Snowcat Ridge: A Genuine Review

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In 2021, I discovered Snowcat Ridge, a snow park in Florida, through Instagram. As a Florida resident with limited winter vacation options, my daughters had never experienced real snow. The concept of a snow park in Florida immediately excited me, and I was eager to take my family there.

After some consideration, I reached out to Snowcat Ridge, and they kindly agreed to collaborate with us! We drove to Dade City, near Tampa, to explore all that Snowcat Ridge has to offer.

As a content creator, I believe in being honest with my readers. Here’s our honest feedback about the park—the good, the bad, and the ugly. We are thankful to Snowcat Ridge for their hospitality and for welcoming us as VIP guests for the evening.

Arctic Igloo

We began our adventure at the Arctic Igloo. According to Snowcat Ridge’s website, this area features an indoor snow play zone, perfect for building snowmen, a snowball target zone, and a Bunny Slope designed for young children under 42 inches tall.

Our family had an amazing time in this part of the park. We made snowballs, created snow angels, and shared countless smiles and laughter from the moment we entered until I finally got them to leave so we could explore the rest of the park.

TIP: It’s both cold and very slippery in the Arctic Igloo, so dress appropriately. We recommend wearing gloves or mittens while playing in the snow and closed-toed, non-slip shoes.

Snowy Slopes

Our next stop was the Snowy Slopes, a 60-foot tall, 400-foot long snow tubing hill that offers single, tandem, and 10-person snow tubing. The Snowy Slopes also features a nightly music and light show that can be seen throughout the park.

One great aspect of Snowcat Ridge is their limited entry policy for the Snowy Slopes. When you enter the park, you’re given a wristband designating your time slot, which helps minimize wait times. We noticed that the lines for the single and tandem tubing were much longer compared to the 10-person tubes.

We were excited to see moving sidewalk conveyor lifts for easier access to the top, but unfortunately, neither was operational during our visit, so we had to trek up. Even my youngest child was a bit out of breath by the time we reached the top for the second time. The path was slippery in many areas, so we needed to walk cautiously while avoiding others pulling their tubes.

We chose the 10-person snow tubes, which meant sharing a ride with strangers unless you had a full party.

TIP: Hold on tightly to both handles as instructed. The ride can be bumpy and spin, which almost made my glasses fall off at one point. I recommend using a chest strap for your phone to capture your reactions hands-free.

Crystal Ribbon Ice Skating

The Crystal Ribbon is an outdoor ice skating area where you can glide across the ice under sunny Florida skies during the day and enjoy a magical music and light show at night!

Please note that there is a fee for ice skate rentals, which covers an entire day. They also offer helmet and trainer rentals, though the trainers are only available for a single use. Be prepared for long lines both to rent and return the skates. If you rent a helmet, you’ll need to leave your driver’s license as a deposit.

My daughters are beginners at ice skating, so they clung to the sides, causing occasional traffic jams. It was amusing to see experienced skaters zoom by and at times inadvertently trip novice skaters along the wall. As a mom, I felt a bit anxious for my girls, but they managed to skate around a few times carefully.

TIP: If possible, bring your own ice skates from home—it’ll save you both time and money. Lockers are available if you don’t want to carry your skates around.

Alpine Village Food Court

Snowcat Ridge features a range of food trucks offering diverse options for everyone. The line leads you to one of several screens to place your order, which is soon ready for pickup at each food truck.

We ordered two servings of chicken tenders and fries, two quesadillas, a cheeseburger, and four drinks, and our total exceeded $100. When we picked up the food, we were taken aback by the portion sizes; we could have easily shared two or three dishes. We ended up wrapping most of our leftovers to take home.

As a bonus, Snowcat Ridge provided us with a token for a free s’mores kit. They have a designated area for making s’mores, but we decided to take ours home as it was getting late.

TIP: We recommend eating before your visit! You can bring food and drinks as long as they are in disposable containers.

Snowcat Ridge Admission

If you’re curious about admission prices, it’s time to do some math.

Admission costs vary based on the day and time of your visit, as well as whether you want VIP passes or unlimited snow tubing. During our Saturday night visit, the price started at $46.95 per person for pre-ordered tickets and $5 more at the box office. This does not include parking, ice skate rentals, or food expenses.

Although we had a great time, personally spending nearly $250 plus $20 for parking just to enter is a bit steep for me. If you’re interested in visiting Snowcat Ridge, I suggest checking their website for pricing details. I noticed a day in late February that offers admission starting at $19.95 per person, which could be more affordable for many families.

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