain is a great choice.

Check hours on website as they are mostly open on weekends and school breaks. They do not offer group rates.

Tips for Moonshine Mountain in North Carolina

1 – Bring cash. Moonshine Mountain doesn’t accept credit cards for anything so you need enough money for the tickets plus whatever snacks or hot chocolate you want. Tickets are $40 per person. If you purchase photos, bring an extra $30-$40. I loved the photos since I couldn’t go down the mountain and snapshots at the same time.

2 – While there isn’t an age requirement, there is a minimum height requirement of 36” to tube and a 250-pound limit on the lift. Tubes can hold up to 300 pounds but you’ll need to walk up the mountain. Ages 8 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

3 – Check the weather and snow report before you go on their website and/or Facebook page. Rain will usually necessitate closing. You don’t want to drive all the way up there and not be able to go tubing.

4 – Get there early. We took someone’s advice and got there about 20 minutes before opening, which allowed us plenty of time to sign the waiver, get our tube, and hit the mountain before other people showed up. If you get there hours after opening, be prepared to wait for a long time or not get tickets at all.

5 – Bring a change of clothes. There are changing rooms on site and you may get wet or muddy. It’s just more comfortable to change before you head home.  You don’t need snow bibs or pants. Just dress warm.

6 – Don’t forget winter hats and gloves and layers are your friends. It can get chilly so just be prepared. You can always ditch layers in the car if you warm up. We don’t have snow gear so we layered leggings under pants and jeans and did the same with shirts. Worked out well.

Have you gone snow tubing at Moonshine Mountain?

Moonshine Mountain
5865 Willow Road, Hendersonville, NC
828.696.0333