Snow tubing, ice skating and fire-roasted s’mores are not things you expect when you hear Central Florida. But it is possible and it’s a lot of fun for thrill seekers, families or those who want to feel a bit of “Winter” in Florida. Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park in Dade City, Florida offers a seasonal winter escape, starting at $20 on select days. Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park is open select days from November 21 to March 1, 2026.
Snow tubing in Central Florida
My first time visiting Snowcat Ridge, I was surprised to see numerous things that are not Florida norms: ice skating, snow and a big hill. The main selling point of Snowcat Ridge is their snow tubing. You can ride single, tandem or even 10 person tubes, all of which have their own thrills. Racing friends on the single and tandem tubes was my favorite part of the entire experience.
There are numerous ticketing types when it comes to the snow tubing, with all tickets offering at least two hours on the Snowy Slopes. Two hours is a good portion of time unless you really want to tube all night long. The park offers a moving sidewalk conveyor lift that easily takes you to the top of the hill. That means you won’t need to drag your tube up a huge hill.
For those who don’t want to slide, they can hang by the fires at the bottom of the hill. The Snowy Slopes also feature light shows throughout the evening, adding more to the experience. For those looking for a thrill, I can assure you that speed and the fun of sliding down a hill is part of this. The Snowy Slopes are not kiddie-hill sized (but there are young-one focused options as well).
Ice skating and Igloos
Snow tubing is not the only offering at Snowcat Ridge. There are other winter themed options like ice skating, playing in snow, cooking s’mores, meeting Santa, story time with Mrs. Claus and more. For those looking for a full day or evening visit, I believe Snowcat Ridge offers enough for a family to visit for 3+ hours, more so if you want to do every offering in a single visit.
Ice skating on the Crystal Ribbon allows experts and beginners their chance to get on the ice. You can bring your own skates or rent them on location. For those pros that have their skates set to their exact specifications, this can offer some great practice. But for most Floridians, like myself, Snowcat Ridge has skates and helmets for rent, because we know sandy beaches, not icy routes.
This area is available during the daytime and evening hours, with speciality lighting setup at night. In my opinion, visiting during sunset and staying into the darker hours is the best way to experience Snowcat Ridge. Florida rarely feels like a winter wonderland, but Snowcat Ridge does offer a step into a Ski-resort style atmosphere.
Food, drinks and s’mores cooking
There are food, drink and dessert stands setup throughout the Alpine Village. Items can be bought in person or pre-paid for with the Snowcat Dining Plan. During last year’s visit we got the Family-Size S’mores Kit, which was plenty large enough for a family (let alone just the two of us). You can dine at picnic tables set up around the Snowy Slopes or private Igloos are also for rent.
