Trip Report: Hawksnest Snow Tubing 2024

Trip:                 Hawksnest Snow Tubing

                      “`Seven Devils, NC

Date:                Feb. 24, 2024

Author:            Cristian Baca

History:

Hawksnest Snow Tubing was once Hawksnest Ski Resort (first opening in 1964) offering 12 downhill trails and a vertical of 673 feet. A few years later (1968) they added golf and became known as the Seven Devils Golf and Ski Resort. The recreationally-focused town of Seven Devils was incorporated on June 30, 1979, with a focus as a vacation home community.

In the early 1980s, Jon Reynolds purchased the ski operations and changed the name to Ski Hawksnest. The property was purchased by Leonard Cottom in 1993  and renamed the Hawksnest Golf and Ski Resort. They had three chairlifts serving its 12 trails, with 100% snowmaking coverage over its 20 acres.

Ski operations ceased at Hawksnest in 2008 after the owners reportedly tired of fighting with the town of Seven Devils to obtain support for ski area expansion.  Beginning in 2008, the owners shifted their focus to snow tubing and ziplining, opening 20 lanes for visitors.

Since that first season, the park has grown to become the largest snow tubing operation in the Southeast and the second largest tubing park in the United States (as of 2024, Camelback Mountain Resort in Tannersville, PA, is the largest).

With 4 distinct tubing areas and more than 30 lanes that range from 400 to 1,000 feet in length, Hawksnest Snow Tubing Park provides a wide variety of terrain options for the most advanced of snow tubers.

After finishing their ride, tubers can hop on board one of the park’s 2 “magic carpet” lifts and go back up to the top for another round of fun. Each session lasts 1 hour ad 45 minutes and tubers must be at least 3 years old.

Experience

Troop 48 carpooled to Hawksnest on Feb. 24.  After about 2 hours of tubing, we ate at a fantastic Mexican restaurant for lunch and headed back to Kingsport.  We had great weather for tubing (snowed while we were there). Watch out for the conveyor – it tried to eat my shirt.

References: https://www.highcountrync.com/hcnc/hawksnest-snow-tubing-a-unique-high-country-experience/article_5988d454-0156-5aa4-9d31-2a5c9854a935.htmlhttps://www.dcski.com/lostareas/viewlostprofile.php?id=113
https://snowtubingsource.com/top-10-largest-snow-tubing-parks/

Attending the Event

None Booked