How to Find Alpine Slides

Alpine slides are not on every mountain, and they do not always use the words "alpine slide" in their names. Finding one for your trip means knowing where they tend to be, how to read a resort's summer listing, and how to confirm that the ride will actually be running on the day you arrive.

Where alpine slides tend to be

Because a slide needs a hill and, usually, a chairlift, most alpine slides in the United States sit at ski areas. They cluster where ski country meets summer tourism: Colorado and Utah, the northern Rockies, Vermont and the Berkshires, the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania, the Great Lakes, and mountain towns on the West Coast. A few are part of standalone attraction parks, such as Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain in Big Bear Lake, California, and Rushmore Tramway Adventures in Keystone, South Dakota.

The Alpine Slide Directory lists slides state by state with links to each operator, and the regional pages go deeper:

Colorado's slides, then and now

Colorado has long been a favorite for alpine slide fans, and it remains one. Winter Park Resort calls its slide Colorado's longest: riders take the Arrow chairlift up, then ride 3,000 feet of track back to the base, and Visit Grand County describes a 610-foot vertical drop. Breckenridge Ski Resort runs Alpine Slides at Peak 8, reached by the free BreckConnect Gondola from town. Purgatory Resort near Durango, the resort once known as Durango Mountain Resort, runs a dual-track slide more than half a mile long. On Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs, the Howler Alpine Slide winds down a 2,400-foot track.

One name from older Colorado lists no longer applies. The Heritage Square Alpine Slide in Golden closed for good, as recorded by the Golden History Museum, and the amusement park around it later closed too. If a guide still lists it, the guide is out of date.

Search with the right words

Resort websites file their slides under many names. When you search a resort's summer pages, look for:

  • Alpine slide, the most common name.
  • Bobsled, as in Ober Gatlinburg's Smoky Mountain Bobsled, which the resort says is also known as the Alpine Slide.
  • Summer toboggan or Sommerrodelbahn, terms used in Europe and occasionally in North America.
  • Adventure park, mountain adventure park, or summer activities, the sections where slides usually appear.

Be careful with the word coaster. Crystal Mountain in Michigan calls its alpine slide the Crystal Coaster Alpine Slide, but most rides named coasters are rail-mounted mountain coasters. Read the description: a sled in an open trough is a slide; a cart locked to a rail is a coaster. The slide vs. coaster page explains the difference.

Confirm before you go

Alpine slides are seasonal, weather-dependent, and sometimes paused for maintenance or improvements. A slide that was running on a past trip may be closed this time, and a slide that has been closed may reopen. Before you plan a day around one:

  • Check the operator's hours page. Many slides run daily in the heart of summer and on weekends only at the start and end of the season.
  • Look for an activity status page. Some resorts publish a live list of which lifts and attractions are open.
  • Read the weather policy. Most slides close for any moisture on the track, and lightning closes lifts.
  • Call if in doubt. A short phone call can save a long mountain drive.

Understand the ticket

Operators sell slide access in different ways. Some sell single rides and multi-ride packs. Others include the slide in an all-day adventure pass with other attractions. Some require a lift ticket because the chairlift is part of the ride. Many ask every rider to sign a liability waiver, and some let you do it online before you arrive. Prices change, so this guide does not list them; use the operator's own ticket page.

Check the rules for your group

If you are traveling with children, look up the height and age rules before you go. Most slides let small children ride with an adult and set a minimum height for riding alone, but the numbers vary. Combined weight limits per sled are also common. The riding with kids page compares examples.

Build the trip around it

The best alpine slide trips pair the ride with something larger: a national park, a lake, a historic town, or a scenic drive. Jackson, Wyoming, sits near Grand Teton National Park. Whitefish, Montana, is a gateway to Glacier National Park. Keystone, South Dakota, is the town closest to Mount Rushmore. Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is next to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. See national parks near alpine slides and planning a mountain-resort trip.

Know what to expect when you arrive

At most slides you buy or show your ticket near the base, ride a chairlift up, listen to a quick briefing, and then ride down one rider or one adult-and-child pair at a time. Lines are usually longest in late morning and right after lunch; the Howler Alpine Slide in Steamboat Springs says its busiest times are usually weekends and late mornings. Arriving early, once the dew has dried, often means more laps for the same time.

Sources

Before you go. AlpineSlide.com is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the resorts, parks, and attractions it describes. Seasons, hours, rules, and ticket options are set by each operator and can change with the weather. Confirm the details on the operator’s own site before you travel.
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