Yawgoo Valley

8/10 Mommy Approved Smiling Faces

The kids and I went to Yawgoo Valley Ski Area to take snow boarding lessons and to go tubing in the winter months.  Both experiences were really fun and the kids had a blast.  They liked the tubing best since it required no skill.

When visiting Yagoo Valley, we had already taken lessons at Wachusett Mountain the week before and wanted to continue with our momentum and progress our skills.  Yawgoo Valley is a great option because it is a smaller mountain that is close by for us Rhode Islanders.

At Yawgoo Valley we hard a hard time finding parking and therefor arrived right at our scheduled class time.  That meant waiting in line to get our pre-purchased tickets and then going to the rental area to receive our gear, change up and meet our instructor.  We were late-Eeeeeek!  I hate being late for things with kids because it involves so much more than an easy fix.

Thankfully, they didn’t make a big deal of this. So we met our instructor and the 3 of us, myself, my 5-year-old son and seven-year-old were alone in the class together.  This would have been fine except, my son was NOT interested in snowboarding that day for some reason.  So that meant instead of receiving a lesson myself I was focusing on encouraging him to participate.  This is not really what I was hoping would happen but with kids, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected.  For that reason I liked that at Wachusetts, the lessons were divided from adults and kids and by level too.  It did permit me to learn while the kids learned with their own instructor.

One major challenge at Yawgoo Valley that we faced is the rope tow which carries participants up the mountain.  We were not accustomed to it at all so once we were close enough to get going, my daughter and I grabbed on and fell down immediately!  I swear they should compile a series of people falling on these fast-moving tow ropes because it’s pretty amusing to watch.  The kid’s area has a rope tow that is “slow-moving” compared to the beginner adults tow rope that I also tried and failed at.  With some practice, we were able to use the kid’s tow rope so that’s a big win, even though it wasn’t the most graceful success, we were proud of ourselves!

We all got a fair amount of practice at Yawgoo Valley in the kid’s section but we didn’t get passed that with our lesson.  Sadly, we didn’t gain many new skills or go on the chair lift the day we visited.  Maybe that was because my son was griping the entire time or that the snow was very powdery?  I’m pretty sure its a combo of both.  Oh well, we tried and I’m sure with time, we will improve!

After our lessons, we went to the lodge to have a snack.  Our instructor mentioned the cheese fries and the kids were interested.  We ended up getting those which were very tasty.  The lodge here is super small.  There is a window outside to order at and then you may either sit at the outdoor tables and eat or try to find an inside seat.  People had their items at tables and on the perimeter of the rooms so there wasn’t a ton of space but, we did end up finding an open table with a little patience.  

Another day we visited for tubing at Yawgoo Valley.  This takes place in a different area from the skiing / snowboarding.  The skiing and snowboarding happen at the furthest point down hill whereas tubing is closer to the main road.  Follow the signs and you can’t miss it.  

We had to reserve our tickets on-line in advance and it wasn’t the easiest thing to do.  I ended up calling and speaking to someone about how to reserve the spots since every time I looked they were booked.  It helped!

All the kids like the tubing the best of the winter activities because it is essentially a big sledding hill where a tough uphill walk isn’t required for more fun!   Once you are at the base of the hill, you line up and there is a rope tow that pulls you in your tube back up to the top and you repeat the process.  Tubing is great for any skill set, activity level and for ages 4 and older.

The reservations for tubing were for an hour and a half, the weather was nice and sunny so the kids were excited.  Everyone here is in good spirits.  There’s a big deck some parents of older kids were hanging out on looking down as their kids tubed.  They brought Box-of-Joe coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts to warm up while hanging out.  What a good idea!

In the warm months, Yawgoo Valley has a different set-up completely.  They offer two pools  ( a kiddie pool and a deeper pool) and two waterslides in place of the ski / snowboard lessons with an outdoor patio area to eat snacks and lunch that they prepare on-site.  Multiple lifeguards are perched at all the pools and at the top of each slide making sure rules are followed and kids are kept safe.   My kids felt very comfortable here and even went in the waterslide lines by themselves.  Yawgoo Valley is a small family-friendly location that is perfect for young kids.

 

 

Skinny:

• Weather :  For winter months you would want snow outside ideally and for summer any day ideal for swimming would be recommended
• Parking :FREE parking but the lot gets busy in winter
•  Admissions : tubing $30 for 90 minutes, skiing / snowboarding and use of the water park have variable pricing.
• Location : Small ski / snowboard area offering tubing in winter.  Summertime offers a swimming, sun bathing and waterslide experience.
• Hours : variable depending upon the season
• Duration :  We stayed her about 2-3 hours each time we visited
• Tips and Recommendations : Book ahead when you go, Yawgoo Valley gets full in winter.  Try to arrive earlier than your lesson so you can find parking and be prepared.

Jewel : 👍🏼

Jamison : 👍🏼

If you like being outside at a location that is fun in both winter and summer, you should also check out Blue Hills hiking and skiing area.  Another area we enjoy year round is is Wachusetts Mountain.