A favorite destination in the winter for a day or weekend playing in the snow along Highway 108 above Sonora is the family-owned and -operated Leland High Sierra Snow Play. The family likes to call their tourist attraction with a cozy Alpine feeling “the biggest and best snow play facility in the Sierra.”
Located at 6,300 feet, this pristine natural setting is in Tuolumne County, right in the heart of Gold Country. It’s just roughly two hours of driving from Manteca – actually, from most Valley cities – making it the closest snow to the lowlands. It boasts 12 acres of Snowplay area which is large enough to accommodate larger-sized groups.
If you’re planning more than just a day of fun at Leland, there are several convenient lodgings nearby where you can spend the night. For those who are looking for a more rustic-like setting, there’s The Cabins at Strawberry located right along the Stanislaus River, and is the closest to Leland Snowplay.
You can enjoy discount Leland Snowplay tickets this year if you plan to stay at the following lodging facilities: The Best Western Sonora Oaks, and The Inns of California Sonora located in historic Sonora. Here, you can double your Snowplay fun by visiting the many shops and dining options in the heart of this Gold Rush city.
How to reach Leland High Sierra Snow Play from Manteca: take Highway 120 which becomes 120/108 in Oakdale, continue east on Highway 108 toward Sonora Pass; at 4 miles past Strawberry, burn right onto Leland Meadows Road; continue on Leland Meadows Road approximately 2 miles and you’re there. It’s address is 34033 Leland Meadow Road, Strawberry, Calif. 95375.
Sno-Parks: Other places to play in the snow along Highway 108
There are several Sno-Parks along Highway 108 where one can simply turn off the road into parking areas that are maintained during the winter so that visitors can pursue winter activities and be able to park their vehicles safely. From here, they can enjoy cross country skiing or snowmobiling. There are pit toilets available for convenience.
To enjoy these Sno-Parks facilities, you need to purchase a permit – either a day permit for $5 or an annual pass for $25 which is good from Nov. 1 to May 30. You can use these passes at any California Sno-Park as well as any Sno-Park in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. If you’ve purchased a Sno-Park pass in those states, they are good to use as well in California.
Strawberry Store sells these passes, but they can also be obtained online for an extra $1.95 at Sno-Park Permits, or log on to http://ohv.parks.ca.gov.
The Sno-Park program is coordinated and administered by the Off-Highway Motor Vehicular Recreation Division of California State Parks in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Transportation, the California Highway Patrol, and various community organizations.
There are 18 Sno-Park sites along the Sierra Nevada. These are identified by their distinctive brown signs along highways identifying them as Sno-Parks.
Permits purchased online accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or e-check.
