Snow Tubing and Ice Skating in Georgia

Georgia is not a snow state, and it has not had an operating ski resort in over 20 years. What it does have is two real, reliable winter attractions: a man-made snow tubing hill at Stone Mountain Park and a seasonal outdoor ice rink in Atlanta. Here is what is actually available, so you know what to expect before you plan a trip around snow in Georgia.

Snow Mountain at Stone Mountain Park

Season: Roughly November through March   Cost: Tubing tickets are separate from park admission and parking

Stone Mountain Park builds a machine-made snow tubing hill each winter on the open lawn facing the mountain's carving, and it is the only regularly operating snow tubing hill inside Georgia. A tubing session typically runs about two hours, though actual sliding time is less once you account for carrying tubes back up the hill and waiting in line. Tubing tickets are sold separately from the park's own admission and parking fees, so budget for both. Hours and pricing shift by season, so check Stone Mountain Park's official site before you go. See our Stone Mountain Park page for more on the rest of the park.

The Rink at Park Tavern (Atlanta Ice Skating)

Season: Early December through mid-February   Location: Piedmont Park, Midtown Atlanta

The Rink at Park Tavern sets up a real outdoor ice skating rink in Piedmont Park every winter, housed inside a heated and air-conditioned tent so it runs regardless of Georgia's mild winter weather. It typically opens in early December and stays open through Presidents Day in February. Tickets, which include skate rental, are usually priced a little higher on weekend evenings than on weekday afternoons. Check Park Tavern's website for this season's exact hours and pricing.

Georgia does not have a ski resort today. Sky Valley, tucked in the far northeast corner of the state near the North Carolina line, was Georgia's only commercial ski resort from 1969 until it closed in 2004. The chairlift and snowmaking equipment were removed, and the land is now the Sky Valley Country Club, a golf community.

If you specifically want to ski or snowboard, the closest real options are a drive across the state line: Scaly Mountain, North Carolina (whose own ski area also closed in 2004, but which still runs snow tubing) and Ober Gatlinburg, near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, which has both skiing and snow tubing. Both are a couple of hours from North Georgia, depending on where you start.

For more cold-weather ideas that do not depend on snow, see our Best Things to Do in Georgia in Winter guide or our Best Places to See Christmas Lights in Georgia guide.