Tubing with Snow Riders in Harpers Ferry, WV

Snow Tubers ride the "Magic Carpet" back to the top of the hil at Snow Riders in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Snow tubers enjoy a photo op with the Snow Riders mascot, the Abominable Snowman.

New Year's Eve was full of excitement as we reserved a date for snow tubing with Snow Riders in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Snow Riders is a newer venue that recently opened in the Harpers Ferry area in 2023 whose claim to fame is having the longest snow tubing lanes on the East coast.

To make a reservation, one has to go to the Snow Riders website at snowriders.com. While there, one is able to choose from regular snow tubing and also kiddie tubing. Many upsales are offered as one navigates the website from beginning to end. The website requires quite a bit of information and it takes a few minutes to complete all items. Once you choose your date and time block, you're all set and check out/pay right there on the website. The time blocks offered for tubing last one and a half hours and the base cost starts at $49. Once we were all said and done, our cost ended up being $58.20 per person for the main event of tubing, with no add-ons.

After paying and making our reservation, Snow Riders emails you release forms that you are required to sign and submit for all people in your party. On your arrival day, they ask that you come 30 minutes early in order to check in at their main building and also to go through the brief safety training. The safety training takes place on the patio area attached to the main building and while there, you have a chance for a photo op with none other than the "Abominable Snowman", their mascot.

Once done with all the preliminaries, your group can head over to the tubing area to begin the fun. The tubing area has up to twelve lanes and it's own magic carpet conveyor lift to bring participants, and their tubes, back to the top of the hill after each ride. Tubers initially pick up their tube at the end of the lanes, and then head up to the top of the tubing area on the lift. Once at the top, riders choose a lane and wait their turn to launch. Attendants enforce safety precautions at the top of the lanes, and verify that the person who just rode down the lane you are waiting for, has completely finished their ride before you are allowed to take your turn.

Soon, you are off! Speeding down the tubing lanes with the wind in your hair is a fun time for all, especially since you get a ride back to the top of the lanes.

Here are a few things to know before you go:

1. The magic carpet moves pretty slowly bringing participants to the top, therefore, you average only about 6-7 rides during that 1.5 hour time period.

2. Some of the tubing lanes are quite a bit rougher than others, as they had ice build-up areas, creating unpleasant and painful bumps. It was reported that one better hold their hind end up when going over these hard hitting areas.

3. The safety efforts are good. Riders may only ride a certain way in the tubes, and safety helpers manage things well, for the most part, at the top of the lanes.

4. If anyone is joining your group that won't be tubing, I would recommend definitely reserving one of the fire pits for the duration. They are on the side hill with a great view of the activity of the tubers, and require a fee. The day we went, there were two adults in our party that did not tube, and while we were able to stand on the side hill and watch from there, it would have been nice to be able to sit by the fire and enjoy a s'more, coffee, or hot chocolate. There were some small windows of time where some of the fire pit areas where empty and available, even though on the computer it said they were booked. It would be nice if they could fix the rental time schedules to allow people to rent the space for the in-between times, even if it's only for an half hour. They have signs with a phone number that say to call if you want to rent one of these areas, and the day we were there, three of the areas were empty for 30 minutes, but when you call, they don't have a way to accommodate you to rent it for th ose half hour time blocks between the computer booked rental times.

5. There were plenty of bathrooms. There were some in the main check-in building, and there were also some Johnny Blues right beside the tubing lanes.

6. I saw many parents taking really young, tiny children down the tubes with them. Depending on the age, it can be a bit much for really young children, which is why they have a kiddie tubing area as well.

7. There's a little hot cocoa shack near the tubing lanes where you can buy a drink or hang out by a small fire for free.